The high prevalence of obesity in South Africa has been linked to unhealthy food consumption.
Food labelling plays a significant role in informing and educating consumers about
macronutrients in the food they consume. Despite the proven efficacy of food labelling, a
dearth of research exists on consumers’ understanding and use of macronutrient and energy
information labelling and how this information influences consumers’ intention to purchase
packaged food products. A qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was conducted,
and purposive, convenience, and snowball sampling was used to select participants who were
food label readers. Virtual interviews were held to collect data, and content analysis of the
findings suggest that a significant number of participants were aware of macronutrients and
energy information labelling. However, their inability to interpret the macronutrients and energy
information labelling negatively affected their use of this information, influencing their purchase
intention of the food products. Future research can focus on the development of an
educational programme to facilitate consumers’ knowledge and understanding of
macronutrients and energy information labelling.
Ukudlondlobala kwenani labantu abakhuluphala ngokweqile eNingizimu Afrika kuhlobene
nokusetshenziswa kokudla okungenampilo. Ukunamekwa kwemibhalo ekudleni kudlala
indima enkulu ekwaziseni nasekufundiseni abathengi mayelana nezakhamzimba ekudleni
abakudlayo. Ngaphandle kwemiphumela emihle ekunamekweni kwemibhalo ekudleni,
lusasilele ucwaningo lokuqonda nokusebenzisa imibhalo enamekwe ekudleni nokudla
izakhamzimba ngokunjalo nokuthi ngakube le mibhalo inamuphi umthelela kubathengi uma
bethenga imikhiqizo yokudla. Lapha kusetshenziswe ucwaningo lokuhlola iqophelo, inhloso,
ukwaneliseka, kanye nokunxenxa abanye ukuze kutholakale ababambiqhaza abavame
ukufunda izinameko ezisekudleni. Imininingwane iqoqwe ngokubanjwa kwezinkulumongxoxo,
kanye nokuthi ukucwaningwa kwengqikithi yemiphumela etholakele kuveza ukuthi inani
elikhulu lababambiqhaza linolwazi mayelana nezakhamzimba kanye nokunamekwa
kwemibhalo ekudleni. Kodwa-ke, ukuhluleka kwabathengi ukuhumusha imininingwane
ngezakhamzimba nokunamekwa kwemibhalo ekudleni kwenza ukuthi bangakwazi
ukusebenzisa kahle le mininingwane, kuphinde kuphazamise izinhloso zabo ekuthengeni
imikhiqizo yokudla. Ucwaningo lwesikhathi esizayo lungagxila ekuqalisweni kohlelo
lokufundisa ukuze abathengi babe nolwazi futhi baqondisise kahle ngezakhamzimba kanye
nokunamekwa kwemibhalo ekudleni.
Ukuxhaphaka jikelele okuphezulu kokutyeba eMzantsi Afrika kuye kwanxulunyaniswa
nokutya okungekho sempilweni. Ukuphawulwa kokutya (food labelling) kudlala indima
ebalulekileyo ekwaziseni nasekufundiseni abathengi ngeezondlo ezidingwa ngumzimba
ekutyeni abakutyayo. Ngaphandle kokusebenza okuqinisekisiweyo kokuphawulwa kokutya,
ukunqongophala kophando kukhona malunga nokuqonda kwabathengi kunye
nokusetyenziswa kolwazi olubhaliweyo ngeezondlo ezinkulu namandla kunye nendlela olu
lwazi oluchaphazela ngayo iinjongo zabathengi zokuthenga iimveliso zokutya. Kusetyenziswe
uphando lophandontyilazwi oluchaza indlela izinto ezingayo ngokwamava abantu,
kukwasetyenziswe iindlela zokukhetha idatha ezifana nokukhetha igcuntswana ledatha
ngenjongo, ukukhetha igcuntswana ledatha elifumaneka lula, kunye nokukhetha igcuntswana
ledatha ngokufumaneka nzima ngokuncedwa leloo gcuntswana ledatha elisele likho
ukukhetha abathathinxaxheba abafunda iileyibhile zokutya. Kubanjwe udliwanondlebe
olubanjwa ngezobuchwepheshe ukuqokelela idatha, kwaye uhlalutyo lomxholo weziphumo
lubonisa ukuba abathathinxaxheba abaninzi bayayazi ngokubhalwa kolwazi lweezondlo
ezidingwa ngumzimba namandla. Nangona kunjalo, ukungakwazi kwabo ukutolika ukubhalwa
kolwazi lweezondlo ezidingwa ngumzimba namandla kuyichaphazele kakubi indlela
abalusebenzisa ngalo olu lwazi, kuchaphazela iinjongo zabo zokuthenga iimveliso zokutya.
Uphando lwexesha elizayo lunokugxila ekuphuhliseni inkqubo yemfundo yokuququzelela
ulwazi nokuqonda kwabathengi kokubhalwa kolwazi lweezondlo ezidingwa ngumzimba
namandla
