The data: Front-of-package labels are becoming a key tool for informed food choices according to a March International Food Information Council (IFIC) survey of 1,000 consumers ages 18+.

• 79% of US adults routinely check nutrition information on food packaging when they’re grocery shopping.
• 44% say front-of-package nutrition labels frequently influence their purchase decisions, while another 36% say they sometimes do.
• Just 20% say the labels have limited or no influence on what they buy.

Why it matters: Nutrition is taking on greater importance in both healthcare and consumer decision-making: 61% of Americans say healthy eating is extremely or very important to them, while another 31% say it's somewhat important, per IFIC. Only 7% think healthy eating isn’t important. And nearly two-thirds (64%) of Americans pay more attention to labels than they did five years ago, according to a May 2025 NSF Research survey. Physicians are also embracing “food as medicine,” an approach the American Medical Association endorsed in January.

But many shoppers still need help interpreting the technicalities of food labels. Most (53%) in IFIC’s poll only say they’re somewhat confident in understanding food and beverage labels, while 33% are very confident and 15% are not very or not at all confident.

Implications for food marketers: Nutrition information is not just a supporting detail, it is a more prominent part of the shopping experience. Nutrition messaging must also become a more important component of package design and shelf strategy.

Marketers can reinforce front-of-pack messages through advertising and in-store media. Directing shoppers to nutritional attributes such as higher protein or lower sugar content can help them identify the front-of-pack indicators that align with their health goals.

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