건강을 중시하면서도 외식업체 영양표시에 대한 실질적인 관심과 활용이 부족한 소비자에게 도움이 되는 외식업
체 영양표시방안이 필요하다. 본 연구는 2010년부터 표시 의무화가 되는 외식업체 영양표시방안 수립에 소비자지
향적인 시사점을 제공하기 위하여 포커스그룹인터뷰와 소비자설문조사를 통해 외식업체 영양표시에 대한 소비자의
이용 현황과 욕구를 분석하여 외식업체 영양표시의 제공 방향을 도출하였다.
본 연구의 조사 결과, 현재 외식 소비자는 월 평균 7.63회 외식을 하고, 18.59만원을 지출하며, 분식, 한식, 고
기집 등 우리나라 전통식 메뉴를 자주 이용하고 있다. 외식 동기와 메뉴의 결정 요인은 가족과 친구의 의견과 맛으
로, 영양표시의 중요도는 낮았다. 영양표시는 주로 패스트푸드, 피자, 패밀리레스토랑에서 인식하고 있고, 그 외의
외식 유형에서는 거의 본 경험이 없었다. 외식 소비자는 메뉴를 결정하는 시점에 매장 내에서 영양표시를 주로 인
식하고 있었다. 외식업체 영양표시에 대한 이해도는 보통 이상이었으나 활용도는 낮게 나타났는데, 특히, 외식을 자
주 하는 20대와 30대, 남성의 활용도가 낮아 문제점으로 제기된다. 외식업체 영양표시로 인한 건강 메뉴 변경 의도
는 매우 높지만, 맛과 가격의 보장이라는 조건이 반드시 전제되어야 하는 것으로 나타났다.
외식 소비자는 모든 외식 유형에서 열량을 우선적으로 표시할 것을 원하였다. 그래프⋅원형의 형식을 통해 이해
하기 쉽고 활용도가 높은 정보를 제공받기를 원하는 동시에 표를 통해서 자세한 정보도 함께 제공받기를 원하였다.
또한, 간단하고 중요한 정보는 메뉴 안내판을, 자세하고 복잡한 정보는 트레이 매트와 제품 포장지를 통해서 제공받
기를 원하였다. 이에 본 연구는 모든 외식 유형에서 열량은 메뉴 안내판에 의무적으로 표시하고, 그 외의 영양소는
사업자 자율적으로 표시할 것을 제안한다. 단, 홈페이지와 트레이매트, 포장지를 보유하고 있는 사업자는 지방류와
나트륨을 중심으로 한 모든 영양소를 표시할 것을 강력하게 권고해야 한다. 외식은 자주 하지만, 외식업체 영양표시
의 활용도가 낮은 젊은 미혼자와 남성 소비자를 대상으로 한 효과적인 소비자교육을 위하여 인터넷을 활용한 정보
제공과 정부기관의 DB공개가 필요하다. 마지막으로 영양표시 제공 효과를 극대화하기 위한 사업자의 건강메뉴 개
발을 독려하고 영양표시 효과에 대한 정부 차원의 홍보와 교육이 병행되어야 한다.
Nutritional information for restaurant food should be provided to help consumers, who are
not currently interested in it or don’t use it frequently. This study suggests ways in which
the newly-enacted restaurant nutrition labeling, which must be provided beginning in 2010,
can be more consumer-friendly and effective. It analyzed data about consumer perception,
use, and need of restaurant nutritional information.
The research questions addressed in this study were: (1) the analysis of consumers'
understanding and usage of restaurant nutrition labeling, (2) the analysis of restaurant
nutrition labeling’s influence over consumers’ decision-making process at restaurant, (3) the
analysis of consumers’ needs and wants on the information, formats, and the offering methods
of restaurant nutrition labeling.
This study conducted both a survey and two focus group interviews. The survey of
consumers accessed a total of 1044 male and female consumers nationwide. Participants,
who ate out more than one time a month, completed the instrument electronically by filling
out a web-based form posted on the Internet. The two focus group interviews accessed a
total of 15 people, who ate out more than one time a month, including housewives and
female university students.
The following results were obtained in the study. Participants ate out 7.63 times a month
and spend 185,900 won on average per month. Their favorite choice of food was Korean, in
particular casual snacks, Korean-style food, and barbecue. The major reasons to decide to
eat out at restaurant and choose the restaurant were the opinion of family and friends and
taste. But nutrition labeling is not important when deciding what kind of restaurant.
Participants have only seen nutrition labeling at three types of restaurants, i.e., fast food,
pizza, and family restaurants, but at other types of restaurants they haven’t seen nutrition
labeling. Particularly, participants who could not remember to see the nutrition labeling at
any restaurant were 31.7% of all. Moreover, participants who answered to see the nutrition
labeling at restaurant could not remember the nutritional information in the concrete.
Because consumers did not expect the products’ nutritional level itself available at fast food,
pizza, and family restaurants and they did not go frequently. It showed that current restaurant
nutrition labeling system was not consumer-friendly and effective.
They looked at nutrition labeling mainly after they have decided what to eat at a restaurant.
The 79.7% participants of all answered they saw the nutrition labeling in the restaurant
they visited. And others answered they saw the nutrition labeling on internet, advertisement,
newspaper.
While they understood nutrition labeling pretty well, they did not use them frequently. Over
the 70% participants of all answered they could understand the nutrition labeling with
comparative ease. On the other hand, participants who used the nutrition labeling frequently
were only 42.2% of all. The reason, from focus group interview, was that consumers decided to
eat out at restaurant and choose the restaurant according to taste and price, not nutrition
information. And they were not interested in restaurant nutrition labeling. In particular,
those in their twenties and thirties, including men, who ate out frequently used nutrition
label less frequently. For them, effective education is required.
It is predicted that participants would choose a new healthy menu item due to nutrition
labeling only if the new item was tasty and inexpensive. In focus group interviews results,
participants answered they couldn’t give up the taste which they liked because of nutrition,
and they were negative the rapid price advance. They answered they could pay more, on
average 12.98%, because of nutrition.
Participants were more conscious of calories and fats than other nutritional information.
In focus group interviews results, participants felt nervous about their obesity and they
were very sensitive recent warning news about nutrition such as the danger of trans fat. In
addition, participants required more nutritional information as the type of restaurants, i.e.,the sodium at casual snacks, the cholesterol at barbecue and the trans fat at fast food,
pizza, and family restaurants.
They wanted graph-phi type labeling because it was easier to understand and use. At the
same time, they wanted table-type labeling because it would provide lots of detailed information.
Also, they wanted to see simple and important labeling such as calories on the menu and
detailed labeling on tray mats and packages. Because when they decided to what to eat at
restaurant, they only considered the information on the menu board, and then while they
ate at restaurant or went back to house, they read the information on the tray mats and
packages carefully.
Based on these results, this study has the following suggestions. Calories should be
provided on the menu for all restaurant food. Other information may be provided under a
business’s discretion. But on the web-site, tray mats and packages, all nutritional information
that focuses on sodium and fats should be provided. We recommend that graph-phi type
labeling and table-type labeling should be shown together in order to enhance consumers
understanding. In particular, we suggest that the font size of calories should be the same as
that of price and menu name, because consumers have a lot of interest in calories when they
decide to what to eat at restaurant.
Consumer education by the internet and public DB is very important for young single
consumers, including men who eat out frequently but use labeling less frequently. The government
should let businesses know that promoting a new healthy menu makes nutrition labeling
more effective. Because both effective restaurant nutrition labeling and successful development
of healthy menu are important in order to enhance consumers’ usage of nutrition labeling. It
should focus on public relations and consumer education.
