Constructing Nutrition Information Trend Indicators from the Media and Scientific Journals for Demand Analysis

U.S. Consumers have become increasingly concerned with health problems. Nutrition is one of the factors which directly affects health, thus credible nutritional information has become more valuable to individuals. Understanding the impact of nutritional information on consumers’ food choices will contribute to the development and implementation of effective communication strategies related to diet and health. This will not only help policy makers design regulatory and legal polices that promote health, but will also help the food industry to develop products that better match consumers’ interests. The purpose of this study is to present the number of articles or transcripts in the media, which will be used to produce information trend indicators, and to suggest the distributed time lags among the information sources. Since consumers’ knowledge is not observable, one of the ways to measure the impact of information on food demand is to develop some indicators of consumers’ exposure to the information. In this study, the articles or transcripts in the media and scientific journals about omega-3 fatty acids are investigated. Omega-3 fatty acids have received growing attention due to their several health benefits such that they help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The use of omega-3 heart claims on food labeling was approved by the FDA in 2004.