Urban Consumer Behaviors in Kochi, India: Food Choice Motivations, Food Label Literacy, and Nutrition Panel Use

As consumer preferences shift, a nutritional revolution marked by increased consumption of energy‐dense processed foods is driving a rise in chronic, noncommunicable diseases. Factors influencing food purchasing behaviors were assessed among the urban population of Kochi, India. A community‐based cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 680 participants aged 18–60 years. Health benefits, convenience, and sensory appeal were found to be the most significant factors considered while purchasing packaged food. Participants who were younger ( p = 0.002), female ( p = 0.011), and/or had at least one reported comorbidity ( p = 0.010) were significantly more concerned with the food′s sensory appeal, while participants from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were significantly more likely to consider price ( p = 0.007). Furthermore, consumers who placed importance on the natural content and health‐promoting aspects of food were significantly more likely to have food label literacy ( p < 0.05) and/or use nutrition panels ( p < 0.05). Participants with higher food label literacy were more likely to use nutrition panels ( p = 0.017, adjusted R 2 : 0.017). These findings underscore the importance of tailoring public health interventions to demographic‐specific motivations. Community‐based educational interventions shown to improve food label literacy and utilization may help promote individual consideration of natural and health‐promoting aspects of food products while shopping, which is associated with healthier food consumption patterns.