Consumer understanding and awareness of food labels are essential to food labelling initiatives. But food labelling systems do not necessarily translate into healthier purchasing behaviours (Silva et al., 2024). This phenomenon, widely known as the “intention-behaviour gap,” is extensively documented in behavioural nutrition research. Such studies show that while consumers want to eat healthy foods, their actual purchasing patterns often reflect choices driven by habits, convenience, and immediate gratification (Ikonen et al., 2023).

Grunert et al. (2022) postulated that time constraint is a key determinant of whether consumers engage with nutritional labels. In fast-paced shopping environments such as large supermarkets like Tesco, consumers may prioritise speed over deliberation. When shoppers are in a hurry or mentally preoccupied, they are less likely to notice, read, or think about food labels, regardless of how clearly displaced or prominently positioned.

Van Kleef and Dagevos (2022) found that even in circumstances where labels are visible and well understood, consumers with habitual food purchasing behaviours tend to make purchase decisions without considering food labels. This inertia means that previously established preferences, such as choosing the same snack or beverage out of routine, can significantly reduce the influence of food labelling strategies. Such impulsive or habitual behaviours are resistant to change unless influenced by strong external cues or incentives. Behavioural economics supports this idea through the concept of bounded rationality, where decision-making is influenced by consumers’ emotional state and their limited cognitive resources, as well as environmental cues (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008). Herbert A. Simon (an economist) first propounded bounded rationality in 1957 to interpret how people make decisions in real world settings where their cognitive abilities and available information are limited in addition to time constraints.

According to Cohen and Babey (2023), shoppers may also experience decision fatigue, particularly in supermarkets (such as Tesco) where there are overwhelming product options. Under such circumstance, even well-intentioned consumers who have knowledge of food labels and want to always eat healthy might revert to instinctive buying. Or they simply make familiar choices without considering nutritional values of food products. Tesco Annual Report (2023) highlighted this reality. The popular UK retail brand noted that despite the implementation of comprehensive front-of-pack labelling and health-promotion campaigns, consumers still spend more on high-sugar food and drinks. Sales from high-fat snacks remain consistently high. This trend suggests that labelling alone is not sufficient to drive significant behaviour change among consumers unless accompanied by complementary strategies (such as pricing incentives or product placement adjustments).

Scarborough et al (2023) found that consumers often use labels selectively thereby deviating from the goals of food labelling systems. A situation where someone trying to lose weight or stay healthy by eliminating or reducing sugar intake may pay closer attention to sugar content only while ignoring fat or calorie information. Selective attention to food labels therefore undermines the comprehensive nutritional intent behind labelling systems (Crosetto et al, 2022).

A study by Bailey et al (2023) found that emotional drivers such as reward-seeking behaviour, stress, and cravings for certain tastes frequently overpower rational considerations at the point of purchase. The scholars further observed that consumers who experience emotional stress or fatigue are more likely to buy comfort foods regardless of information of the label. This situation highlights the complex nature of behaviour change. It also underscores the limited influence that informational interventions like food labelling can exert in isolation.

On this backdrop, a UK-based observational study found that the effectiveness of food labels varies significantly across demographic groups (Hersey et al, 2022). The scholars asserted that younger consumers and those with higher nutritional awareness have higher chances of altering their purchasing decisions based on health labelling. However, older consumers and those from lower-income groups are less responsive to food label contents because they are either confused or indifferent towards the labels.

In conclusion, health-focused food labelling increases awareness and understanding, but the actual behavioural impact (that is reaction from consumers) remains modest and inconsistent. The unreliability of expected consumer behaviours toward food labels and healthier purchasing choices are frequently influenced by time constraints, emotional states, impulsive habits, selective attention, and socio-economic status (Heale & Twycross, 2015). This underscores the essence of exploring multi-level interventions that integrate labelling with changes in store layout, promotional strategies, and public health orientation to promote lasting behaviour change.