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What’s Really Inside Your Food?

A Survey on Food Ingredients, Additives, and Consumer Awareness

Thank you for taking part in this survey.

We are exploring how people understand food ingredients, what challenges they face when reading food labels, and what tools or information could help consumers make healthier and more confident food choices.

This survey takes approximately 5–7 minutes to complete.

Part 1 — About You

Q1. What is your gender? (Select one)

Male

Female

Non-binary

Prefer to self-describe: ______

Prefer not to say

Q2. Which age group do you belong to? (Select one)

Under 18

18–25

26–35

36–50

Over 50

Q3. Which of the following best describe you? (Select all that apply)

Parent

Fitness or weight-loss enthusiast

Someone with food allergies or dietary sensitivities

Someone trying to conceive or currently pregnant

Interested in food ingredients and nutrition (“ingredient nerd”)

Health-conscious consumer

Other

Q4. Do you have any special dietary needs or health concerns? (Select all that apply)

I have young children, so food safety is especially important to me

I am currently following a fitness or weight-loss plan

I have a chronic health condition (such as diabetes or high blood pressure)

I follow religious or cultural dietary practices (e.g., vegetarian, halal, kosher)

I do not have specific dietary restrictions, but I try to eat healthily

Other

Part 2 — Your Food Shopping Habits

Q5. How often do you check ingredient lists when buying food? (Select one)

Every time

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

Q6. Which types of products are you MOST concerned about checking ingredients for? (Select up to 3)

Snacks

Beverages

Children’s food

Protein or fitness products

Frozen or processed food

Dairy products

Cosmetics and skincare products

Restaurant or fast-food items

Other

Q7. When you check ingredient lists, what are you usually looking for? (Select all that apply)

Sugar, fat, or calorie content

Artificial additives or preservatives

Allergens (e.g., gluten, lactose, nuts)

“Natural” or minimally processed ingredients

Ingredients I personally try to avoid

General curiosity about what’s in the product

Other

Q8. When was the last time you decided NOT to buy a product because of its ingredients? (Select one)

Within the past week

Within the past month

Within the past 6 months

Rarely

Never

Part 3 — Challenges & Frustrations

Q9. What frustrates you most about reading ingredient lists? (Select all that apply)

The text is too small and difficult to read

The ingredient names are too technical or confusing

I can’t tell which ingredients are safe, harmful, or controversial

Some ingredients I want to avoid are hidden under unfamiliar names

Looking up ingredients while shopping takes too much time

Even after reading the label, I still don’t know whether the product is a healthy choice

I generally understand ingredient labels and don’t find them frustrating

Other

Q10. If you don’t understand an ingredient, what do you usually do? (Select all that apply)

Ignore it and buy the product anyway

Search online

Ask friends or family

Avoid buying the product

Use another app or tool

I usually do not notice ingredients

Other

Q11. What is the biggest challenge you personally face when trying to choose healthier food products?

Part 4 — Trust & Information

Q12. What would help you trust ingredient or health ratings the most? (Select up to 3)

Scientific research and medical evidence

Government or regulatory references

Recommendations from doctors or nutritionists

Clear explanations of how ratings are calculated

Reviews or experiences from other users

Transparent ingredient sourcing information

Other

Q13. What type of ingredient information would be MOST helpful to you? (Select up to 3)

Simple “healthy or unhealthy” summaries

Warnings about potentially harmful or controversial ingredients

Personalized recommendations based on my health needs

Scientific explanations of ingredient functions and risks

Comparisons with healthier alternatives

Information about how processed a product is

Other

Part 5 — Product Concept & Features

Q14. If a tool could instantly analyze a product’s ingredients and explain them in simple language, how likely would you be to use it? (Select one)

Extremely likely

Likely

Neutral

Unlikely

Very unlikely

Q15. Which features would you find MOST valuable? (Select up to 5)

Instant ingredient scanning using a phone camera

Simple health and safety ratings for ingredients

Warnings for allergens or controversial additives

Personalized recommendations based on dietary preferences or health conditions

Visual sugar or additive breakdowns (e.g., “equivalent to X sugar cubes”)

Recommendations for healthier alternative products

A personal history of scanned products

Ingredient explanations written in plain language

Cosmetic and skincare ingredient scanning

Other

Q16. For a health-focused food app, how important is the visual design and user experience? (Select one)

Very important — it should feel modern, polished, and visually appealing

Somewhat important — as long as it is clean and easy to use

Not important — functionality and accuracy matter more

Q17. Have you used any apps or tools with similar functions before? (Select all that apply)

Yuka

Chengfen Miao

Healthline

Other

I have never used a similar app

Q18. Based on your experience with existing health or ingredient apps, what are their biggest weaknesses? (Select all that apply)

Limited functionality

Information is too vague or not actionable

The information does not feel accurate or trustworthy

The app is slow or unstable

Poor user interface or design

Too expensive for the value provided

Too many advertisements

Other

Part 6 — Pricing & Final Thoughts

Q19. Which pricing model would you prefer for a product like this? (Select one)

Completely free, supported by advertising

Freemium model (basic features free, premium features paid)

Monthly or yearly subscription

One-time purchase

Other

Q20. Which features would you personally be willing to pay for? (Select all that apply)

Advanced health and ingredient analysis

Personalized dietary recommendations

Family or child safety alerts

Allergen detection and warnings

Cleaner alternative product recommendations

Ad-free experience

I would not pay for such a service

Other

What’s Really Inside Your Food?

Q1. What is your gender? (Select one)

Q2. Which age group do you belong to? (Select one)

Q3. Which of the following best describe you? (Select all that apply)

Q4. Do you have any special dietary needs or health concerns? (Select all that apply)

Q5. How often do you check ingredient lists when buying food? (Select one)

Q6. Which types of products are you MOST concerned about checking ingredients for? (Select up to 3)

Q7. When you check ingredient lists, what are you usually looking for? (Select all that apply)

Q8. When was the last time you decided NOT to buy a product because of its ingredients? (Select one)

Q9. What frustrates you most about reading ingredient lists? (Select all that apply)

Q10. If you don’t understand an ingredient, what do you usually do? (Select all that apply)

Q11. What is the biggest challenge you personally face when trying to choose healthier food products?

Q12. What would help you trust ingredient or health ratings the most? (Select up to 3)

Q13. What type of ingredient information would be MOST helpful to you? (Select up to 3)

Q14. If a tool could instantly analyze a product’s ingredients and explain them in simple language, how likely would you be to use it? (Select one)

Q15. Which features would you find MOST valuable? (Select up to 5)

Q16. For a health-focused food app, how important is the visual design and user experience? (Select one)

Q17. Have you used any apps or tools with similar functions before? (Select all that apply)

Q18. Based on your experience with existing health or ingredient apps, what are their biggest weaknesses? (Select all that apply)

Q19. Which pricing model would you prefer for a product like this? (Select one)

Q20. Which features would you personally be willing to pay for? (Select all that apply)

Q21. Is there anything else you wish existed to make understanding food ingredients easier or less stressful? (Optional short answer)