In Denmark and Norway, where the label was introduced a year ago, the number of products is increasing rapidly. As part of an ongoing joint evaluation of the Keyhole label in the Nordic region, the analysis institute "YouGov Zapera" has done a survey of the Keyhole's position amongst approximately 1200 food consumers in each country.

The study shows that consumers want more products with the Keyhole label. Developing healthier products is precisely one of the main objectives of a public nutritional labelling scheme. There is apparently a huge market for foods that meet the criteria for the Keyhole label, and it is an advantage for manufacturers that this is the Nordic market.

Products with the Keyhole label meet one or more of these requirements: less and healthier fat, less sugar, less salt, more dietary fibre and wholemeal. The criteria are based on the Nordic diet recommendations, which are revised under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers every eight years.

"I see an excellent perspective, now at the first anniversary of the launch of the Keyhole label in three of the Nordic countries, that Nordic co-operation is clearly able to take advantage of the subsequent joint ongoing evaluation and follow-up", says Halldór Ásgrímsson, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The Keyhole label is well recognised in all of the three countries. In Denmark, 83 per cent of those responsible for shopping know about the label. In Norway, the figure is 89 per cent, and in Sweden, which has been using the Keyhole label for 20 years, 98 per cent of those responsible for doing the shopping know about the label.

Although many people know about the label, the survey shows that they think it is not visible enough, and they want more products.

75 per cent of Danes think that the selection of Keyhole labelled goods in the shops is very small or small. Naturally, the Swedes have many more Keyhole labelled products than in Norway or Denmark, since the label has been used there for 20 years. Nevertheless, 31 per cent of Swedes think that the selection of these products is very small or small. In Norway, 60 per cent think that the selection is small, and almost half said they would buy more Keyhole products if there was a better selection.

Knowledge gained from the joint Nordic survey will be used, for example, to adjust campaigns for the Keyhole label, and make use of this knowledge and experience in all the Nordic countries.

Read the survey (pdf)

NCM's homepage on the Keyhole label (with links to the national Keyhole pages)