consumers. Those interested in shaping public policy study consumer behavior to understand the public needs and wants, and at the same time, to protect the public from unfair, unethical, or dangerous business practices. For example, in the packaged foods industry, the use of chemicals and preservatives has steadily increased as manufacturers have developed longer-lasting and more convenient forms of packaged food. In response, consumers have become increasingly concerned about the ingredients in processed food products because of their potential health risks and the nutritional consequences of synthetic additives. As a result, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations now require marketers of food products to supply nutritional information
on product packages in the form of “Nutritional Food Panels.”