The FairSpeak research group at the Copenhagen Business School (CBS) develops tools and methods for analyzing the condensed information found on food labels and for relating it to the ability of different consumers to understand it.

Some of the key questions that FairSpeak addresses are:

• How do single items on a food label catch the attention and how does the ever-present time pressure influence the process prior to a buying decision?
• Do average consumers respectively consumers below or beyond average react differently to labels and claims?
• Does unfair commercial practice expressed or suggested by words, text, pictures, labels and icons on the package deceive all consumers or are some particularly vulnerable to such practice?
• Which general fair-speak guidelines could help industry as well as consumers and authorities?

Researchers specializing in language and cognition, knowledge management, consumer behavior, packaging design, marketing and marketing law join efforts in this innovative and interdisciplinary cooperation in order to formulate guidelines to help food manufacturers improve their communication with the consumers through fair food labelling.

The group’s first project on food names and claims “Spin or Fair Speak – when foods talk” (2007-2010) is financed by the Programme Commission on Food and Health under the Danish Council for Strategic Research.