An AC Nielsen internet survey of 21,000 respondents in 40 countries shows that Indians, like their Chinese counterparts, are most concerned about additives and preservatives in their food.

The survey reveals that though consumers around the world all agree that health is their major concern, but purchase behaviour varies widely in different countries.

Yet even from an initial examination, the findings reveal that the No. 1 or No. 2 concern in most countries is health, with China, Russia and Canada demonstrating the highest level of concern.

Consumers in the Americas reported being most concerned about fat and calorie content of products. Mexicans, Canadians and Americans are most likely to check food and beverage labels for fat content; Brazilians, Mexicans and Indians check for calories; Mexicans, Brazilians and Americans are the most likely to check a product's sugar content.

Consumers least interested in these categories are Chinese, Russian and Polish. When it comes to preservatives and additives, though, the Chinese shoot to the top of the list of consumers, followed by Mexicans, Indians and South Africans.

Interestingly, consumers cited bad taste and a disbelief in health benefits as the frequent reasons for not purchasing these products. Globally, over one-third of shoppers said they would "never" purchase soymilk, vitamin enhanced milk, bread with added supplements and cereal with added folate.

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