ABSTRACT
The number of packaged foods available to U.S. consumers is enormous estimated at 40,000 kinds of items in the average supermarket (Trout, 2000). Between the general supermarket and the gourmet store an urban American w ill encounter dozens of choices in almost every food category. While items like medical insurance and safe housing are out of the reach of many Americans, foods are available to suit every budget, and multiple flavours and styles of food are presented within each price range. This surfeit of choices forces consumers to make purchasing decisions based on more than a package’s contents alone.
