A survey released by The Nielsen Company found that 65 percent of American consumers say they notice information on food packaging more often compared to only two years ago, Brandweek reports.

Sixty-seven percent of U.S. consumers claim to mostly understand what they are reading compared to 44 percent globally. That leaves a third of the U.S. and more than half the world wondering exactly what Sodium Benzoate and other ingredients and metrics actually mean.

"The relationship between consumers and nutritional information and labeling provides unmistakable insight into health and diet concerns," said Deepak Varma, SVP-Nielsen Customized Research, in a statement. Nielsen, which owns The Gourmet Retailer, polled 28,253 Internet users in 51 markets in April.

More than half (51%) of U.S. consumers always check fat content followed by 48 percent who always check the calories and 44 percent who look at the sugar content. Sodium (37%), carbohydrates (35%) and even gluten (9%) are among key concerns.

Forty-two percent of U.S. consumers said they check a product's label when buying it for the first time. Eight percent said they never read labels.

This trend represents an opportunity for savvy brands, said Varma. "Given that so many consumers are taking time to read nutrition labels, there is also a marketing opportunity for food manufacturers to provide consumer-friendly information on labels that may entice shoppers to switch brands at the point of purchase."