Are front-of-package warning labels more effective at communicating nutrition information than traffic-light labels? A randomized controlled experiment in a Brazilian sample

Nutrients

Volumn 10, Issue 6, 2018, Pages

  Khandpur, Neha ^a   de Morais Sato, Priscila ^a   Mais, Laís Amaral ^b   Bortoletto Martins, Ana Paula ^b   Spinillo, Carla Galvão ^c   Garcia, Mariana Tarricone ^b   Urquizar Rojas, Carlos Felipe ^c   Jaime, Patrícia Constante ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SÃO PAULO   (Brazil)

^b Brazilian Institute for Consumer s Defense (Idec)   (Brazil)

^c FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF PARANÁ   (Brazil)

Author keywords

Brazil; Front of package labels; Health promotion; Randomized controlled experiment; Traffic light labels; Warning labels

Indexed keywords

ADULT; ARTICLE; BRAZIL; BRAZILIAN; CHI SQUARE TEST; CONSUMER; CONTROLLED STUDY; FEMALE; HEALTH PROMOTION; HUMAN; HUMAN EXPERIMENT; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; MALE; NUTRIENT CONTENT; PERCEPTION; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL; ADOLESCENT; ATTITUDE TO HEALTH; CONSUMER ATTITUDE; DECISION MAKING; FOOD PACKAGING; FOOD PREFERENCE; HEALTH BEHAVIOR; MIDDLE AGED; NUTRITIONAL VALUE; SOCIOECONOMICS; YOUNG ADULT;

ADOLESCENT; ADULT; BRAZIL; CHOICE BEHAVIOR; CONSUMER BEHAVIOR; FEMALE; FOOD LABELING; FOOD PREFERENCES; HEALTH BEHAVIOR; HEALTH KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, PRACTICE; HUMANS; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; NUTRITIVE VALUE; SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 85047739036     PISSN: None     EISSN: 20726643     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3390/nu10060688     Document Type: Article

References (44)

1. Boon, C.S.; Lichtenstein, A.H.; Wartella, E.A. Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols: Phase I Report; National Academies Press: Washington, DC, USA, 2010.
2. World Health Organization. Technical Meeting on Nutrition Labelling for Promoting Healthy Diets; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2015. Available online: http://www.who.int/nutrition/events/2015_meeting_nutrition_labelling_diet_9to11dec/en/(accessed on 4 February 2018).
3. World Health Organization. Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases; WHO technical Report Series; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2003.
4. Variyam, J.N. Nutrition Labeling in the Food-Away-From-Home Sector: An Economic Assessment. 2005. Available online: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=713682 (accessed on 15 January 2018).
5. World Health Organization. Healthy Diet Fact Sheet; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2015. Available online: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs394/en/(accessed on 15 January 2018).
6. European Food Information Council. Global Update on Nutritional Labelling; European Food Information Council: Brussels, Belgium, 2017. Available online: http://www.eufic.org/images/uploads/files/GUNL-2017-exsummary.pdf (accessed on 20 January 2018).
7. Kleef, E.V.; Dagevos, H. The growing role of front-of-pack nutrition profile labeling: A consumer perspective on key issues and controversies. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 2015, 55, 291–303.
8. Food Standards Agency. Using Traffic Lights to Make Heathier Food Choices; Food Standards Agency: London, UK, 2007. Available online: http://www.resourcesorg.co.uk/assets/pdfs/foodtrafficlight1107.pdf (accessed on 4 February 2018).
9. Corvalán, C.; Reyes, M.; Garmendia, M.L.; Uauy, R. Structural responses to the obesity and non-communicable diseases epidemic: The Chilean Law of Food Labeling and Advertising. Obes. Rev. 2013, 14, 79–87.
10. World Health Organization. Brazil First Country to Make Specific Commitments in UN Decade of Action on Nutrition; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2017. Available online: http://www.who.int/nutrition/decade-of-action/brazil-doa-commitments.pdf?ua=1 (accessed on 4 February 2018).
11. Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency. Labelling Proposals; Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency: Brasília, Brazil, 2017. Available online: http://portal.anvisa.gov.br/documents/219201/3322895/Rotulagem-Nutricional-5-10.pdf/e8bcc5a4-2c54-4035-b183-5c4ca14c1b92 (accessed on 15 January 2018).
12. IDEC. A Nutrition Label Would Be Better; IDEC: Osaka, Japan, 2016. Available online: https://www.idec.org.br/em-acao/revista/rotulo-mais-facil/materia/o-rotulo-pode-ser-melhor (accessed on 20 January 2018).
13. Grunert, K.G.; Wills, J.M.; Fernández-Celemín, L. Nutrition knowledge, and use and understanding of nutrition information on food labels among consumers in the, U.K. Appetite 2010, 55, 177–189.
14. Grunert, K.G.; Wills, J.M. A review of European research on consumer response to nutrition information on food labels. J. Public Health 2007, 15, 385–399.
15. Hawley, K.L.; Roberto, C.A.; Bragg, M.A.; Liu, P.J.; Schwartz, M.B.; Brownell, K.D. The science on front-of-package food labels. Public Health Nutr. 2013, 16, 430–439.
16. Antúnez, L.; Giménez, A.; Maiche, A.; Ares, G. Influence of interpretation aids on attentional capture, visual processing, and understanding of front-of-package nutrition labels. J. Nutr. Educ. Behav. 2015, 47, 292–299.
17. Maubach, N.; Hoek, J.; Mather, D. Interpretive front-of-pack nutrition labels. Comparing competing recommendations. Appetite 2014, 82, 67–77.
18. Borgmeier, I.; Westenhoefer, J. Impact of different food label formats on healthiness evaluation and food choice of consumers: A randomized-controlled study. BMC Public Health 2009, 9, 184.
19. Roberto, C.A.; Bragg, M.A.; Schwartz, M.B.; Seamans, M.J.; Musicus, A.; Novak, N.; Brownell, K.D. Facts up front versus traffic light food labels. Am. J. Prev. Med. 2012, 43, 134–141.
20. Hersey, J.C.; Wohlgenant, K.C.; Arsenault, J.E.; Kosa, K.M.; Muth, M.K. Effects of front‐of‐package and shelf nutrition labeling systems on consumers. Nutr. Rev. 2013, 71, 1–14.
21. Aschemann-Witzel, J.; Grunert, K.G.; van Trijp, H.C.; Bialkova, S.; Raats, M.M.; Hodgkins, C.; Koenigstorfer, J. Effects of nutrition label format and product assortment on the healthfulness of food choice. Appetite 2013, 71, 63–74.
22. Cecchini, M.; Warin, L. Impact of food labelling systems on food choices and eating behaviours: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized studies. Obes. Rev. 2016, 17, 201–210.
23. Sacks, G.; Rayner, M.; Swinburn, B. Impact of front-of-pack ‘traffic-light’nutrition labelling on consumer food purchases in the, U.K. Health Promot. Int. 2009, 24, 344–352.
24. Arrúa, A.; Curutchet, M.R.; Rey, N.; Barreto, P.; Golovchenko, N.; Sellanes, A.; Ares, G. Impact of front-of-pack nutrition information and label design on children’s choice of two snack foods: Comparison of warnings and the traffic-light system. Appetite 2017, 116, 139–146.
25. Arrúa, A.; Machín, L.; Curutchet, M.R.; Martínez, J.; Antúnez, L.; Alcaire, F.; Ares, G. Warnings as a directive front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme: Comparison with the Guideline Daily Amount and traffic-light systems. Public Health Nutr. 2017, 20, 2308–2317.
26. Machín, L.; Aschemann-Witzel, J.; Curutchet, M.R.; Giménez, A.; Ares, G. Does front-of-pack nutrition information improve consumer ability to make healthful choices? Performance of warnings and the traffic light system in a simulated shopping experiment. Appetite 2018, 121, 55–62.
27. Lima, M.; Ares, G.; Deliza, R. How do front of pack nutrition labels affect healthfulness perception of foods targeted at children? Insights from Brazilian children and parents. Food Qual. Preference 2018, 64, 111–119.
28. ABIA. Food Industries Debate Nutritional Label. 2017. Available online: https://www.abia.org.br/vsn/tmp_2.aspx?id=357/(accessed on 20 January 2018).
29. Food Standards Agency. Guide to Creating a Front of Pack (FoP) Nutrition Label for Pre-Packed Products Sold through Retail Outlets. 2016. Available online: https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/fop-guidance:0.pdf (accessed on 15 January 2018).
30. IDEC. Call for an Adequate Nutrition Label. 2017. Available online: https://www.idec.org.br/campanha/rotulagem (accessed on 7 March 2018).
31. Pan American Health Organization. Nutrient Profiling Model. 2016. Available online: http://iris.paho.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/18621/9789275118733_eng.pdf?sequence=9&isAllowed=y (accessed on 20 January 2018).
32. Souza, A.D.M.; Pereira, R.A.; Yokoo, E.M.; Levy, R.B.; Sichieri, R. Most consumed foods in Brazil: National Dietary Survey 2008–2009. Revista de Saude Publica 2013, 47, 190s–199s.
33. Nutrient Profiling Model. Food Standards Agency. Available online: http://www.cerealfacts.org/media/Nutrient_Profiling_Model.pdf (accessed on 15 January 2018).
34. Vyth, E.L.; Steenhuis, I.H.; Roodenburg, A.J.; Brug, J.; Seidell, J.C. Front-of-pack nutrition label stimulates healthier product development: A quantitative analysis. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Activity 2010, 7, 65.
35. Hieke, S.; Harris, J.L. Nutrition information and front-of-pack labelling: Issues in effectiveness. Public Health Nutr. 2016, 19, 2103.
36. Draper, A.K.; Adamson, A.J.; Clegg, S.; Malam, S.; Rigg, M.; Duncan, S. Front-of-pack nutrition labelling: Are multiple formats a problem for consumers? Eur. J. Public Health 2011, 23, 517–521.
37. Monteiro, C.A.; Cannon, G.; Moubarac, J.C.; Levy, R.B.; Louzada, M.L.C., Jaime, P.C. The UN Decade of Nutrition, the NOVA food classification and the trouble with ultra-processing. Public Health Nutr. 2018, 21, 5–17.
38. Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population. Available online: http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/dietary_guidelines_brazilian_population.pdf (accessed on 4 March 2018).
39. Braun, C.C.; Silver, N.C. Interaction of warning label features: Determining the contributions of three warning characteristics. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, USA, 9–13 October 1995; pp. 984–988.
40. Chapanis, A. Hazards associated with three signal words and four colours on warning signs. Ergonomics 1994, 37, 265–275.
41. Ares, G.; Aschemann-Witzel, J.; Curutchet, M.R.; Antúnez, L.; Machín, L.; Vidal, L.; Giménez, A. Nutritional warnings and product substitution or abandonment: Policy implications derived from a repeated purchase simulation. Food Qual. Preference 2017, 65, 40–48.
42. Machín, L.; Arrúa, A.; Giménez, A.; Curutchet, M.R.; Martínez, J.; Ares, G. Can nutritional information modify purchase of ultra-processed products? Results from a simulated online shopping experiment. Public Health Nutr. 2018, 21, 49–57.
43. Machín, L.; Giménez, A.; Curutchet, M.R.; Martínez, J.; Ares, G. Motives underlying food choice for children and perception of nutritional information among low-income mothers in a Latin American country. J. Nutr. Educ. Behav. 2016, 48, 478–485.
44. Burns, C.; Cook, K.; Mavoa, H. Role of expendable income and price in food choice by low income families. Appetite 2013, 71, 209–217.