scholarly journals Polish Consumers’ Understanding of Different Front-of-Package Food Labels: A Randomized Experiment

Foods ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 134
Author(s):  
Valentina A. Andreeva ◽  
Manon Egnell ◽  
Katarzyna Stoś ◽  
Beata Przygoda ◽  
Zenobia Talati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Study ◽  
Food Labels ◽  
Warning Label ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Dietary Practices ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
Behavioral Factor ◽  
Objective Understanding ◽  
Ranking Tasks ◽  
Quality Ranking

Dietary practices are a key behavioral factor in chronic disease prevention; one strategy for improving such practices population-wise involves front-of-package labels (FoPL). This online randomized study, conducted in a quota-based sample of 1159 Polish adults (mean age = 40.9 ± 15.4 years), assessed the objective understanding of five FoPL: Health Star Rating, Multiple Traffic Lights, NutriScore, Reference Intakes (RI) and Warning Label. Objective understanding was evaluated by comparing results of two nutritional quality ranking tasks (without/with FoPL) using three food categories (breakfast cereals, cakes, pizza). Associations between FoPL exposure and objective understanding were assessed via multivariable ordinal logistic regression. Compared to RI and across food categories, significant improvement in objective understanding was seen for NutriScore (OR = 2.02; 95% CI: 1.41–2.91) and Warning Label (OR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.12–2.32). In age-stratified analyses, significant improvement in objective understanding compared to RI emerged mainly among adults aged 18–30 years randomized to NutriScore (all food categories: OR = 3.88; 95% CI: 2.04–7.36; cakes: OR = 6.88; 95% CI: 3.05–15.51). Relative to RI, NutriScore was associated with some improvement in objective understanding of FoPL across and within food categories, especially among young adults. These findings contribute to the ongoing debate about an EU-wide FoPL model.

scholarly journals Sociodemographic inequalities in eating practices and concerns

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Lhais de Paula Barbosa Medina ◽  
Marilisa Berti de Azevedo Barros ◽  
Regina Mara Fisberg ◽  
Daniela de Assumpção ◽  
Antônio de Azevedo Barros Filho
Keyword(s):  
Salt Intake ◽  
Income Group ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Food Labels ◽  
Dietary Practices ◽  
Dietary Counseling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Organic Foods ◽  
Eating Practices

Abstract Objective: To evaluate associations between selected dietary concerns and eating practices and determine the association of these concerns/practices with demographic and socio-economic characteristics in a population from a large Brazilian city. Design: Population-based cross-sectional study. We investigated concerns regarding salt intake, the use of highly processed seasoning and the custom of reading the Na content on food labels. We also analysed concerns regarding the use of pesticides on food products and the practice of consuming organic foods. These variables were analysed according to sex, age group, schooling and income. Multivariate Poisson regression analysis was performed for the estimation of prevalence ratios. Setting: Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Participants: The representative sample consisted of 1710 adults and seniors. Results: A total 62·3 % of the population were concerned with salt intake, 34·7 % did not use highly processed seasoning and 10·6 % checked the Na content on food labels; 27·5 % were concerned with pesticides and 26·5 % consumed organic foods. The practices analysed were associated with the respective concerns. Women and seniors had a better profile, except for reading Na content in both groups and the consumption of organic foods among seniors. The frequency of checking the Na content and consuming organic foods increased with the level of schooling. The higher income group had a better profile, except for concern with salt intake. Conclusions: Considerable social differences were found regarding the dietary practices, and the practices were associated with concerns. The present findings underscore the need for different dietary counseling strategies targeting specific groups.

scholarly journals Guiding healthier food choice: systematic comparison of four front-of-pack labelling systems and their effect on judgements of product healthiness

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 1652-1663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charo E. Hodgkins ◽  
Monique M. Raats ◽  
Chris Fife-Schaw ◽  
Matthew Peacock ◽  
Andrea Gröppel-Klein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measurements ◽  
Portion Size ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Nutritional Information ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
Within Subjects ◽  
Objective Understanding ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Energy Information

Different front-of-pack (FOP) labelling systems have been developed in Europe by industry and organisations concerned with health promotion. A study (n 2068) was performed to establish the extent to which inclusion of the most prevalent FOP systems – guideline daily amounts (GDA), traffic lights (TL), GDA+TL hybrid (HYB) and health logos (HL) – impact consumer perceptions of healthiness over and above the provision of a FOP basic label (BL) containing numerical nutritional information alone. The design included within- and between-subjects factors. The within-subjects factors were: food (pizzas, yogurts and biscuits), healthiness of the food (high health, medium health and low health) and the repeated measurements under BL and test FOP label conditions. The between-subjects factors were: the system (GDA, TL, GDA+TL hybrid, HL), portion size (typical portion size and a 50 % reduction of a typical portion) and country (the UK, Germany, Poland and Turkey). Although the FOP systems tested did result in small improvements for objective understanding under some conditions, there was little difference between the provision of an FOP label containing basic numerical nutritional information alone or between the various systems. Thus, any structured and legible presentation of key nutrient and energy information on the FOP label is sufficient to enable consumers to detect a healthier alternative within a food category when provided with foods that have distinctly different levels of healthiness. Future research should focus on developing greater understanding of the psychological and contextual factors that impact motivation and the opportunity to use the various FOP systems in real-world shopping settings.

scholarly journals Bulgarian consumers’ objective understanding of front-of-package nutrition labels: a comparative, randomized study

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina A. Andreeva ◽  
Manon Egnell ◽  
Teodora Handjieva-Darlenska ◽  
Zenobia Talati ◽  
Mathilde Touvier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Study ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Objective Understanding

scholarly journals Objective understanding of the Nutri-score front-of-pack label by European consumers and its effect on food choices: an online experimental study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manon Egnell ◽  
Zenobia Talati ◽  
Pilar Galan ◽  
Valentina A. Andreeva ◽  
Stefanie Vandevijvere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Choice ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Rating System ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Star Rating ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
Food Packages ◽  
Objective Understanding

Abstract Background The effectiveness of Front-of-Pack nutrition Labels (FoPLs) may be influenced by national context. In light of the ongoing efforts to harmonize FoPLs across Europe, this study aimed to compare the effectiveness of five FoPLs (Health Star Rating system, Multiple Traffic Lights, Nutri-Score, Reference Intakes, Warning symbols) on consumer understanding and food choice in 12 European countries. Methods In 2018–2019, for three food categories, approximately 1000 participants per country were asked to select which food they would prefer to purchase between three products with distinct nutritional quality profiles, and then to rank the products by nutritional quality. Participants (N = 12,391 in total) completed these tasks first with no FoPL and then, after randomization to one of the five FoPLs, with a FoPL on the food packages. Associations between FoPLs and change in (i) nutritional quality of food choices and (ii) ability to correctly rank the products by nutritional quality were assessed with logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics of participants, conducted overall and by country. Findings Compared with the Reference Intakes, the Nutri-Score (OR = 3.23[2.75–3.81]; p < 0.0001), followed by the Multiple Traffic Lights (OR = 1.68[1.42–1.98]; p < 0.0001), was the most effective FoPL in helping consumers identify the foods’ nutritional quality, overall and in each of the 12 countries. Differences between FoPLs regarding food choice modifications were smaller, but the effect of the Nutri-Score seemed slightly higher in eliciting healthier food choices overall compared with the Reference Intakes, followed by the Warning symbols, the Multiple Traffic Lights and the Health Star Rating system. Interpretation In the context of FoPL harmonization in Europe, these findings from an online experiment provide insights into the Nutri-Score’s effectiveness on European consumers.

scholarly journals Consumers’ Perceptions of Five Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels: An Experimental Study Across 12 Countries

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zenobia Talati ◽  
Manon Egnell ◽  
Serge Hercberg ◽  
Chantal Julia ◽  
Simone Pettigrew
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Past Research ◽  
The Other ◽  
Warning Label ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
Objective Performance ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk

Consumers’ perceptions of five front-of-pack nutrition label formats (health star rating (HSR), multiple traffic lights (MTL), Nutri-Score, reference intakes (RI) and warning label) were assessed across 12 countries (Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, the UK and the USA). Perceptions assessed included liking, trust, comprehensibility, salience and desire for the label to be mandatory. A sample of 12,015 respondents completed an online survey in which they rated one of the five (randomly allocated) front-of-pack labels (FoPLs) along the perception dimensions described above. Respondents viewing the MTL provided the most favourable ratings. Perceptions of the other FoPLs were mixed or neutral. No meaningful or consistent patterns were observed in the interactions between country and FoPL type, indicating that culture was not a strong predictor of general perceptions. The overall ranking of the FoPLs differed somewhat from previous research assessing their objective performance in terms of enhancing understanding of product healthiness, in which the Nutri-Score was the clear front-runner. Respondents showed a strong preference for mandatory labelling, regardless of label condition, which is consistent with past research showing that the application of labels across all products leads to healthier choices.

scholarly journals PACE Labels on Healthy and Unhealthy Snack Products in a Laboratory Shopping Setting: Perception, Visual Attention, and Product Choice

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 904
Author(s):  
Clara Mehlhose ◽  
Daniel Schmitt ◽  
Antje Risius
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Food Labels ◽  
Dietary Practices ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
Purchase Situation ◽  
Snack Products

Informative food labels are one way to increase nutritional awareness in society and can essentially help individuals maintain balanced dietary practices. Nonetheless, making food labels ‘informative’, in the sense of applicability, is not always easy. Physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) food labeling is one approach to achieve this goal. Yet, it is neither understood how consumers perceive PACE labels, nor how effective they are in regards to healthy food choices. Moreover, it is of interest to assess the perception of real products in close-to-realistic environments. Therefore, this study examined a simulated purchase situation and consumers’ visual attention on PACE labels—on 20 different real snack products with varying health values. In a laboratory-shopping environment, the gaze behaviors of 91 consumers were examined with a head-mounted eye-tracker. In regards to perception, it was elucidated that every participant noticed at least one PACE label. On average 1.39 PACE label fixations on different products were counted with a mean fixation duration of 0.55 s and a mean time to first fixation of 22.46 s. On average, 22.9% of the participants viewed the PACE labels at least once, but the intensity and duration varied greatly between the different products; ’healthier products’ attracted more visual attention than ‘unhealthier products’. In regards to health choice, it became obvious that the choices observed were rather healthy and PACE labels attracted attention. This may have been especially true for participants with little involvement in physical activity and health behavior, which may have been the main target group. Hence, catchy, communicable PACE labels, as well as balanced product offerings may facilitate more healthy food choices. The real-world laboratory setting offered valuable insights, which should be followed-up on.

scholarly journals Designed to Be Noticed: A Reconceptualization of Carbon Food Labels as Warning Labels

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1581
Author(s):  
Isabel Carrero ◽  
Carmen Valor ◽  
Estela Díaz ◽  
Victoria Labajo
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Design Criteria ◽  
Food Labels ◽  
Warning Label ◽  
Warning Labels ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
Colored Background ◽  
Grocery Products

Carbon labels are considered a fundamental tool for reducing emissions associated with grocery products. Although the prior literature has shown that both limited motivation and understanding of carbon labels explain the effectiveness of carbon labels, knowledge regarding how to improve the label design to increase noticeability is limited. Given the limited motivation of mainstream consumers to use carbon labels, this exploratory paper proposes that the label design should trigger bottom-up (or sensory-driven) attention mechanisms. Using grounded theory for the data collection and analysis of six focus groups, this study tests six features (i.e., location, size, color, icons, a colored background or border, and textual anchors) and identifies four design criteria (i.e., vividness, incongruity, simplicity, and clarity) that may increase label noticeability. The main conclusion of this qualitative study is that carbon labels are noticed when they are perceived as a cue of hazard. Based on this finding, we propose that carbon labels could be designed as warning labels; therefore, the insights already proven in the warning label literature should be applied to carbon label design to increase its noticeability and use.

Objective understanding of the front-of-pack nutrition label Nutri-Score by European consumers

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Egnell ◽  
Z Talati ◽  
P Galan ◽  
V Andreeva ◽  
S Vandevijvere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
Nutrition Labelling ◽  
Food Packages ◽  
Objective Understanding ◽  
Quality Of Food

Abstract Background The effectiveness of Front-of-Pack nutrition Labels (FoPL) may be influenced by national context. In light of the ongoing efforts to harmonize nutrition labelling across Europe, the study aimed to compare the effectiveness of five FoPLs (Health Star Rating system [HSR], Multiple Traffic Lights [MTL], Nutri-Score, Reference Intakes [RIs], Warning symbol) in 12 European consumers. Methods In 2018-2019, for three food categories, approximately 1,000 participants per country were asked to select which food they would prefer to purchase between three products with distinct nutritional quality, and then to rank the products nutritional quality. Participants completed these tasks first with no FoPL and then, after randomization to one of the five FoPLs, with a FoPL on food packages. Associations between FoPLs and change in (i) nutritional quality of food choices, and (ii) ability to correctly rank the products nutritional quality were assessed with multivariable logistic regression models. Results Compared with the RIs, the Nutri-Score (OR = 3·23[2·75-3·81]; p &lt; 0.0001), followed by the MTL (OR = 1·68[1·42-1·98]; p &lt; 0.0001), was the most effective FoPL in helping participants identify the foods nutritional quality, overall and in each of the 12 countries. Differences between FoPLs regarding food choice modifications were smaller, but the effect of the Nutri-Score was slightly higher in eliciting healthier food choices overall compared with the RIs, followed by the Warning symbol, MTL and HSR. Conclusions These findings from an online experiment provide insights on the Nutri-Score's effectiveness in multiple European countries in the context of FoPL harmonization in Europe. Key messages The comparison of the effectiveness of front-of-pack labels highlighted the relative performance of various types of labels, the Nutri-Score showing a higher performance than other schemes. The higher performance of the Nutri-Score was identified for objective understanding and to a lesser extent food choices.

scholarly journals Objective Understanding of Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels: An International Comparative Experimental Study across 12 Countries

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manon Egnell ◽  
Zenobia Talati ◽  
Serge Hercberg ◽  
Simone Pettigrew ◽  
Chantal Julia
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Rating System ◽  
Label Free ◽  
Free Products ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
Objective Understanding ◽  
International Comparative

Front-of-Package labels (FoPLs) are efficient tools for increasing consumers’ awareness of foods’ nutritional quality and encouraging healthier choices. A label’s design is likely to influence its effectiveness; however, few studies have compared the ability of different FoPLs to facilitate a consumer understanding of foods’ nutritional quality, especially across sociocultural contexts. This study aimed to assess consumers’ ability to understand five FoPLs [Health Star Rating system (HSR), Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL), Nutri-Score, Reference Intakes (RIs), and Warning symbol] in 12 different countries. In 2018, approximately 1000 participants per country were recruited and asked to rank three sets of label-free products (one set of three pizzas, one set of three cakes, and one set of three breakfast cereals) according to their nutritional quality, via an online survey. Participants were subsequently randomised to one of five FoPL conditions and were again asked to rank the same sets of products, this time with a FoPL displayed on pack. Changes in a participants’ ability to correctly rank products across the two tasks were assessed by FoPL using ordinal logistic regression. In all 12 countries and for all three food categories, the Nutri-Score performed best, followed by the MTL, HSR, Warning symbol, and RIs.

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