Impact of Explained V. Unexplained Front-of-package Nutrition Labels on Parent and Child Food Choices: a Randomized Trial

Overview

Journal Public Health Nutr

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Date 2016 Oct 18

PMID 27745562

Citations 13

Authors

Dan J Graham

Rachel G Lucas-Thompson

Megan P Mueller

Melanie Jaeb

Lisa Harnack

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: The present study investigated whether parent/child pairs would select more healthful foods when: (i) products were labelled with front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labels relative to packages without labels; (ii) products were labelled with colour-coded Multiple Traffic Light (MTL) FOP labels relative to monochromatic Facts up Front (FuF) FOP labels; and (iii) FOP labels were explained via in-aisle signage v. unexplained.

Design: Participants were randomly assigned to one of five conditions: (i) FuF labels with in-aisle signs explaining the labels; (ii) FuF labels, no signage; (iii) MTL labels with in-aisle signage; (iv) MTL labels, no signage; (v) control group, no labels/signage. Saturated fat, sodium, sugar and energy (calorie) content were compared across conditions.

Setting: The study took place in a laboratory grocery aisle.

Subjects: Parent/child pairs (n 153) completed the study.

Results: Results did not support the hypothesis that MTL labels would lead to more healthful choices than FuF labels. The presence of FOP labels did little to improve the healthfulness of selected foods, with few exceptions (participants with v. without access to FOP labels selected lower-calorie cereals, participants with access to both FOP labels and in-aisle explanatory signage selected products with less saturated fat v. participants without explanatory signage).

Conclusions: Neither MTL nor FuF FOP labels led to food choices with significantly lower saturated fat, sodium or sugar. In-aisle signs explaining the FOP labels were somewhat helpful to consumers in making more healthful dietary decisions. New FOP labelling programmes could benefit from campaigns to increase consumer awareness and understanding of the labels.

Citing Articles

Becoming Healthier without Paying More? Experimental Evidence from the Impact of Multiple Traffic Lights on Chinese College Students.

Lin J, Wang T, Lin W Nutrients. 2024; 16(13).

PMID: 38999872 PMC: 11243281. DOI: 10.3390/nu16132124.

The Role of Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels with and without Explanatory Videos on Parent and Child Food Choices.

Graham D, Lucas-Thompson R, Slejko G Nutrients. 2023; 15(18).

PMID: 37764865 PMC: 10537255. DOI: 10.3390/nu15184082.

Is it really a piece of cake to label Geographical Indications with the Nutri-Score? Consumers' behaviour and policy implications.

Stiletto A, Trestini S PLoS One. 2022; 17(11):e0277048.

PMID: 36395097 PMC: 9671382. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277048.

Objective understanding of front of pack warning labels among Mexican children of public elementary schools. A randomized experiment.

Contreras-Manzano A, Jauregui A, Vargas-Meza J, Nieto C, Granich-Armenta A, de Lourdes Aleman Escobar M Nutr J. 2022; 21(1):47.

PMID: 35864545 PMC: 9306177. DOI: 10.1186/s12937-022-00791-z.

That's My Cue to Eat: A Systematic Review of the Persuasiveness of Front-of-Pack Cues on Food Packages for Children vs. Adults.

Hallez L, Qutteina Y, Raedschelders M, Boen F, Smits T Nutrients. 2020; 12(4).

PMID: 32290522 PMC: 7230775. DOI: 10.3390/nu12041062.

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