scholarly journals Nutrition labels: a survey of use, understanding and preferences among ethnically diverse shoppers in New Zealand

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1359-1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delvina Gorton ◽  
Cliona Ni Mhurchu ◽  
Mei-hua Chen ◽  
Robyn Dixon
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Food Labels ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Nutrition Label ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Supportive Environment ◽  
Income Disparities ◽  
Income Groups

AbstractObjectiveEffective nutrition labels are part of a supportive environment that encourages healthier food choices. The present study examined the use, understanding and preferences regarding nutrition labels among ethnically diverse shoppers in New Zealand.Design and settingA survey was carried out at twenty-five supermarkets in Auckland, New Zealand, between February and April 2007. Recruitment was stratified by ethnicity. Questions assessed nutrition label use, understanding of the mandatory Nutrition Information Panel (NIP), and preference for and understanding of four nutrition label formats: multiple traffic light (MTL), simple traffic light (STL), NIP and percentage of daily intake (%DI).SubjectsIn total 1525 shoppers completed the survey: 401 Maori, 347 Pacific, 372 Asian and 395 New Zealand European and Other ethnicities (ten did not state ethnicity).ResultsReported use of nutrition labels (always, regularly, sometimes) ranged from 66 % to 87 % by ethnicity. There was little difference in ability to obtain information from the NIP according to ethnicity or income. However, there were marked ethnic differences in ability to use the NIP to determine if a food was healthy, with lesser differences by income. Of the four label formats tested, STL and MTL labels were best understood across all ethnic and income groups, and MTL labels were most frequently preferred.ConclusionsThere are clear ethnic and income disparities in ability to use the current mandatory food labels in New Zealand (NIP) to determine if foods are healthy. Conversely, MTL and STL label formats demonstrated high levels of understanding and acceptance across ethnic and income groups.

scholarly journals An objective examination of consumer perception of nutrition information based on healthiness ratings and eye movements

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Jones ◽  
Miles Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Consumer Perception ◽  
Nutrition Information ◽  
Objective Measures ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Nutrition Label ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Nutrition Labelling ◽  
Light System ◽  
Food Standards

AbstractObjectivePrevious research on nutrition labelling has mainly used subjective measures. This study examines the effectiveness of two types of nutrition label using two objective measures: eye movements and healthiness ratings.DesignEye movements were recorded while participants made healthiness ratings for two types of nutrition label: standard and standard plus the Food Standards Agency's ‘traffic light’ concept.SettingUniversity of Derby, UK.SubjectsA total of 92 participants (mean age 31.5 years) were paid for their participation. None of the participants worked in the areas of food or nutrition.ResultsFor the standard nutrition label, participant eye movements lacked focus and their healthiness ratings lacked accuracy. The traffic light system helped to guide the attention of the consumer to the important nutrients and improved the accuracy of the healthiness ratings of nutrition labels.ConclusionsConsumers have a lack of knowledge regarding how to interpret nutrition information for standard labels. The traffic light concept helps to ameliorate this problem by indicating important nutrients to which to pay attention.

scholarly journals The impact of front-of-pack nutrition labels on consumer product evaluation and choice: an experimental study

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 2126-2134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert P Hamlin ◽  
Lisa S McNeill ◽  
Vanessa Moore
Keyword(s):  
Independent Living ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Product Evaluation ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Consumer Evaluations ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Nutritional Label ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

AbstractObjectiveThe present research was an experimental test that aimed to quantify the impact of two dominant front-of-pack (FOP) nutritional label formats on consumer evaluations of food products that carried them. The two FOP label types tested were the traffic light label and the Percentage Daily Intake.DesignA 4×5 partially replicated Latin square design was used that allowed the impact of the FOP labels to be isolated from the effects of the product and the consumers who were performing the evaluations.SettingThe experiment was conducted on campus at the University of Otago, New Zealand.SubjectsThe participants were 250 university students selected at random who met qualifying criteria of independent living and regular purchase of the products used in the research. They were not aware of the purpose of the research.ResultsThe presence of FOP labels led to significant and positive changes in consumer purchase intentions towards the products that carried them. These changes were not affected by the nature of FOP labels used, their size or the product nutritional status (good/bad) that they were reporting.ConclusionsThe result is consistent with the participants paying attention to the FOP label and then using it as an adimensional cue indicating product desirability. As such, it represents a complete functional failure of both of these FOP label types in this specific instance. This result supports calls for further research on the performance of these FOP labels before any move to compulsory deployment is made.

scholarly journals The consumer perspective of labeling on foodstuffs—review

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Abreu
Keyword(s):  
Food Industry ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Food Labels ◽  
Food Label ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Balanced Diet ◽  
Consumer Perspective ◽  
Nutrition Facts Panel

Abstract Background The information present on food labels is essential to provide consumers with proper guidance on the quality of food products, allowing the choice of a nutritionally balanced diet. Easy-to-read systems can help hungry consumers make healthier choices at the time of purchase. The goal of this research is verifying the efficacy of different food labels on foodstuffs by the consumer choices. Methods Scientific articles were analysed from 2016 to 2020, based on Pubmed and Google Scholar. Keywords such as food label, foodstuffs, food industry and consumer were used. Results From scientific research, six articles were analysed. Thus, it is estimated the analysis of 2069 participants were recruited through a large web panel provider. Age, gender, and socioeconomic status quotas were applied to recruit a diverse sample of consumers. The participants choose the healthfulness (less healthy, moderately healthy, healthier) of the foodstuffs. The Multiple Traffic Light led to significant differences in choices between healthier and less healthy products, but not moderately healthy products. No significant differences in choices were observed by product healthfulness when the Daily Intake Guide was present. The Nutrition Facts Panel was viewed for only 7% of all packages. Conclusions On some food labels it is possible to find wrong information due to the use of ambiguous and confusing words that are easily disseminated. Effective strategies are needed to promote both food choices made by consumers and food industry formulations. Nutrition is an essential key to maintaining health, so it should be done as an incentive to improve health.

scholarly journals Adolescents’ ability to select healthy food using two different front-of-pack food labels: a cross-over study

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1403-1409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Babio ◽  
Paloma Vicent ◽  
Leonor López ◽  
Anna Benito ◽  
Julio Basulto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Total Energy ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Labels ◽  
Dietary Recommendations ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Nutritional Recommendations ◽  
Nutritional Label ◽  
Carry Over

AbstractObjectiveTo compare, in adolescents, two models of front-of-pack Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) labels in terms of (i) friendliness and acceptance and (ii) the ability to choose a diet that closely follows the nutritional recommendations.DesignA randomized cross-over study was designed to compare two simplified front-of-pack GDA nutrition labels.SettingA Spanish secondary school.SubjectsEighty-one healthy adolescents aged between 14 and 16 years were recruited. Participants were randomly exposed to two experimental non-real food-choice conditions using multiple-traffic-light or monochrome nutritional labels. Participants had to choose options from a closed menu for 5 d on the basis of the experimental front-of-pack labelling. For each meal, three food options with different nutritional compositions were given to the participants. The contents of total energy and fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt of the chosen options were calculated.ResultsThere were no significant differences in baseline sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics between participants regardless of the experimental condition in which they started. There were no carry-over effects between the experimental sequences. It was observed that when participants used the multiple-traffic-light GDA system they chose significantly less total energy (mean –123·1 (sd 211·0) kJ (−29·4 (sd 50·4) kcal), P < 0·001), sugar (−4·5 (sd 4·6) g, P < 0·001), fat (−2·1 (sd 4·5) g, P = 0·006), saturated fat (−1·0 (sd 1·9) g, P = 0·002) and salt (−0·4 (sd 0·5) g, P < 0·001) than when they used the monochrome GDA system.ConclusionsCompared with the monochrome GDA front-of-pack nutritional label, the multiple-traffic-light system helped adolescents to differentiate between healthier and less healthy food, theoretically making it possible for them to choose a diet closer to dietary recommendations.

scholarly journals The Impact of Front-of-Package Traffic Light (Foptl) in the Senior High School Students’ Nutrition Labels Comprehension

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 918-926
Author(s):  
Retno D., Fatmah
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
School Students ◽  
Nutrition Label ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of Front-of-Package Traffic Light (FoPTL) nutrition label on female teenagers’ comprehension of nutritional values. A quasi-experimental design employing the purposive sampling method. The intervention group was given FoPTL nutrition label while the control group was given nutrition facts labels within 3 weeks. Twenty-one subjects in a control group and twenty subjects in an intervention group. Both groups taken from the two selected senior high schools at East Jakarta. Our findings confirm the significant difference in the nutrition labels comprehension between the intervention group and control group (p < 0.05), with the intervention group having higher scores (39.17 points) than the control group (20.63 points). It can be concluded that FoPTL can improve the nutrition labels comprehension. To mitigate the low comprehension of nutrition labels, schools are encouraged to cooperate with related partners on educating students about nutrition labels. Future studies may wish to consider examining the issue using male teenagers as the research subjects. To that degree, research on both the reading behavior of FoPTL label and the purchasing behavior of packaged food products should be performed.

scholarly journals Front-of-pack warning labels are preferred by parents with low education level in four Latin American countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 11-26
Author(s):  
Sofia Rincon Gallardo Patino ◽  
Ángela Carriedo ◽  
Lizbeth Tolentino-Mayo ◽  
Jacqueline Araneda ◽  
Lorena Allemandi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Warning Labels ◽  
Nutrition Label ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Low Education ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
Latin American Countries

Background: Overweight and obesity rates in Latin America are much higher than the global prevalence. Front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition label systems are gaining momentum in Latin America and being implemented as a strategy to tackle obesity among children and adults. This study investigates the usage and preference of three FOP nutrition labels among Argentinian, Chilean, Costa Rican, and Mexican adult parents. Methods: From March to May 2016, a questionnaire was administered to 966 parents of elementary school aged children in Argentina (89), Chile (304), Costa Rica (258) and Mexico (315). Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA), traffic light (TL), and warning label FOP systems were compared and analyzed. Statistical analysis was conducted using frequencies and proportions. Median differences tests, ANOVAs and logistic regression models were performed. A thematic analysis of qualitative data was conducted using a deductive process. Results: Parents with low education levels and poor health conditions (i.e., overweight) preferred the FOP warning labels over the GDA and TL systems. The GDA FOP nutrition labels were preferred by parents with higher education levels. Overall, the TL system was preferred with no significant differences across countries. Conclusion: FOP warning labels are preferred by parents with vulnerable conditions (i.e., low education levels and overweight) across four Latin American countries. An easily understandable, readable and acceptable label may facilitate usage by vulnerable groups to make healthy food purchases. These results have important policy implications by providing evidence to government policymakers to enact legislation to implement or enhance existing FOP nutrition label policies as a viable strategy to reduce obesity risk.

Effects of menu labelling on students′ food choice: a preliminary study

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 479-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greta Krešić ◽  
Nikolina Liović ◽  
Jelka Pleadin
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Food Selection ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Nutrition Knowledge ◽  
Grocery Store ◽  
Nutrition Label ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Menu Selection ◽  
Selection Of

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between nutrition knowledge and grocery store nutrition label use, with using nutrition information disclosure on menu selection in a group of hospitality management students, who shall be responsible for menu labelling in their future careers.Design/methodology/approachA between-subject design included 324 students, who were randomly assigned to choose from a menu labelled as follows: unlabelled; kcal label only; graphical label providing information on the per cent of the recommended daily intake of energy and four nutrients. Their nutrition knowledge and habit of reading grocery store nutrition labels were tested using an additional questionnaire.FindingsThe results showed that the provision of energy value information resulted in the selection of less energetic, less fat and less salted food, while a graphical label additionally led to the selection of food having a lower saturated fatty acid (SFA) and sugar content. Multiple regression analysis showed that the habit of packaged food nutrition label reading was a significant predictor of choosing food having a lower energy (p<0.001), fat (p<0.001), SFA (p<0.001), sugar (p<0.001) and salt (p=0.003) content, while the influence of nutrition knowledge on food selection was proven insignificant.Originality/valueGiven the established positive impact of menu labelling, these findings support the future European policy mandating energy and nutrient content disclosure on menus, but also point to the need for more-intense consumer education.

scholarly journals Factors affecting the intention of nutrition label use among selected adults in the Philippines

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Sy ◽  
E Bullecer
Keyword(s):  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Perceived Behavioral Control ◽  
Nutrition Labeling ◽  
Nutrition Label ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Label Use

Abstract Background Having an unhealthy diet is a risk-factor in the development of non-communicable diseases. Through the provision of sufficient nutrition information, nutrition labeling is one of the recommendations to increase awareness and promote healthy diets. However, there is still limited research in the Philippines that can be utilized in improving nutrition label use. With the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as the study model, this study aimed to determine attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control on nutrition label, and if the three constructs are associated with the intention of nutrition label use among adults in selected communities. Methods This analytic cross-sectional study conducted face-to-face interview using a developed questionnaire, among 440 adults (18 to 59 years old) in the top four communities with highest population in Los Baňos, Laguna, selected through a two-stage sampling design. Data were encoded using MS Excel and analyzed using STATA. Results The prevalence of positive attitude was 89.32% (95% CI: 86.06 - 91.89) and 96.82% (95% CI: 94.69 - 98.11) had high degree of subjective norms. With regards to perceived behavioral control, 61.36% (95% CI: 56.71 - 65.82) found nutrition labels as easy to understand, and 94.09% (95% CI: 91.45 - 95.95) had high intention of using it. Then, using multiple logistic regression, only having a perceived behavioral control on nutrition label of being easy to understand (OR 3.33; 95% CI: 1.47-7.54) was found to be associated with having high intention of nutrition label use. Conclusions Information and education on nutrition labels should be strengthened to improve the perceived understanding of the participants which showed significant association with having high intention of nutrition label use. Nonetheless, promotions are important to maintain positive attitude and subjective norms toward nutrition label use. The study also generated data that can serve as reference for future studies. Key messages Among the three constructs of TPB, only having perceived behavioral control on nutrition label of being easy to understand was found to be associated with having high intention of nutrition label use. Improving the nutrition label understanding of the study participants is significant in having high intention of nutrition label use.

scholarly journals A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Relative Effectiveness of the Multiple Traffic Light and Nutri-Score Front of Package Nutrition Labels

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric A. Finkelstein ◽  
Felicia Jia Ler Ang ◽  
Brett Doble ◽  
Wei Han Melvin Wong ◽  
Rob M. van Dam
Keyword(s):  
Diet Quality ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Healthy Eating Index ◽  
Grocery Store ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
Alternative Healthy Eating Index ◽  
And Control

The objective of this trial was to test two promising front-of-pack nutrition labels, 1) the United Kingdom’s Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL) label and 2) France’s Nutri-Score (NS), relative to a no-label control. We hypothesized that both labels would improve diet quality but NS would be more effective due to its greater simplicity. We tested this hypothesis via an online grocery store using a 3 × 3 crossover (within-person) design with 154 participants. Outcomes assessed via within person regression models include a modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)-2010 (primary), average Nutri-Score, calories purchased, and singular measures of diet quality of purchase orders. Results show that both labels significantly improve modified AHEI scores relative to Control but neither is statistically superior using this measure. NS performed statistically better than MTL and Control based on average Nutri-Score, yet, unlike MTL it did not statistically reduce calories or sugar from beverages. This suggest that NS may be preferred if the goal is to improve overall diet quality but, because calories are clearly displayed on the label, MTL may perform better if the goal is to reduce total energy intake.

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