No increased consumption of snacks with the Choices stamp

July 19th, 2012

New research on consumption behaviour around the Choices stamp showed that when the stamp is found on a package of chocolate mousse cake, consumers consider it to be less unhealthy than the same chocolate mousse cake without the Choices stamp. However, no significant differences in consumption and tastefulness were found between the “Choices cake” and the “non-Choices cake”.

Using a cross-over design, researchers at the VU University in Amsterdam provided 36 female subjects with information on the Choices Programme, served them a piece of cake without the Choices stamp, and asked them to complete a questionnaire. After a one-week wash out period, they returned to taste another piece of cake (this time without the Choices stamp, or vice-versa) and to complete the same questionnaire. Identical cakes were used in all of the tests; in reality, these cakes do carry the Choices stamp. In both cases, the participants consumed about the same amount of cake and considered them to have the same level of tastefulness, regardless of whether or not there was a logo. This suggests that the Choices stamp does not result in compensatory behaviour (eating more cake because it is perceived to be healthier) or perceptions of less favourable taste. The article has been published online in the journal Appetite. Further research is needed to determine the effect on other types of products, especially those generally perceived to be healthy.

Choices stamp featured in a study on nutrition labels’ recognition

July 19th, 2012

Researchers in Wageningen University in the Netherlands investigated what attracts consumer attention when it comes to nutrition labels. They tested the Choices stamp and GDA labels in various sizes, colors and placements on pack. Their findings, recently published online in Food Quality and Preference, showed that large logo size and mono-chrome coloring was key to attracting consumer attention. Furthermore, consistent placement of the logo in the same area on pack was important for recognition. The Choices stamp was quite well identified and singled out by participants.

Research on Potential Impact of Choices on Nutrient intakes published in Nutrition Bulletin

July 19th, 2012

Research indicating that consumers who follow diets based on the Choices criteria could have better nutrient intakes than those who follow typical diets, has now been published in the Nutrition Bulletin, the prestigious journal of the British Nutrition Foundation. Using statistical modeling, researchers in the Netherlands found that if consumers replaced foods and beverages in their typical diets with products that comply with the choices criteria, intakes of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and sugars decreased, while intake of beneficial nutrients, such as fibre, calcium, iron and folic acid received a boost. The preliminary findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Amsterdam in 2009 and published in a Belgian nutrition journal.