Lack of influence on healthy choice of some front of pack nutrition labels

October 1st, 2015

n New Zealand a group of researchers of the University of Otago studied the effect of the traffic light label (TLL) and the Percentage Daily Intake label (PDI) on the purchase intention of products by a large group of students. The labels were used on breakfast cereals and a difference was made between products with lower or higher amounts of sugar. As control also products without such a front of pack label were used. The findings indicated that the labels had a positive effect on purchase intent of cereal products. However, the actual nutritional status of the product as expressed on the used labels did not have any impact on the sample’s evaluation process. The researchers suggest that other labels that are fully evaluated cue systems and express the nutritional status of food products without the need for cognitive evaluation might be a good alternative if TLL and PDI labels also fail in other research test to stimulate the healthy purchase intention. The researchers name also several limitation of the study including the sample (only students), a non-repeated study and only one kind of food product.

Source: 

Robert P Hamlin*, Lisa S McNeill and Vanessa Moore. The impact of front-of-pack nutrition labels on consumer product evaluation and choice: an experimental study. Public Health Nutrition: 18(12), 2126–2134. doi:10.1017/S1368980014002997

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) recently published its sugar policy brief ‘Curbing Global Sugar Consumption’

August 25th, 2015

In this brief the WCRF highlights policies that can assist countries to reduce the amount of sugar consumed at a population level. These policies focus on four factors: availability, affordability, acceptability and awareness. One of the examples highlighted in this brief is the Choices front-of-pack logo. The system is acknowledged by the WCRF as a good example to reduce the amount of sugar in food products by means of reformulation. Other examples that are highlighted by the WCRF are for instance soda taxes in France and Mexico, a programme promoting increased water consumption in schools in Hungary; and school fruit and vegetable programmes in Netherlands and Norway. These various policies can help to influence the global sugar consumption.

Read the full report here. 

Chile implements compulsory warning labelling regulation

July 30th, 2015

he Chilean Ministry of Health published on 26 june new regulations for the labelling of food products intended for consumption by children under 14 years. The regulation will enter into force 12 months after date of publication. Food products that exceed specified limits of sodium, sugar, energy or saturated fats will be required to use black stop signs with the legend “High in salt, sugar, energy or saturated fat”, one stop sign for each nutrient that exceeds the limits.

Compared with positive front-of-pack logos such as Choices, the Chilean warning system is compulsory and communicates a negative message. The criteria are not product group specific and, remarkably, food products with naturally (not-added) high amounts of fat, sugar and/or salt are exempt of this regulation. For the implementation of this regulation food producers can follow three phases of reformulation: the enforced date, 24 months after enforcement and 36 months after enforcement.