Nutri-Score: The Most Efficient Front-of-Pack Nutrition Label to Inform Portuguese Consumers on the Nutritional Quality of Foods and Help Them Identify Healthier Options in Purchasing Situations

Several studies have identified Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels (FoPLs) as a promising strategy to improve the nutritional quality of consumers’ food choices and encourage manufacturers to offer healthier products. This study aims to fill the evidence gap regarding the most effective FoPL among the Portuguese population. In total, 1059 Portuguese participants were recruited through a web panel provider and asked to declare their intended food choices and to rank three sets of products (pizza, cakes and breakfast cereals) according to their nutritional quality, first in the absence of any labelling, and then with a FoPL displayed on-pack (five FoPLs tested). Finally, participants were asked to answer nine statements related to perceptions of FoPLs. Results showed that participants improved their food choices, depending on the FoPL and the food category. All FoPLs led to a higher percentage of correct responses on the ranking task compared to the no label condition. The Nutri-Score was among the FoPLs producing the greatest improvement across all food categories compared to the reference intakes (OR = 6.45 [4.43–9.39], p-value < 0.0001) and facilitating the highest percentage to correctly rank products according to nutritional quality. This study suggests that, among the available options, Nutri-Score is the most efficient FoPL to inform Portuguese consumers of the nutritional quality of foods and help them identify healthier options in mock purchasing situations.

Emotional Determinants of Categorical Accentuation

The present study aimed to provide preliminary evidence for the role of uncertainty related emotions in categorical accentuation. Participants had to estimate the length of lines varying in length, which depending on the conditions were or were not associated with categorical labels. To explore the emotional determinants of categorical accentuation we included additional label condition, in which participants were induced to feel fear (i.e. the emotion theoretically defined by the appraisal of low certainty). Consistent with the past research the results revealed a classic accentuation effect with participants in label condition showing higher differentiation at category boundaries compared to those in no label condition. More importantly, this effect was strengthened in the condition in which participants were induced with fear suggesting that uncertainty-related emotions could play an important role in the accentuation phenomenon.

Impact of nutrient warning labels on choice of ultra-processed food and drinks high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat in Colombia: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundFront-of-package nutrient warning labels are one promising policy to inform healthier food choices and purchasing decisions. This study aimed to identify the impact of nutrient warning labels on product selection and the ability to correctly identify products with an excess of critical nutrients, among other outcomes in Colombia.MethodsWe conducted an online randomized experiment among 8,061 Colombian adults in October 2020. Participants were randomly assigned to a front-of-package label condition: nutrient warning, guideline daily amounts (GDA), Nutri-Score, or a no-label condition. First, they viewed a fruit drink with added sugar that was labeled per their assigned condition and one without added sugar, which was only labeled in the GDA and Nutri-Score conditions, and completed selection tasks. The primary outcomes were 1) selection of the fruit drink with added sugar as the fruit drink they would rather buy and 2) correctly identifying which fruit drink was higher in sugar. Next, they viewed four food products (cookies, yogurt, sliced bread, and breakfast cereal) with their assigned condition and answered a series of questions. Finally, they selected which of the three label types would most discourage them from consuming a specified ultra-processed food.ResultsFewer participants in the nutrient warning condition (20%) selected the added sugar fruit drink as the product they would rather buy compared to 24% in the GDA condition (p<.01), 29% in the no-label condition, and 33% in the Nutri-Score condition (both, p<.001). More participants in the nutrient warning condition (88%) correctly identified the fruit drink higher in sugar compared to the no-label condition (68%) and the Nutri-Score condition (65%) (both, p<.001). More participants in the GDA condition (91%) correctly identified the fruit drink higher in sugar compared to the nutrient warning condition (p<.01). Most participants (72%) selected the nutrient warning label as most discouraging, while only 20% selected the GDA label and 9% selected the Nutri-Score label.ConclusionsNutrient warning labels are a promising policy strategy to prevent obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases in Colombia. Future research is needed to understand the impact of nutrient warning labels on actual ultra-processed food purchases in Colombia. Trial Registration: NCT04567004

Consumer Comprehension of the Nutrition Facts Label: A Comparison of the Original and Updated Labels

Purpose: Compare consumers’ overall label comprehension of the original Nutrition Facts (NF) label with the updated label. Design: Online survey conducted in 2019. Participants randomly assigned to original label, updated-single column, or updated-dual column labeling condition and asked to complete a series of label comprehension questions. Setting: Online survey; participants recruited through Prolific. Sample: N = 992 U.S. adults. Sample similar to U.S. population in terms of sex (49.2% female), race (73.3% White/Caucasian), and household size (mean = 2.7 members). However, sample was younger (median age: 29.0), more educated (98.8% high school graduate or higher), and exhibited a lower rate of obesity (22.6% obese) than the U.S. population. Measures: Dependent variables: objective (% correct) NF label comprehension. Independent variables: label condition, nutrition knowledge, and socio-demographic variables. Analysis: Regression analysis assessed relationships between label condition and label comprehension. Significance level of 5% used for analyses. Results: Average score for objective comprehension was 81.4%. The updates did not significantly improve label comprehension. Participants in the updated NF label conditions had trouble answering questions related to total and added sugars. Conclusions: Results suggest consumers may struggle to correctly utilize information on the updated NF label, specifically total and added sugars. Consumers may benefit from educational opportunities on using the new label.

What's in a name? Measuring the influence of medical cannabis labels on attitudes toward its use.

Labels are not always neutral. In U.S. history, the label marijuana has been associated with racism and drug prohibition, and more recently, there is evidence that people stigmatize medical cannabis users using labels such as “pothead”. Because of these associations, labels such as marijuana could present a problem for people who might benefit from using cannabis as a medicine and may help us understand how labels shape attitudes. To test three related pre-registered hypotheses, U.S. citizens from an online convenient sample read an article about using cannabis to treat pain due to cancer with one of four labels: marijuana, cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or nabiximols (a medical cannabis oral spray). As predicted, results indicated that reading the label marijuana was associated with more moral conviction (attitudes toward the treatment were based on fundamental beliefs about right and wrong) and more stigma (shame a person would feel if they had to reveal using the treatment) compared to when reading the label nabiximols. Contrary to my prediction, the label marijuana was not associated with decreased treatment acceptability compared to the label nabiximols. However, stigma mediated the effect between label conditions and treatment acceptability, such that participants reported more stigma in the marijuana label condition, and subsequently, reported less treatment acceptability. Also contrary to my prediction, political orientation did not moderate label effects on stigma and showed no discernible effect on downstream attitudes across label conditions.

“Sex Offender” Versus “Person”: The Influence of Labels on Willingness to Volunteer With People Who Have Sexually Abused

The present study examined the effect of offense-based labels on community members’ willingness to volunteer with people convicted for varying offenses and any priming effect of labeling language. Participants ( N = 310) were randomly assigned to a label condition or a neutral condition and completed an anonymous online survey about their willingness to volunteer with different groups. The labeling condition utilized labels (e.g., “sex offenders,” “murderers”), whereas the control condition utilized neutral descriptors (e.g., “people who have committed crimes of a sexual nature”). Overall, findings supported the hypothesis that offense-based labels were associated with less willingness to volunteer, with findings most pronounced for the “sex offender” and “child sex offender” labels. Participants in the labeling condition showed greater voluntary use of labels compared with neutral language and were more likely to use labels compared with participants in the neutral condition. Implications for influencing public opinion are discussed.

Fruit-related terms and images on food packages and advertisements affect children’s perceptions of foods’ fruit content

ObjectiveTo determine whether food label information and advertisements for foods containing no fruit cause children to have a false impression of the foods’ fruit content.DesignIn the food label condition, a trained researcher showed each child sixteen different food label photographs depicting front-of-food label packages that varied with regard to fruit content (i.e. real fruitv. sham fruit) and label elements. In the food advertisement condition, children viewed sixteen, 30 s television food advertisements with similar fruit content and label elements as in the food label condition. After viewing each food label and advertisement, children responded to the question ‘Did they use fruit to make this?’ with responses of yes, no or don’t know.SettingSchools, day-care centres, after-school programmes and other community groups.SubjectsChildren aged 4–7 years.ResultsIn the food label condition,χ2analysis of within fruit content variation differences indicated children (n58; mean age 4·2 years) were significantly more accurate in identifying real fruit foods as the label’s informational load increased and were least accurate when neither a fruit name nor an image was on the label. Children (n49; mean age 5·4 years) in the food advertisement condition were more likely to identify real fruit foods when advertisements had fruit images compared with when no image was included, while fruit images in advertisements for sham fruit foods significantly reduced accuracy of responses.ConclusionsFindings suggest that labels and advertisements for sham fruit foods mislead children with regard to the food’s real fruit content.

ODOR Recognition and Identification: Effect of Labels over Time

The effect of labels on recognition and identification of odors over time was assessed. 30 men and 30 women were presented 20 odors; half of the participants were also told a name for the odor as a label. Five min. and 60 min. later, all participants were given 20 odors (10 from the original set, 10 new) and asked whether each odor was new or old (odor recognition). The group given labels was also asked to recall the label provided (odor identification). Analysis indicated a significant effect of time on recognition. Significantly more odors were recognized at 5 min. than 60 min. The effect of label was also significant, with recognition being better for the Label condition than the No-Label condition. As for odor identification, women identified more labels than did men. Overall, odor recognition was better with labels soon after exposure, and the women were better at remembering the labels than the men.