front of package nutrition labeling

Front-of-package labels (FOPL) are recommended to reduce consumer intake of ultra-processed food products (UPP). The multiple traffic-light label is one example of FOPL that indicates the content of target nutrients in products by displaying red (high), amber (medium), and/or green (low) color-coding. The red code may implicitly enhance sweetness perception and approach dispositions toward sweet UPP via cross-modal visual-taste interactions. We conducted two experiments to examine the possibility of contradictory influence of explicitly learned and implicit cross-modal associations on the emotional responses evoked by UPP pictures. In both experiments , we first explicitly associated the color codes with health-related meanings. In Experiment I (n = 78), a psychometric tool estimated the emotional responses (pleasantness and arousal ratings) evoked by UPP pictures when preceded by red, amber, or green color-codes. In Experiment II (n = 24), we recorded participants' electrocortical brain activity to assess the early posterior negativity (EPN) component as an index of the emotional responses to UPP. The reported pleasantness (Experiment I) and the EPN amplitude (Experiment II) were greater for sweet UPP relative to salty UPP when primed with red codes but not when primed with green or amber. A red code increased positive emotions toward sweet UPP despite its explicit association with increased health-risks. Thus, the use of multiple traffic-lights might lead to an unintended implicit approach behavior toward sweet UPP. Designers, researchers, and policy makers may consider color-taste cross-modal associations when designing, testing, and applying FOPL.

Many nutrition labeling studies only consider how consumers process health information about a single food product (i.e., in a noncomparative processing context).
However, consumers also often comparatively evaluate many different food
products at once in more complex shopping environments (i.e., in comparative processing contexts). Directly addressing these important differences, the results of
two online studies and two retail laboratory studies demonstrate that the effects of
different types of front-of-package nutrition cues (objective vs. evaluative) vary
across consumers’ processing contexts (comparative vs. noncomparative). When
consumers evaluate a single food item in a noncomparative context, objective nutrition cues that offer specific quantitative information lead to higher evaluations and intentions to purchase healthier products than do evaluative nutrition cues (which
provide interpretive information about a product’s overall healthfulness and/or nutrients). However, these effects are reversed when consumers evaluate multiple food items simultaneously in a comparative context, such that evaluative cues have a
more positive impact on evaluations and purchase intentions of healthier products.
The authors integrate processing fluency and resource matching theoretical frameworks to explain why evaluative (objective) front-of-package cues are more influential in comparative (noncomparative) processing contexts. Implications for consumer health, the food and retail grocery industries, and public policy are offered.

How front-of-package (FOP) nutrition icon systems affect product evaluations for more and less healthful objective nutrition profiles is a critical question facing food marketers, consumers, and the public health community. We propose a conceptually-based hierarchical continuum to guide predictions regarding the effectiveness of several FOP systems currently used in the marketplace. In Studies 1a and 1b, we compare the effects of a broad set of FOP icons on nutrition evaluations linked to health, accuracy of evaluations, and purchase intentions for a single product. Based on these findings, Studies 2 and 3 test the effects of two conceptually-different FOP icon systems in a retail laboratory in which consumers make comparative evaluations of multiple products at the retail shelf. While there are favorable effects of each system beyond control conditions with no FOP icons, results show that icons with an evaluative component that aid consumers’ interpretations generally provide greater benefits (particularly in product comparison contexts). We offer implications for consumer packaged goods marketers, retailers, and the public policy and consumer health communities.

Young children regularly consume sugary fruit drinks, in part because parents may falsely believe they are healthful due to front-of-package (FOP) claims and imagery. The goal of this study was to assess: 1) the prevalence of FOP claims/imagery on fruit-flavored beverages purchased by U.S. households with 0-5-year-olds, and 2) proportional differences in beverages purchased with FOP claims/imagery across household demographic groups. A content analysis of FOP claims/imagery (e.g., nutrient claims, fruit imagery) on beverages (n = 1365) purchased by households with 0-5-year-olds was conducted by linking beverage sales with FOP marketing data. Results were merged with purchasing data from a nationally representative sample of households (FoodAPS), and survey-weighted logistic regression was used to assess differences in the proportions of 100% juices and fruit drinks with specific FOP claims/imagery purchased by household race/ethnicity, income, and SNAP/WIC participation. The most common claims on fruit-flavored beverages included nutrient claims (fruit drinks: 73%; 100% juices: 68%; flavored waters: 95%), which most commonly highlighted vitamin C (35-41% across beverage categories) and the absence of sugar (31-48%). Most beverages also contained implied-natural claims (fruit drinks: 60%; 100% juices: 64%; flavored waters: 95%) and natural imagery (fruit drinks: 97%; 100% juices: 96%; flavored waters: 73%). A large proportion of fruit drinks and 100% juices purchased by households across all demographic groups contained FOP claims and imagery, with a few minor differences between racial/ethnic groups. In conclusion, most fruit drinks, 100% juices, and flavored waters purchased by households with 0-5year-olds contained FOP claims and imagery that may lead consumers to believe the beverages are healthy and natural. FDA regulations should ensure parents are not misled by this marketing. / Citation: Musicus, A. A., Hua, S. V., Moran, A. J., Duffy, E. W., Hall, M. G., Roberto, C. A., Dillman Carpentier, F. R., Sorscher, S., Wootan, M. G., Taillie, L. S., & Rimm, E. B. (2022). Front-of-package claims & imagery on fruit-flavored drinks and exposure by household demographics. Appetite, 171, e105902.

A myriad of front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labeling systems have been developed by both food retailers (e.g., Walmart, Safeway, Hannaford) and manufacturers (e.g., Kellogg's, General Mills) to help consumers identify more healthful options at the point-of-purchase. Given the uniqueness of these different approaches, two studies examine the effects of alternative FOP systems on shoppers’ product evaluations, choices, and retailer evaluations. When a single food item is evaluated in isolation, both the reductive and evaluative systems had a positive effect on product evaluations. However, when several choice options are presented simultaneously in a realistic retail environment, the evaluative (reductive) system has a stronger (weaker) influence on product evaluation and choice. Results also show that FOP nutrition labeling systems have both direct and moderating effects on attitude toward the retailer and perceived retailer concern for shoppers. These retailer-related outcomes, in turn, mediate the effects of the labeling system on shoppers’ intentions to patronize the retailer. Results suggest that FOP nutrition labeling may help retailers build a non-price competitive advantage.

O presente artigo tem como objetivo a analisar se a rotulagem frontal de alimentos, representada pelos selos frontais pode ser considerada eficiente ou não no que se refere a completude do direito à informação dos consumidores. Ponderar-se-á a experiência do Chile, Peru e Uruguai. Utiliza-se como metodologia a revisão de literatura, para entender o modelo de proteção dos direitos dos consumidores e a rotulagem de alimentos e utiliza-se o método comparativo de direito, permitindo a identificação dos conjuntos normativos desses países, sua realidade interna e por fim, analisando as medidas tomadas por esses países
conjuntamente com a alteração na rotulagem.

Young children regularly consume sugary fruit drinks, in part because parents may falsely believe they are healthful due to front-of-package (FOP) claims and imagery. The goal of this study was to assess: 1) the prevalence of FOP claims/imagery on fruit-flavored beverages purchased by U.S. households with 0-5-year-olds, and 2) proportional differences in beverages purchased with FOP claims/imagery across household demographic groups. A content analysis of FOP claims/imagery (e.g., nutrient claims, fruit imagery) on beverages (n = 1365) purchased by households with 0-5-year-olds was conducted by linking beverage sales with FOP marketing data. Results were merged with purchasing data from a nationally representative sample of households (FoodAPS), and survey-weighted logistic regression was used to assess differences in the proportions of 100% juices and fruit drinks with specific FOP claims/imagery purchased by household race/ethnicity, income, and SNAP/WIC participation. The most co...

Young children regularly consume sugary fruit drinks, in part because parents may falsely believe they are healthful due to front-of-package (FOP) claims and imagery. The goal of this study was to assess: 1) the prevalence of FOP claims/imagery on fruit-flavored beverages purchased by U.S. households with 0-5-year-olds, and 2) proportional differences in beverages purchased with FOP claims/imagery across household demographic groups. A content analysis of FOP claims/imagery (e.g., nutrient claims, fruit imagery) on beverages (n = 1365) purchased by households with 0-5-year-olds was conducted by linking beverage sales with FOP marketing data. Results were merged with purchasing data from a nationally representative sample of households (FoodAPS), and survey-weighted logistic regression was used to assess differences in the proportions of 100% juices and fruit drinks with specific FOP claims/imagery purchased by household race/ethnicity, income, and SNAP/WIC participation. The most common claims on fruit-flavored beverages included nutrient claims (fruit drinks: 73%; 100% juices: 68%; flavored waters: 95%), which most commonly highlighted vitamin C (35-41% across beverage categories) and the absence of sugar (31-48%). Most beverages also contained implied-natural claims (fruit drinks: 60%; 100% juices: 64%; flavored waters: 95%) and natural imagery (fruit drinks: 97%; 100% juices: 96%; flavored waters: 73%). A large proportion of fruit drinks and 100% juices purchased by households across all demographic groups contained FOP claims and imagery, with a few minor differences between racial/ethnic groups. In conclusion, most fruit drinks, 100% juices, and flavored waters purchased by households with 0-5year-olds contained FOP claims and imagery that may lead consumers to believe the beverages are healthy and natural. FDA regulations should ensure parents are not misled by this marketing. / Citation: Musicus, A. A., Hua, S. V., Moran, A. J., Duffy, E. W., Hall, M. G., Roberto, C. A., Dillman Carpentier, F. R., Sorscher, S., Wootan, M. G., Taillie, L. S., & Rimm, E. B. (2022). Front-of-package claims & imagery on fruit-flavored drinks and exposure by household demographics. Appetite, 171, e105902.

The objective of this work was to present a generic model for estimating fortification contents when several food vehicles are being considered simultaneously. It is based on approximating the magnitude of the nutritional inadequacy of the population (nutrient gap), the optimal use of the combination of food vehicles (fortifiable food energy, FFE), and the upper intake level to decrease the possibility that individuals with the highest combined intake of all food vehicles will exceed it. The model is intended to be used when only per capita food and micronutrient intake information, not detailed food intake data, are available. Food consumption survey data from Mexico and Kampala (Uganda) were analyzed for adult women, assuming that their intake may be similar to general per capita values. General adjustment factors for estimating the lowest and highest FFE and micronutrient intake for satisfying the requirements of other family members were calculated. These factors were used to estimate the additional effective content and the maximum allowable content, and then the recommended nutrient contents at the consumers' level were chosen on the basis of technological compatibility and cost. The method should be used in other contexts to test its validity as well as its application to nonstaple foods.

The objective of this work was to present a generic model for estimating fortification contents when several food vehicles are being considered simultaneously. It is based on approximating the magnitude of the nutritional inadequacy of the population (nutrient gap), the optimal use of the combination of food vehicles (fortifiable food energy, FFE), and the upper intake level to decrease the possibility that individuals with the highest combined intake of all food vehicles will exceed it. The model is intended to be used when only per capita food and micronutrient intake information, not detailed food intake data, are available. Food consumption survey data from Mexico and Kampala (Uganda) were analyzed for adult women, assuming that their intake may be similar to general per capita values. General adjustment factors for estimating the lowest and highest FFE and micronutrient intake for satisfying the requirements of other family members were calculated. These factors were used to estimate the additional effective content and the maximum allowable content, and then the recommended nutrient contents at the consumers' level were chosen on the basis of technological compatibility and cost. The method should be used in other contexts to test its validity as well as its application to nonstaple foods.