The efficacy of calorie labelling formats on pre-packaged foods: An experimental study among adolescents and young adults in Canada

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Several countries have proposed changes to calorie labelling on nutrition facts tables (NFTs) on pre-packaged foods. As most research to date has examined general use of NFTs, there is a lack of evidence to guide specific design changes to calorie information on labels. This study examined the efficacy of various calorie labelling formats on recall, comprehension, and consumer preferences for calorie information.METHODS: Experiments were conducted as part of an online survey with a national sample of 2,008 Canadians aged 16-24. In Task 1, participants were shown one of six labelling formats (e.g., %DV, Traffic Light) with calories in either small or large font, and asked to recall the amount of calories. Task 2 examined comprehension of calories in the context of recommended daily intake (RDI), using the same NFT as in Task 1. Task 3 identified participants' preferences for labelling formats. RESULTS:NFTs with calories in large font enhanced calorie recall (p < 0.001). When small font was displayed, the Traffic Light format performed best at improving recall (p < 0.01). With large font, the highest recall was in the Current, RDI and Traffic Light formats (all p < 0.05). Comprehension of servings per RDI was highest in the Infographic format, with no difference by font size (p < 0.001). Respondents preferred the large font calorie condition and the Infographic format (p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS: Enhancements in visibility and design can improve the efficacy of calorie labelling on pre-packaged foods. The findings have direct implication for proposed changes to calorie labelling on NFTs in Canada and the United States.KEY WORDS: Nutrition policy; health policy; food labeling; recommended dietary allowances La traduction du résumé se trouve à la fin de l'article.Can J Public Health 2016;107(3):e296-e302 doi: 10.17269/CJPH.107.5513 C alories are the body's energy currency and are essential for our regular function and performance. However, the consumption of calories at levels above daily requirements is becoming increasingly common due to a high availability of energy-dense foods and increasingly large portion sizes, and has been positively associated with obesity and its related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and some cancers. In Canada, as similarly done in the US, 4 calorie information is displayed in a Nutrition Facts table (NFT) on the labels of prepackaged food items. 5 NFTs are an important source of nutrition information for consumers: in 2008, over two thirds (68%) of Canadians reported obtaining nutrition information from food labels, and more than half of all Canadians (57%) report that they always or usually read the nutrition label. 6 With respect to calories, 74% of Canadians consider the total calories of a food item at least sometimes when choosing the foods they eat. 6 Studies in the US have produced similar findings, indicating that roughly half of American adults report using nutrition labels in general when making food purchasing ...

The impact of price and nutrition labelling on sugary drink purchases: Results from an experimental marketplace study

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Influence of front-of-package nutrition labels on beverage healthiness perceptions: Results from a randomized experiment

“…6 Many consumers report using these nutrition panels; 7,8 however, the nutrition information presented on the back of packages requires a high level of health literacy, and many consumers struggle to interpret the quantitative information, particularly with respect to serving size and percent daily values. 7,[9][10][11] Simplified 'interpretive' nutrition labels have emerged as an important intervention to complement the quantitative information provided on back-of-package nutrition panels. A range of interpretive front-of-package (FOP) labelling systems have been implemented internationally, most of which can be categorized as either 'nutrient-specific' or 'summary indicator' labelling systems.…”

Integrating a Health Literacy Lens into Nutrition Labelling Policy in Canada

“…Of recent interest are the established national online panel providers that have been used by Canadian researchers to conduct consumer surveys and test the efficacy of nutrition labelling approaches, including warning labels on sugar-sweetened beverages [27], the effectiveness of front of pack labelling [28], perceptions of the nutrition facts table and front of pack labelling [29], as well as comprehension and use of nutrition information [30], and specifically calorie information on pre-packaged foods [31]. These national panels offer great potential for quantitative research data collection as they may easily contain over 400,000 Canadians diverse in age, gender, language and region.…”