The impact of interpretive and reductive front-of-pack labels on food choice and willingness to pay

Abstract

Background: This study examined how front-of-pack labels and product healthfulness affect choice and willingness to pay across a range of foods. It was hypothesized that: (i) product choice and (ii) willingness to pay would be more aligned with product healthfulness when healthfulness was expressed through the Health Star Rating, followed by the Multiple Traffic Light, then the Daily Intake Guide, and (iii) the Nutrition Facts Panel would be viewed infrequently. Methods: Adults and children aged 10+ years (n = 2069) completed an online discrete choice task involving mock food packages. A 4 food type (cookies, corn flakes, pizza, yoghurt) × 2 front-of-pack label presence (present, absent) × 3 frontof-pack label type (Daily Intake Guide, Multiple Traffic Light, Health Star Rating) × 3 price (cheap, moderate, expensive) × 3 healthfulness (less healthy, moderately healthy, healthier) design was used. A 30 s time limit was imposed for each choice. Results: Of the three front-of-pack labels tested, the Health Star Rating produced the largest differences in choices, with 40% (95% CIs: 38%-42%) of respondents selecting the healthier variant, 33% selecting the moderately healthy variant (95% CIs: 31%-35%), and 23% (95% CIs: 21%-24%) selecting the less healthy variant of the four products included in the study. The Multiple Traffic Light led to significant differences in choices between healthier (35%, 95% CIs: 33%-37%) and less healthy products (29%, 95% CIs: 27%-31%), but not moderately healthy products (32%, 95% CIs: 30%-34%). No significant differences in choices were observed by product healthfulness when the Daily Intake Guide was present. Only the Health Star Rating resulted in a significantly greater willingness to pay for healthier versus less healthy products. The Nutrition Facts Panel was viewed for only 7% of all mock packages. Conclusions: Front-of-pack labels that are more interpretive, such as the Health Star Rating, can be more effective at directing consumers towards healthier choices than reductive front-of-pack labels such as the Daily Intake Guide. The study results provide policy makers with clear guidance on the types of front-of-pack labels that are most likely to achieve positive health outcomes at a population level.

Enhancing the effectiveness of the Health Star Rating via presentation modifications

“…3 As shown in Supplementary Figure 1, the same product image was used in each array, with variation in terms of FoPL rating (each array included a pack showing 1.5 stars, 3 stars, 4.5 stars, or no FoPL) and FoPL type (respondents were randomly assigned to one of four FoPL conditions: black and white (B&W) full HSR, colour full HSR, B&W star rating only, and colour star rating only). 3 As shown in Supplementary Figure 1, the same product image was used in each array, with variation in terms of FoPL rating (each array included a pack showing 1.5 stars, 3 stars, 4.5 stars, or no FoPL) and FoPL type (respondents were randomly assigned to one of four FoPL conditions: black and white (B&W) full HSR, colour full HSR, B&W star rating only, and colour star rating only).…”

“…3 As shown in Supplementary Figure 1, the same product image was used in each array, with variation in terms of FoPL rating (each array included a pack showing 1.5 stars, 3 stars, 4.5 stars, or no FoPL) and FoPL type (respondents were randomly assigned to one of four FoPL conditions: black and white (B&W) full HSR, colour full HSR, B&W star rating only, and colour star rating only). As per previous research, 3 other than the test variables, the images were identical to enable determination of FoPL effects with all else being equal. In the two coloured HSR conditions, the 1.5-star rating was coloured red, the 3-star rating was coloured orange, and the 4.5-star rating was coloured green.…”

“…2,3 Hybrid FoPLs, such as the HSR and the Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL), have both interpretive and reductive elements in recognition of the superior ability of interpretive nutrition information to facilitate rapid comparisons across products 4 and consumers' stated desire for nutrientspecific information on the front of pack. 2,3 Hybrid FoPLs, such as the HSR and the Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL), have both interpretive and reductive elements in recognition of the superior ability of interpretive nutrition information to facilitate rapid comparisons across products 4 and consumers' stated desire for nutrientspecific information on the front of pack.…”

“…Interpretive FoPLs that provide an assessment of a product's healthiness have been found to be more effective in increasing consumers' understanding and influencing their product choices than reductive FoPLs that replicate nutrient and energy information provided in the Nutrition Information Panel on the back/side of the pack. 2,3 Hybrid FoPLs, such as the HSR and the Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL), have both interpretive and reductive elements in recognition of the superior ability of interpretive nutrition information to facilitate rapid comparisons across products 4 and consumers' stated desire for nutrientspecific information on the front of pack. 5 A recent study of FoPL effectiveness across 12 countries found that of five FoPLS the highly interpretive Nutri-Score (that features only the letters A to E shown in colours ranging from green to red) produced the largest increase in understanding of product healthiness, followed by the MTL.…”

Health Star Ratings: What's on the labels of Australian beverages?

“…1 Plain packaged water is exempt from using the algorithm and receives an automatic 5-star rating. 1 Research on the HSR System has predominantly focused on its effectiveness compared to other front-of-pack labelling systems [3][4][5] and modelling of the star ratings that can be displayed on products if the manufacturer chooses to do so, 6,7 rather than real-world observations of use of the System in retail settings. 6,8 A study by Lawrence et al 6 examined how the display of the HSR System differed between core and discretionary foods.…”