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

Acton, Rachel B.; Hammond, David

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2017.11.089

Cited by 118 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Nutrient warnings reduced participants' choice of snacks and drinks high in critical nutrients [74,76], the level of critical nutrients in beverages and snacks purchased [70], or improved the overall nutritional profile of purchases [61] compared to a no-label control or to other labeling types. However, in another study of purchases, there was no statistically significant effect of warning labels, but there was a trend for nutrient warning labels to reduce purchases of sugary drinks [63].…”

Section: Egnell Et Al 2019 [80]mentioning

confidence: 93%

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Experimental Studies of Front-of-Package Nutrient Warning Labels on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Ultra-Processed Foods: A Scoping Review

et al. 2020

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Policies that require front-of-package (FoP) nutrient warnings are becoming increasingly common across the globe as a strategy to discourage excess consumption of sugary drinks and ultra-processed food. However, a better understanding of the pathway through which FoP nutrient warnings work, as well as a review of how outcomes being measured in recent studies map onto this pathway, are needed in order to inform policy on the most effective FoP label design for reducing purchases of ultra-processed foods. This scoping review describes a conceptual model for how FoP nutrient warnings affect consumer behavior, examines which of these outcomes are currently being measured, and summarizes evidence from randomized controlled experiments. Twenty-two studies which experimentally tested nutrient warnings against a control label or other labeling systems were included for full-text review. Our conceptual model includes attention; comprehension, cognitive elaboration, and message acceptance; negative affect and risk perception; behavioral intentions, and behavioral response, along with other elements such as external factors and interpersonal communications. We found that many studies focused on outcomes such as attention, comprehension, and behavioral intentions, but considerable gaps in the evidence remain, particularly for intermediary steps on the pathway to behavioral change, such as negative affect and social interactions. FoP nutrient warnings were visually attended to by consumers, easy to understand, helped consumers identify products high in nutrients of concern, and discouraged them from purchasing these products, although other labeling systems were perceived as containing more information and performed better at helping consumers rank the healthfulness of products. More research is needed to understand whether and how nutrient warnings work in the real world to discourage consumer purchases of sugary drinks and ultra-processed food.

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Section: Egnell Et Al 2019 [80]mentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Acton and Hammond, 2018 [63] Behavior: There was no statistically significant effect of labeling, though there was a trend for the "high sugar" nutrient warnings to reduce the likelihood to purchase a sugary drink and encourage participants to purchase drinks with less sugar. Table 3.…”

Section: Neal Et Al 2017 [61]mentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Studies of Front-of-Package Nutrient Warning Labels on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Ultra-Processed Foods: A Scoping Review

et al. 2020

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“…While the vast majority of FOPL systems present an interpretive (e.g., France’s Nutri-score [ 16 ], Australia’s Health Star Rating [ 17 ]) or nutrient-specific (e.g., Food Industry’s Guideline daily amounts [ 18 ], the UK’s color-coded GDA [ 19 ]) nutrient profile of the relative healthiness of foods [ 20 , 21 ], a new paradigm for FOPL, known as nutritional warnings, have been designed to help people limit their intake of foods that contain high amounts of critical nutrients of public health concern (i.e., sodium, sugars, and saturated fat). Recent research has shown that a “High in” nutrient based FOPL is an effective consumer tool for providing more accessible and comprehensible nutrition information to consumers [ 22 ], helping them to limit nutrients of concern [ 23 ] and also enhancing perceptions of control over the healthiness of their food decisions [ 24 ]. In 2016, Chile became the first country to implement mandatory “high in” FOPL designed to help people limit their intake of foods that contain high amounts of critical nutrients of public health concern (i.e., sodium, sugars, and saturated fat) [ 25 , 26 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficacy of “High in” Nutrient Specific Front of Package Labels—A Retail Experiment with Canadians of Varying Health Literacy Levels

et al. 2020

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Background: In 2018, Health Canada, the Federal department responsible for public health, put forward a regulatory proposal to introduce regulations requiring a “High in” front-of-package label (FOPL) on foods that exceed predetermined thresholds for sodium, sugars, or saturated fat. This study evaluated the efficacy of the proposed FOPL as a quick and easy tool for making food choices that support reduction in the intakes of these nutrients. Methods: Consumers (n = 625) of varying health literacy levels (HL) were assigned to control (current labeling with no FOPL) or one of four FOPL designs. They completed six shopping tasks, designed to control for internal motivations. Efficacy was measured with correct product selection and response time (seconds) to make food choices using repeated measures statistical modeling, adjusting for HL, task type, and task order. Eye-tracking and structured interviews were used to gather additional insights about participants’ choices. Results: Overall, FOPL was significantly more effective than current labeling at helping consumers of varying HL levels to identify foods high in nutrients of concern and make healthier food choices. All FOPL were equally effective. Conclusions: “High in” FOPL can be effective at helping Canadians of varying HL levels make more informed food choices in relation to sugars, sodium, and saturated fat.

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“…To date, evidence from experimental studies, qualitative investigations and real-world evaluations suggests that nutrient-specific FOP warnings can be easier to understand (2,4) , effective at reducing consumer preference and purchase intention (2,(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12) , and can affect actual purchasing and consumption of targeted foods (13)(14)(15) . Research from various countries also shows strong consumer support for the labelling systems (15)(16)(17)(18) .…”

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confidence: 99%

Do manufacturer ‘nutrient claims’ influence the efficacy of mandated front-of-package labels?

Acton

Hammond

2018

Public Health Nutr.

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ObjectiveTo examine consumers’ ability to correctly interpret front-of-package (FOP) ‘high in’ warnings in the presence of a voluntary claim for the same or a different nutrient.DesignA between-group experimental task assigned respondents to view food products labelled as ‘high in sodium’, with a ‘reduced sodium’ claim positioned next to the warning, away from the warning or absent. A second experiment assigned participants to view a food product labelled as ‘high in sugar’, with a ‘reduced fat’ claim positioned next to the warning, away from the warning or absent. For both tasks, respondents were asked to identify whether the products were high in the indicated nutrient.SettingOnline survey (2016).SubjectsCanadians aged 16–32 years (n 1000) were recruited in person from five major cities in Canada.ResultsRespondents were less likely to correctly identify a product as ‘high in sodium’ when packages also featured a voluntary ‘reduced sodium’ claim, with a stronger effect when the claim was positioned away from the FOP symbol (P<0·001). The number of correct responses was similar across conditions when the nutrient claim was for a different nutrient than the one featured in the FOP ‘high in’ warning.ConclusionsThe findings demonstrate that the presence of a voluntary nutrient claim can undermine the efficacy of mandated FOP labels for the same nutrient. Countries considering nutrient-specific FOP warnings, including Canada, should consider regulations that would prohibit claims for nutrients that exceed the threshold for nutrient-specific FOP warnings.

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

Abstract: Increasing price was associated with reduced sugary drink purchases. Enhanced FOP labelling results highlight the need for further research to investigate their potential impact. The study adds empirical support for taxation to reduce sugary drink consumption.

Cited by 118 publications

References 31 publications

Experimental Studies of Front-of-Package Nutrient Warning Labels on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Ultra-Processed Foods: A Scoping Review

Experimental Studies of Front-of-Package Nutrient Warning Labels on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Ultra-Processed Foods: A Scoping Review

Efficacy of “High in” Nutrient Specific Front of Package Labels—A Retail Experiment with Canadians of Varying Health Literacy Levels

Do manufacturer ‘nutrient claims’ influence the efficacy of mandated front-of-package labels?

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