Front-of-package Labels for Nutrition Knowledge

Overseen By Brittany Lemmon

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, Davis

Disqualifiers: Failing attention check, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

13000 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Front-of-package label?

Research shows that front-of-package labels can help people choose healthier foods by providing clear and easy-to-understand nutrition information. Studies found that when these labels include multiple nutrients, people can identify healthier products over 80% of the time, making them a useful tool for improving nutrition knowledge. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is front-of-package labeling safe for humans?

Front-of-package labeling is a method of providing nutrition information on food packaging and does not involve any physical treatment or medication, so it is generally safe for humans. ^{1 5 6 7 8}

How does the front-of-package label treatment differ from other treatments for improving nutrition knowledge?

Front-of-package labels are unique because they provide immediate, easy-to-understand nutritional information directly on food packaging, helping consumers make healthier choices at the point of purchase. Unlike other treatments that might involve education sessions or dietary plans, this approach integrates decision-making into the shopping experience itself. ^{3 9 10 11 12}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this study is to compare front-of-package labels to a no-label control and to one another: 1.) FDA's Nutrition Info with %DV, 2.) Nutrition Info with red "high", 3.) FDA's High In, 4.) multiple High In labels-one for each nutrient and 5.) a no-label control. Primary outcomes include 1.) correct identification of foods and beverages with the healthiest and least healthy overall nutrient profiles, 2.) perceived healthfulness of products low in two nutrients of concern, and 3.) correct identification of foods and beverages as high in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.

Research Team

Jennifer Falbe

Principal Investigator

University of California, Davis

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for individuals interested in nutrition who will evaluate different types of front-of-package labels. The study aims to understand how these labels affect people's ability to identify healthy and unhealthy food options, as well as their perceptions of the products' healthfulness.

Inclusion Criteria

English-speaking

U.S. residents

My demographics match the U.S. 2023 Census data on gender, race, education, and age.

Exclusion Criteria

Failing the attention check question

Completing the survey in less than one-third of the median completion time (median time calculated when 90% of responses are collected and will be based on the median time of completed questionnaires)

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants are exposed to different front-of-package label designs and a no-label control to assess their ability to identify nutrient profiles and perceived healthfulness.

1 week

Online survey participation

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for their responses and data analysis is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the labels.

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Front-of-package label

Trial Overview The study is testing five different labeling approaches: FDA's Nutrition Info with %DV, Nutrition Info with a red 'high' indicator, FDA's High In label, multiple High In labels for each nutrient, and a no-label control group. Participants will compare these to determine which helps best identify healthier food choices.

Participant Groups

Group I: Plain High In Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will see packaged food and beverage items displaying front-of-package labels that say, "High In \[nutrient\]" (nutrients: saturated fat, sodium, and/or added sugars) if the item contains 20% or more of the Daily Value per serving for each nutrient. The label will have a white background and black text. If the item is not high in 1 or 2 of the nutrients, the nutrient(s) will not be on the label. If the item is not high in any of the 3 nutrients, the product will not display this label.

Group II: Nutrition Info with Red "High" Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will see packaged food and beverage items displaying front-of-package labels that list "high", "medium", or "low" for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. "High" is defined as 20% or more of the Daily Value per serving, "medium" as 6-19%, and "low" as 5% or less. The label will have a white background and black text, except for the word "high," which will be in white font and highlighted red.

Group III: Nutrition Info Percent Daily Value Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will see packaged food and beverage items displaying front-of-package labels that list "high", "medium", or "low" for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. "High" is defined as 20% or more of the Daily Value per serving, "medium" as 6-19%, and "low" as 5% or less. The label will also list the percent Daily Value for each nutrient per serving. The label will have a white background and black text.

Group IV: Multiple Black Box High In Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will see packaged food and beverage items displaying front-of-package labels that say, "High In \[nutrient\]" (nutrients: saturated fat, sodium, and/or added sugars) if the item contains 20% or more of the Daily Value per serving for each nutrient. Each nutrient will have it's own label, a black box with white text. If the item is not high in a nutrient, it will not display the black box label for that nutrient. If the item is not high in any of the 3 nutrients, the product will not display any labels.

Group V: No-label Control Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants will see packaged food and beverage items with no front-of-package labels (other than any posted by the manufacturer).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, Davis

Lead Sponsor

Trials

958

Recruited

4,816,000+

References

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Can front-of-pack labelling schemes guide healthier food choices? Australian shoppers' responses to seven labelling formats. [2022]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Consumer perceptions of specific design characteristics for front-of-package nutrition labels. [2019]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of Front-Of-Pack Nutrition Labels in French Adults: Results from the NutriNet-Santé Cohort Study. [2018]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Front-of-pack nutrition labels: an equitable public health intervention. [2023]

5. Brazil pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Performance and perception on front-of-package nutritional labeling models in Brazil. [2022]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Association of perception of front-of-pack labels with dietary, lifestyle and health characteristics. [2023]

7. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Consumer testing of the acceptability and effectiveness of front-of-pack food labelling systems for the Australian grocery market. [2022]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A nutrient profiling assessment of packaged foods using two star-based front-of-pack labels. [2023]

9. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Consumers' Perception About Front of Package Food Labels (FOPL) in India: A Survey of 14 States. [2023]

10. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Consumer acceptability and understanding of front-of-pack nutrition labels. [2015]

11. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development of the Chilean front-of-package food warning label. [2020]

12. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The influence of front-of-pack nutritional labels on eating and purchasing behaviors: a narrative review of the literature. [2023]