Learning about good nutrition with the 5-color front-of-package label“Nutri-Score”: an experimental study

The Nutri-Score is a 5-color front-of-pack nutrition label designed to provide consumers with an easily understandable guideline to the healthiness of food products. The impact that the Nutri-Score may have on consumers’ choices is unclear since different experimental paradigms have found vastly dif...

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Main Authors: Robin C. Hau, Klaus W. Lange
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Tsinghua University Press 2024-05-01
Series:Food Science and Human Wellness
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/FSHW.2022.9250099
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author Robin C. Hau
Klaus W. Lange
author_facet Robin C. Hau
Klaus W. Lange
author_sort Robin C. Hau
collection DOAJ
description The Nutri-Score is a 5-color front-of-pack nutrition label designed to provide consumers with an easily understandable guideline to the healthiness of food products. The impact that the Nutri-Score may have on consumers’ choices is unclear since different experimental paradigms have found vastly different effect sizes. In the present study, we have investigated how student participants change a hypothetical personal 1-day-dietary plan after a learning phase during which they learn about the Nutri-Scores of the available food items. Participants were instructed to compose a healthy diet plan in order that the question of whether the Nutri-Score would improve their ability to compose a healthy dietary plan could be investigated, independent of the question of whether they would apply this knowledge in their ordinary lives. We found a substantial (Cohen’s d = 0.86) positive impact on nutritional quality (as measured by the Nutrient Profiling System score of the Food Standards Agency) and a medium-sized (Cohen’s d = 0.43) reduction of energy content. Energy content reduction was larger for participants who had initially composed plans with higher energy content. The results suggest that the Nutri-Score has the potential to guide consumers to healthier food choices. It remains unclear, however, whether this potential will be reflected in real-life dietary choices.
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spelling doaj-art-0d3147bf405b4093b90cad21a97fa4d52025-01-10T06:54:23ZengTsinghua University PressFood Science and Human Wellness2097-07652213-45302024-05-011331195120010.26599/FSHW.2022.9250099Learning about good nutrition with the 5-color front-of-package label“Nutri-Score”: an experimental studyRobin C. Hau0Klaus W. Lange1University of Applied Sciences Landshut, Landshut 84036, GermanyFaculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93040, GermanyThe Nutri-Score is a 5-color front-of-pack nutrition label designed to provide consumers with an easily understandable guideline to the healthiness of food products. The impact that the Nutri-Score may have on consumers’ choices is unclear since different experimental paradigms have found vastly different effect sizes. In the present study, we have investigated how student participants change a hypothetical personal 1-day-dietary plan after a learning phase during which they learn about the Nutri-Scores of the available food items. Participants were instructed to compose a healthy diet plan in order that the question of whether the Nutri-Score would improve their ability to compose a healthy dietary plan could be investigated, independent of the question of whether they would apply this knowledge in their ordinary lives. We found a substantial (Cohen’s d = 0.86) positive impact on nutritional quality (as measured by the Nutrient Profiling System score of the Food Standards Agency) and a medium-sized (Cohen’s d = 0.43) reduction of energy content. Energy content reduction was larger for participants who had initially composed plans with higher energy content. The results suggest that the Nutri-Score has the potential to guide consumers to healthier food choices. It remains unclear, however, whether this potential will be reflected in real-life dietary choices.https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/FSHW.2022.9250099nutri-scorefront-of-package labelnudgenutritionhealth
spellingShingle Robin C. Hau
Klaus W. Lange
Learning about good nutrition with the 5-color front-of-package label“Nutri-Score”: an experimental study
Food Science and Human Wellness
nutri-score
front-of-package label
nudge
nutrition
health
title Learning about good nutrition with the 5-color front-of-package label“Nutri-Score”: an experimental study
title_full Learning about good nutrition with the 5-color front-of-package label“Nutri-Score”: an experimental study
title_fullStr Learning about good nutrition with the 5-color front-of-package label“Nutri-Score”: an experimental study
title_full_unstemmed Learning about good nutrition with the 5-color front-of-package label“Nutri-Score”: an experimental study
title_short Learning about good nutrition with the 5-color front-of-package label“Nutri-Score”: an experimental study
title_sort learning about good nutrition with the 5 color front of package label nutri score an experimental study
topic nutri-score
front-of-package label
nudge
nutrition
health
url https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/FSHW.2022.9250099
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