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In 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a mandatory single front-of-package label (FOPL) listing low, medium, or high descriptors and the percent Daily Value (%DV) for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. Effects of this scheme (referred to as Nutrition-Info-%DV) on consumer understanding, perceptions, and behaviors are largely unknown; thus, this study aims to compare the FDA’s proposed label against potential alternatives. This online randomized controlled trial recruited a national sample of US adults aged 18 years or older who reflected U.S. demographics. Participants were randomly assigned to view products labelled according to one of five conditions: (1) a no-label control; (2) the FDA’s proposed scheme (Nutrition-Info-%DV); (3) a Nutrition-Info scheme with no %DV and High highlighted in red (Nutrition-Info-Red); (4) a single label scheme listing all nutrients contained in a high amount (High-In); or (5) a multilabel scheme with separate labels for each nutrient contained in a high amount (Multi-High-In). Participants were masked to the study objectives. Primary outcomes included consumer understanding and perceived healthfulness of unhealthy products. A total of 15,582 participants were randomly assigned, with recruitment and data collection occurring April 1–25, 2025. 1,653 participants were excluded, yielding an analytical sample of 13,929. All FOPLs improved consumer understanding compared with the control. Nutrition-Info-Red outperformed Nutrition-Info-%DV for participants correctly identifying the healthiest and least healthy nutrient profiles. Multi-High-In outperformed Nutrition-Info-%DV for participants correctly identifying the least healthy nutrient profiles. Both Nutrition-Info-Red and Multi-High-In outperformed Nutrition-Info-%DV in correct assessment of high nutrient content. Nutrition-Info-Red and Nutrition-Info-%DV resulted in higher perceived healthfulness of unhealthy products than Multi-High-In. Multi-High-In outperformed all schemes in reducing the selection of high-in foods and quickly identifying nutrient profiles.
Published: March 2026
ID #: 383002712
Journal: Lancet Public Health
Authors: Lemmon B, Grummon AH, Marquez A, Soederberg Miller LM, Au LE, Brown SD, Wang A, Powell LM, Falbe J
Age Group: Adults and Families
Race/Ethnicity: African American or Black, American Indian, Asian, Latino(a) or Hispanic, Multi-racial/ethnic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, White
Focus Area: Food Marketing
Keywords: Front-of-package labeling, Point-of-decision prompts
Resource Type: Journal Article
State: National
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