The provision of nutrition information on food packaging is one strategy to help consumers make food choices. The federal Nutrition Labeling and Education Act enacted in 1990 requires that almost all packaged foods bear a Nutrition Facts panel which includes information such as serving size, calories, and certain nutrients. Despite the availability of this information, the prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically in recent decades. A variety of nutrition rating systems and symbols have been developed in recent years and now appear on the front of food packages, meant to make it easier for consumers to make healthful food choices. The purpose of this project was to test a new fact-based, evaluative system of calorie and nutrient information provision. The research team evaluated the consumer comprehension of the Nutrition Facts system as compared to other available front-of-package labeling systems, including the Nutrition Keys system launched in 2011 by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Food Marketing Institute, as well as other systems developed by the Institute of Medicine and the food industry. Data were collected from participants via internet panels as well as in a retail laboratory setting, all of whom were adult consumers with children living in the household of the participant.
Start Date: September 2011
ID #: CAS009
Organization: University of Arkansas
Project Lead: Elizabeth Howlett, PhD
Age Group: Adults and Families
Resource Type: Commissioned Research Project Summary
Focus Area: Food Marketing
Keywords: Front-of-package labeling, Nutrition standards, Self-regulation
Race/Ethnicity: Multi-racial/ethnic
Related Research
March 2014
Shopper Response to Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling Programs: Potential Consumer and Retail Store Benefits
Many front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labeling systems have been developed by food retailers and manufactures to help consumers identify more healthful options at the point of purchase. This paper examines how two alternative FOP nutrition labeling systems – reductive and evaluative – affect shoppers’ product evaluations, choices, and retailer evaluations. Reductive FOP systems extract a reduced MoreMarch 2024
Centering equity in FDA regulation: Front-of-package food label effects in Latino and limited English proficiency populations
This project aims to determine the front-of-package label design that is most effective at helping Latino consumers identify and choose healthier products. The project also aims to explore whether the benefits of front-of-package design differ by English proficiency. Participants will include 4,000 US adults of parental age (18-55 years old) who identify as Latino. Participants MoreFebruary 2024