Adherence
Mandatory front-of-package warning labels (e.g., octagonal stop signs) significantly reduce the purchase of unhealthy products and prompt industry reformulation, whereas voluntary or complex labeling systems (e.g., Guideline Daily Amount) have negligible or no effect on consumer behavior.
Support policies that mandate clear, high-contrast warning labels (like Chile's octagonal stop signs) on packaged foods. These labels are proven to reduce the purchase of unhealthy items and force manufacturers to improve recipes. Avoid supporting voluntary or complex labeling systems that fail to change behavior.
Multiple natural experiments using objective sales data indicate that well-designed front-of-package labels are associated with decreases in purchases of less healthy products and increases in purchases of healthier ones... Chile has been a leader in front-of-package food labeling and now requires products to display octagonal (stop-sign-shaped) black labels... estimated that household purchases of sugary drinks... decreased by 11.9 cal/capita/day, or 27.5% relative to the counterfactual.
Why this rating
Based on multiple natural experiments with objective sales data, though some studies show mixed results for specific label types.
Source
The Influence of Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling on Consumer Behavior and Product Reformulation
Christina A. Roberto et al. · Annual Review of Nutrition · 2021
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