Journal
JOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
Volume 26, Issue 5, Pages 494-503Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/jhn.12039
Keywords
acceptability; front-of-pack labels; nutrition labelling; perception; understanding
Categories
Funding
- French National Agency of Research within the PNRA program [ANR-07-PNRA-018]
- Ministere de la Sante (DGS)
- Institut de Veille Sanitaire (InVS)
- Institut National de la Prevention et de l'Education pour la Sante (INPES)
- Fondation pour la Recherche Medicale (FRM)
- Institut de Recherche en Sante Publique (IRESP)
- Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM)
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
- Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers (CNAM)
- Universite Paris 13
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Background: Front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling has been proposed as a tool for helping consumers make healthy choices. Before determining its effects on consumer behaviour, factors involved in its use must be elucidated, i.e. understanding and acceptability on the part of the consumer. Among five FOP labels, we sought to determine which formats were most easily understood and accepted by a large sample of adults. Methods: Among 39 370 adults who participated in the French Nutrinet-Sante cohort study, understanding and indicators of acceptability (attitude, liking, visual attractiveness and perceived cognitive workload) were measured for five FOP labels: The currently used 'multiple traffic lights' (MTL) and 'simple traffic lights' (STL), and the 'colour range' logo (CR), the 'green tick' and the PNNS logo. We investigated the contribution of the different elements to consumer perception of FOP labels using multiple correspondence analyses. Results: Over half of the sample population showed a high level of understanding and perceived no discomfort in terms of the different logos. Label formats were positioned along an acceptability gradient ranging from acceptance to rejection, consisting of 'liking', 'attractiveness' and indicators of perceived cognitive workload. MTL was significantly more often liked and was viewed as reliable and informative. MTL, STL and the green tick performed better than the CR and PNNS logos in terms of ease of identification and comprehension. CR was clearly the least appreciated and it had the most complex format. Conclusions: Consumers prefer FOP labels which give complete, reliable and simplified information on the nutrient quality of foods.
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