Facts-Up-Front Versus Traffic-Light Food Labels

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Food Labeling
• Interventions: Behavioral: Traffic Light; Behavioral: Traffic Light+; Behavioral: Facts Up Front; Behavioral: Facts Up Front+; Behavioral: No label control group

• Registration Number: NCT01626729
• Lead Sponsor: Yale University

Brief Summary

The U.S. food and beverage industry recently released a new front-of-package nutrition labeling system called Facts Up Front that will be used on thousands of food products. The purpose of this study was to test consumer understanding of the Facts Up Front nutrition labeling system compared to the Multiple Traffic Light system (Traffic Light). Facts Up Front displays grams/milligrams and % daily value information for various nutrients; Traffic Light uses an interpretive color-coded scheme to alert consumers to low, medium or high levels of certain nutrients. Participants in an Internet-based study were randomized to one of five front-of-package label conditions: 1) No Label; 2) Traffic Light; 3) Traffic Light plus information about protein and fiber (Traffic Light+); 4) Facts Up Front; or 5) Facts Up Front plus information about "nutrients to encourage" (Facts Up Front+). Total percentage correct quiz scores were generated reflecting participants' ability to compare two foods on nutrient levels, based on their labels, and to estimate amounts of saturated fat, sugar, sodium, fiber and protein in foods. 703 adult participants recruited through an online database in May 2011 participated in this Internet-based study and data were analyzed in June 2011. The investigators hypothesized that the Traffic Light label groups would perform better than the Facts Up Front groups on all outcomes.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2011-05
• Primary Completion: 2011-05
• Study Completion: 2011-05
• Status Verified: 2012-06
• Study First Submitted: 2012-06-14
• Study First Submitted QC: 2012-06-20
• Last Update Submitted: 2012-06-20
• Study First Posted: 2012-06-25
• Last Update Posted: 2012-06-25

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 703

Inclusion Criteria

• Participants in Survey Sampling International Panels

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Exclusion Criteria

• Younger than 18 years old

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Traffic Light	Traffic Light	-
Traffic Light+	Traffic Light+	-
Facts Up Front	Facts Up Front	-
Facts Up Front+	Facts Up Front+	-
No front of package label	No label control group	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Nutrient Comparison and Nutrient Level Estimation Accuracy	Baseline	Participants took a nutrient level comparison quiz asking them to identify which of two products presented side-by-side in the same food category were higher or lower in different nutrients. Participants also viewed 8 individual products and estimated whether the product had low, medium or high amounts of saturated fat, sugar, sodium, fiber, and protein. The primary outcomes were total percentage correct on these quizzes.
Perceptions of Health, Taste and Purchase Intent	Baseline	Participants rated how healthy they thought each individual product was, how good it would taste and their likelihood to buy the product for themselves and their children (answered only by those who reported having children) using a 9-point Likert scale. Each set of ratings was averaged across eight products.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Consumer Label Preferences	Baseline	Composite scores were created based on several items assessing ease of label interpretation and understanding, label complexity, and degree of label confusion.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Survey Sampling International & Yale University; 🇺🇸 New Haven, Connecticut, United States