Added‐sugar labeling: implications for consumers (630.11)

Abstract

The FDA is proposing to update the Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) to help consumers choose more nutrient‐dense, lower calorie foods. One consideration in this proposal is including “added sugar” on the NFP, yet there is little research to evaluate if this will help consumers make more informed food choices. We conducted an on‐line survey (N=1000) to assess how consumers interpret added sugar on the NFP. With the current NFP, only 5% of consumers inaccurately identified the amount of sugar in a cereal label, whereas, when added sugar was included on the label this increased to 36% inaccurate responses. Moreover, when presented with two labels and asked to pick the healthier option, over one‐third chose a food with lower added sugar, even though it contained higher calories, fat, and saturated fat. Consumers who were 50+ years, males, and self‐assessed diabetics/pre‐diabetics were more likely to incorrectly determine the amount of sugar present when “added sugars” was present on the label. These results suggest that including added sugars on the NFP could cause consumer confusion and may lead some consumers to less healthy food choices. As the goal of the nutrition facts panel is to help consumers make healthier choices, any proposed change in sugar labeling should be thoroughly evaluated to ensure it leads consumers to nutrient‐dense, lower calorie choices.