Front‐of‐pack symbols are not a reliable indicator of products with healthier nutrient profiles (390.7)

Abstract

Front‐of‐pack (FOP) nutrition rating symbols are used on food labels worldwide. Without standardized criteria for their use, it is unclear if FOP symbols are being used to promote products that are more nutritious than products without symbols. Objective: To compare the amount of calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar in products with FOP symbols to products without symbols. Design: A 2010‐2011 database of 10,487 Canadian packaged food labels was used. Nutrient content differences were compared using Wilcoxon rank‐sum test; differences greater than 25% were deemed nutritionally relevant. Results: Products with FOP symbols were not uniformly lower in calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar per reference amount than products without these symbols in any of the 10 food categories or in 59/60 subcategories. None of the different FOP system types (nutrient‐specific, summary indicatory, or food group information) examined were used to market products with overall better nutritional profiles (i.e. lower in calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar) than products without this type of marketing. Conclusion: FOP symbols are being used to market foods that are no more nutritious than foods without this type of marketing. As FOP symbols may influence consumer product perceptions and purchases, it may be a useful public health strategy to set minimum nutritional standards for products using FOP symbols.Grant Funding Source: Canadian Institutes of Health Research