Food Labels Research Articles

Self-perceived food literacy in relation to the quality of overall diet and main meals: A cross-sectional study in Japanese adults

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the relationship between self-perceived food literacy (SPFL) and quality of overall diet and main meals in Japanese adults. In total, 5998 adults aged 20–79 years were included in this analysis. The SPFL was assessed using the Japanese version of the 29-item Dutch SPFL scale (score range 1–5). Using validated dietary information, the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) was calculated (score range 0–100). The mean SPFL was 3.18; the internal consistency of the overall scale was considered good (Cronbach's alpha: 0.80). The mean HEI-2015 for overall diet was 50.4. The SPFL was significantly and positively associated with the HEI-2015. Using multiple linear regression, one point increase of SPFL corresponded to an increase in HEI-2015 by a point of 4.8 for overall diet, 6.2 for breakfast, 4.6 for lunch, and 3.6 for dinner (all P < 0.0001). Six of the eight domains of SPFL (i.e., food preparation skills, resilience and resistance, healthy snack styles, examining food labels, healthy budgeting, and healthy food stockpiling) were significantly associated with the HEI-2015 for overall diet. When the HEI-2015 for each meal was examined, the domains showing significant associations with all three meals included food preparation skills, healthy snack styles, and healthy budgeting. The healthy food stockpiling was associated with the HEI-2015 for breakfast and lunch, but not dinner. The social and conscious eating and daily food planning were associated with the breakfast HEI-2015 only, with the resilience and resistance associated with the dinner HEI-2015 only. In conclusion, the SPFL was cross-sectionally associated with the quality of overall diet and main meals in Japanese adults. Further observation and intervention studies are needed to confirm the associations observed here.

Raman spectroscopy and fusion machine learning algorithm: A novel approach to identify dairy fraud

In addressing food safety verification, ensuring the authenticity of food labels remains of utmost importance. With the objective of enhancing label validation and fraud detection, our research introduces an innovative fusion model utilizing Raman spectroscopy technology. This model is uniquely designed to differentiate various dairy products and provide a quantitative assessment of their nutritional components. To achieve this, we integrated four foundational machine learning algorithms: Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). These algorithms individually showcased a classification accuracy exceeding 90% for differentiating dairy brands and achieved a fat prediction Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) under 13%. However, when these algorithms were synergistically combined in our fusion model, we observed a remarkable improvement in classification accuracy, reaching 99%. Additionally, for the pivotal task of predicting fat content in dairy samples, the fusion model manifested an unparalleled performance, with metrics indicating R2 = 0.98, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) = 0.2 g/100 mL, and NRMSE = 6.2%. Notably, while the efficiency of the individual models fluctuated depending on the training objectives, the fusion model consistently outperformed in all scenarios. In essence, our fusion model's adaptability, precision, and generalization capabilities underscore its potential as an invaluable tool in the domain of dairy product quality assessment.

Addressing nutritional issues and eating behaviours among university students: a narrative review.

University life is a critical period for establishing healthy eating habits and attitudes. However, university students are at risk of developing poor eating habits due to various factors, including economic conditions, academic stress and lack of information about nutritional concepts. Poor diet quality leads to malnutrition or overnutrition, increasing the risk of preventable diseases. Food environments on university campuses also play a significant role in shaping the dietary habits of students, with the availability of and accessibility to healthy food options being important factors influencing food choices and overall diet quality. Disordered eating habits and body dissatisfaction are prevalent among university students and can lead to eating disorders. Income and living arrangements also influence dietary habits, with low household income and living alone being associated with unhealthy eating habits. This study is a narrative review that aimed to address nutritional issues and eating behaviours, specifically among university students. We investigated the eating behaviours of university students, including their dietary patterns, food choices and food environments. The objective of this review was to provide insights into the nutritional issues and eating behaviours of university students, with the aim of identifying target areas for intervention to improve the overall health and wellbeing among college students. University food environments need to be restructured to promote healthy eating, including the availability, accessibility, affordability and labelling of healthy foods, and policies to limit the availability of unhealthy foods and drinks on campus.

Visual communication design: a neglected factor in nutrition promotion via packaged food labels.

Packaging design is a communication device and a critical component in branding strategy, and has relevance for food policy. Presently, packaging-related nutrition policy initiatives focus on the role of regulated claims, nutrition information panels and front-of-pack nutrition labels to help guide consumer food choices and address high prevalences of discretionary and ultra-processed food consumption in many countries. However, these nutrition labelling systems are not optimized as public health policy tools as many consumers do not use them to inform their food choices. Visual communication design theory posits that a designer orders the elements and principles of design into hierarchies that prioritize certain elements over others, and that some of these elements are more dominant and given more emphasis than others. The overall design of the package thereby directs consumer attention to some aspects of pack design (e.g., characters, contents of the package) and away from others (e.g., nutrition details). Dual processing frameworks propose that food decisions are made with the interplay between automatic and rational thinking processes. Packaging designs affect whether consumers rely predominantly on automatic or rational thinking to select a food. This narrative review outlines the role of food packaging design and how it impacts the clear communication of nutrition aspects of food products and how the use of nutrition information by consumers to make decisions may depend upon design structures in packaging. This article attests that nutrition scientists and policy makers should incorporate visual communication design into research on the food packaging as a public health promotion tool. A stronger focus on the communication of regulated front-of-pack nutrition information can be made with a re-evaluation of the hierarchy of elements in the front-of-pack design enabling consumers to make healthier decisions.

Food labeling: Ingredient exemptions and product claims

Abstract New breeding methods have provided scientists with opportunities to improve traits in a wide range of crops, however, there remains resistance to foods that are produced from these crops, and mandates on labels used to describe such processes continue to be a source of policy debate. Here we focus on gene editing and examine (i) whether consumer acceptance varies when the technology is applied to different ingredients (unrefined versus highly refined ingredients) and (ii) the impact of two different claims related to gene editing (health-focused claim versus an environment-focused claim). Our results show that consumers are less likely to purchase a food product that includes gene-edited ingredients, yet the ingredient that is gene-edited is not important. We also find evidence that both of our selected claims about foods produced using gene-edited ingredients would increase consumers’ likelihood to purchase relative to the case with no claims.

The Prevalence and Compliance of Health Claims Used in the Labelling and Information for Prepacked Foods within Great Britain.

In the EU and Great Britain (GB), all health claims (HCs) on food must be authorised before use and should comply with Regulation 1924/2006. In GB, all HCs, authorised or not, are listed in the Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims Register. This study reviews the prevalence and compliance of HCs on prepacked foods sold within three GB supermarkets and via their grocery shopping websites. In June 2023, food labels and online product information of 440 products were evaluated across three food categories-dairy and dairy alternatives; fruit juices, fruit juice drinks and fruit smoothies; and teas and infusions. In store, 26.3% of products carried an HC and 28.3% online. The prevalence of HCs was higher when compared with data from 2016. Overall compliance was high, in store (94.3%) and online (90.0%), with no statistically significant difference in overall HC compliance between in store and online products (p = 0.724). The HC violations observed in the present study were due to non-compliant wording of HCs or use of non-authorised HCs. This study demonstrates changes in the HC landscape and the need for continued monitoring of the prevalence and compliance of HCs as consumer trends alter.

Early Postoperative Benefits in Receptive and Expressive Language Development After Cochlear Implantation Under 9 Months of Age in Comparison to Implantation at Later Ages.

The recent expansion of eligibility for cochlear implantation (CI) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include infants as young as 9 months has reignited debates concerning the clinically appropriate cut-off age for pediatric CI. Our study compared the early postoperative trajectories of receptive and expressive language development in children who received CI before 9 months of age with those who received it between 9 and 12 months. This study involved a unique pediatric cohort with documented etiology, where the timing of CI was based on objective criteria and efforts were made to minimize the influence of parental socioeconomic status. A retrospective review of 98 pediatric implantees recruited at a tertiary referral center was conducted. The timing of CI was based on auditory and language criteria focused on the extent of delay corresponding to the bottom 1st percentile of language development among age-matched controls, with patients categorized into very early (CI at <9 months), early (CI at 9-12 months) and delayed (CI at 12-18 months) CI groups. Postoperative receptive/expressive language development was assessed using the Sequenced Language Scale for Infants receptive and expressive standardized scores and percentiles. Only the very early CI group showed significant improvements in receptive language starting at 3 months post-CI, aligning with normal-hearing peers by 9 months and maintaining this level until age 2 years. During this period (<2 years), all improvements were more pronounced in receptive language than in expressive language. CI before 9 months of age significantly improved receptive language development compared to later CI, with improvements sustained at least up to the age of 2. This study supports the consideration of earlier CI, beyond pediatric Food and Drug Administration labeling criteria (>9 months), in children with profound deafness who have a clear deafness etiology and language development delays (<1st percentile).

Monitoring health and nutrition claims on food labels in Brazil.

The monitoring of nutrition and health claims on food and beverage labels has been proposed by international and national organizations because it can collaborate with the development of public policies to regulate food labeling and marketing strategies. One way of carrying out this monitoring is by using data collected by private companies. To compare information on nutrition and health claims available in a commercial database of a private company that monitors the launch of new foods and beverages in Brazilian food retailers with information on those same claims manually coded by trained research assistants. This is a cross-sectional observational study using a data sample of newly launched food and beverages available at a commercial database from 2018 to 2021. We compared the information on health and nutrition claims available on the commercial dataset with reliable information on the same nutrition and health claims manually coded by trained research assistants using a tested taxonomy to classify such claims. We used Gwet's Kappa AC1 with 95% CI and percentage agreement to compare both data sources and calculated sensitivity and specificity of the compared data. A total of 6,722 foods and beverages were analyzed. Mintel-GNPD presented 36.28% (n = 2,439) of nutrition claims, while in the trained researchers' coding, it was 33.73% (n = 2,267). We found a prevalence of 5.4% (n = 362) for health claims in Mintel-GNPD and 10.8% (n = 723) in the researchers' coding. All subcategories of nutrition and health claims showed high agreement (Kappa >0.81). Health claims presented kappa = 0.89 with 33.7% sensitivity and 98.0% specificity while nutrition claims showed kappa = 0.86 with 92.9% sensitivity and 92.5% specificity. Nutrition and health claims showed high agreement, with great results in nutrition claims, indicating that Mintel-GPND is suitable for monitoring such claims on food and beverage packaging in Brazil. Additionally, our findings show a high prevalence of nutrition and health claims on food packages launched in the Brazilian food retail, highlighting the need to monitor these to develop public policies to regulate food marketing on packaging in Brazil.

From sweet tooth to healthy choices: How Chilean food policies are changing household diets

AbstractUsing data from a nationally representative household survey, this study investigates whether changes in food‐at‐home (FAH) purchases occurred following the introduction, modification, and implementation of the Chilean food labeling and marketing regulations. This study further examines whether changes in sugar, sodium, saturated fat, or calorie intake occurred. The results provide evidence of some improvements in dietary intake. In particular, sugar intake decreased primarily due to food modifications—that emerged as a supply response to regulations. This improvement in dietary intake was only found among those households who mainly buy FAH or shop mostly at grocery stores. Considering that across all households, nearly 10% of total FAH calories come from products with added sugars, the results suggest that there are missing opportunities that policy could leverage to improve food choices, especially among those less likely to be influenced by existing regulations—those who mainly spend on food away from home or those who primarily shop at alternative FAH outlets. [EconLit Citations: D22, L51, Q13].

The The Influence of Knowledge and Risk Perception on Food Label Reading Behavior among Adolescents in Rural and Urban Areas of Bogor

Reading food labels is one way consumers learn about the products they buy. This study determined the influence of knowledge and risk perception on food label reading behavior among adolescents in rural and urban Bogor. This study had a cross-sectional design. Purposive sampling was used to gather 132 participants, including 66 adolescents in rural areas and 66 adolescents in urban areas. The results showed that more than half of the participants had moderate knowledge of food labeling. The knowledge of the rural and urban samples was the same. Operational risk was the most perceived risk for both the rural and urban samples. There were no significant differences in all dimensions of risk perception between rural and urban youths. The average food label reading behavior score in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas. Psychological risk perception influences food label-reading behavior in rural areas. Overall, functional risk perception influenced food label-reading behavior. Based on these results, it is necessary to increase education on the importance of food labels to build good risk perception so that food label reading behavior increases.

National prevalence and trends in food labeling awareness, comprehension, usage, and COVID-19 pandemic-related factors in South Korea, 2014–2022

Although food labeling on food packages is crucial for promoting a healthy diet, limited research has been conducted on how the COVID-19 pandemic (hereinafter “the pandemic”) has affected food labeling awareness. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the changes in trends in food labeling awareness, comprehension, and usage in South Korea during the pandemic. We utilized a nationwide, large-scale, and long-term dataset provided by the Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS) from 2014 to 2022 (total = 1,756,847 participants). This allowed the researchers to assess the long-term trends in the prevalence of food labeling awareness, comprehension, and usage. Furthermore, we investigated the factors associated with awareness specifically related to the pandemic. In total, 1,756,847 adults (54.19% women) participated in this study. The upward slope in overall food labeling awareness became less pronounced and even exhibited a downward slope during the pandemic (βdiff − 1.759; 95% CI − 1.874 to − 1.644). The upward slope in food labeling comprehension and usage became more pronounced during the pandemic (comprehension: βdiff 0.535; 95% CI 0.436–0.634; usage: βdiff 0.693; 95% CI 0.601–0.785). The vulnerability factors associated with lower food labeling awareness during the pandemic included older age, male, obesity, residing in rural areas, lower household income, lower educational level, smoking, and increased alcohol consumption. This study analyzed the 9-year trend in the prevalence of food labeling awareness, comprehension, and usage based on nationally representative data of adults in South Korea from 2014 to 2022. Our findings suggest that personalized nutrition strategies are needed to recognize vulnerable groups with risk factors and improve food labeling awareness among Korean adults during the pandemic.

Analisis Pengaruh Sikap terhadap Kesehatan dan Label Kepada Kepatuhan Membaca Label Produk Pangan pada Mahasiswa Gizi Provinsi Kepulauan Riau

Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan (BPOM) reported that 20.62% of identified food product labels did not meet the provisions. This results in low compliance with reading information labels and nutritional composition among the public. Low compliance with reading information and nutritional labels can occur due to disinterest in information resulting in poor understanding of food product labels. This study aims to analyze the relationship between attitudes towards health and food product labels with compliance with reading food product labels. This research involved 47 students of the undergraduate nutrition study program. Data on attitudes towards health and nutritional labels were obtained using a respondent agreement level form. Data on label reading compliance was obtained from questionnaire. The chi square test is used to analyze the relationship between variables. The research results showed that the majority of respondents (63.8%) had a positive attitude regarding the level of approval of health and food product labels. There is no significant relationship between attitudes towards health and food product labels and compliance with reading nutritional value information labels (p=0.330). Nutrition students are expected to increase their positive attitude towards reading nutritional value information labels through education or practice reading food labels.

What consumers want in a sustainability food label: Results from online co-creation workshops in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark

What consumers want in a sustainability food label: Results from online co-creation workshops in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark

Gluten-free diet for pediatric patients with coeliac disease: A position paper from the ESPGHAN gastroenterology committee, special interest group in coeliac disease.

Coeliac disease is a chronic, immune-mediated disorder for which the only treatment consists of lifelong strict adherence to gluten-free diet (GFD). However, there is a lack of evidence-based guidelines on the GFDdietary management of coeliac disease. This position paper, led by the Special Interest Group in coeliac disease of the European Society of Pediatric, Gastroenterology Hepatology, and Nutrition, supported by the Nutrition Committee and the Allied Health Professionals Committee, aims to present evidence-based recommendations on the GFD as well as how to support dietary adherence. A wide literature search was performed using the MeSH Terms: "diet, gluten free,""gluten-free diet,""diets, gluten-free,""gluten free diet," and "coeliac disease" in Pubmed until November 8th, 2022. The manuscript provides an overview of the definition of the GFD, regulations as basis to define the term "gluten-free,"which foods are naturally gluten-free and gluten-containing. Moreover, it provides recommendations and educational tips and infographics on suitable food substitutes, the importance of reading food labels, risk of gluten cross-contact at home and in public settings, nutritional considerations as well as factors associated to dietary adherence based on available evidence, or otherwise clinical expertise. This position paper provides guidance and recommendations to support children with coeliac disease to safely adhere to a GFD.

Implementation and Assistance of Halal Certificates in the Acceleration and Development of Halal Tourism Products in Indonesia and Bahrain

Halal standard products should be an integral and inseparable part of global trade and economic practices which require international standards and standard quality to gain the trust of consumers across countries. The state is present to protect its citizens in fulfilling their citizens' fundamental rights. In line with this, business actors (producers) should also provide protection to consumers. For this purpose, a more active role is required for the state in regulating the economic system, which is described in the strategy carried out by the state in carrying out business instruments, including through regulations. Halal certification-labeling not only aims to provide inner peace to Muslims but also production peace for business actors. Especially in the context of economic globalization and global markets, halal food certification and labeling is increasingly necessary. The problem formulation in this research is as follows: 1. How to implement and assist Halal certification in accelerating Halal Tourism products in Indonesia and Bahrain.2. How to implement and assist Halal Certificates in the Development of Halal Tourism Products for Indonesia and Bahrain. he objectives of this research are as follows: 1. To measure the extent of the implementation and assistance of Halal certification in accelerating Halal Tourism products in Indonesia and Bahrain. 2. To find out how to implement and support Halal Certificates in the development of Halal Tourism Products for Indonesia and Bahrain. The method stages in this research are as follows: 1. Conduct socialization about Halal Certification to MSMEs, through FGD, 2. Directing the procedures for implementing and assisting Halal Certificates in accelerating Halal Tourism products, through Technical Guidance, Workshops, FGDs and Umkm Collaboration.

Can a Local Food Label Nudge Consumer Behavior? Implications of an Eye-tracking Study of Honey Products

AbstractThis study presents an eye-tracking experiment to investigate consumer responses toward local Texas honey. Honey adulteration news was used as a treatment along with product attributes, such as a certified Texas honey seal, price, organic, and product reviews. The eye-tracking technology was applied to examine the effect of attribute-non-attendance to measure the treatment effects more robustly. The results show that honey adulteration information increases consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for some quality-related attributes. The results also show that negative product reviews have a much larger reduction in the magnitude of WTP than the increase produced by positive product reviews.

P865 Screening for low-processed breads - compositional analysis of food additives used in commercially available breads

Abstract Background Ultra-processed food (UPF) intake has been associated with the development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), particularly Crohn’s disease (CD). Of UPF subgroups, commercially available breads showed greater risk, possibly due to the increasing presence of food additives (FA) like emulsifiers. As bread is a staple food worldwide, often consumed daily, we aimed to screen the ingredients and FA used in bread industry and to assess the availability of low processed breads. Methods We consecutively screened breads available at supermarket and health food store chains popular and widely distributed in Israel. Breads, pita breads and buns (excluding products without food labels), were analyzed by dietitians and categorized into one of three categories according to their processing level and FA types. Low processed category included ingredients used in traditional, home-made breads; medium processed category included FA like malt and added fibers; high processed category included FA like emulsifiers and preservatives, previously associated with impact on microbiota composition or implications on IBD. Results A total of 233 breads were screened, 160 are available at the supermarket, 56 at the health food store, and 17 in both. We categorized 195 (84%) as highly processed, 9 (4%) as medium processed and 29 (12%) as low processed. We identified 36 different types of FA and ingredients used. Most breads contained emulsifiers- 178 (76%) and –preservatives-189 (81%). The most used emulsifier was sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL, E-481), present in 86 breads (37%), followed by mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E-471), DATEM (E-472e) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC, E-466), found in 22%, 16% and 2% of breads, respectively. Interestingly, the emulsifier E-481, previously shown to induce microbial alterations, was found in 86 breads (52%) sold in the supermarket compared to none of the breads available in the health food store. Out of the 5 common preservatives, most of the breads contained calcium propionate (E-282) found in 112 (48%) and potassium sorbate (E-202) found in 42 (18%). Additives like enzymes were present in 159 (68%), gluten was added to 148 (64%) and 88 (38%) breads had added fibers. A greater portion of the breads contained yeast (85%) compared to sourdough (47%), with 30 (13%) containing only sourdough. Conclusion Most of the commercially available breads in Israel are highly processed. The use of emulsifiers, preservatives, added gluten and fibers is very common, yet low processed breads are available. These may be more recommended to patients with IBD. Further understanding of the role of FA in IBD etiology may potentially guide dietary recommendations for specific food choices.

P835 Acceptability, feasibility, and adherence of an emulsifier-free diet in healthy volunteers

Abstract Background Emulsifiers are associated with intestinal inflammation and therefore excluded in new dietary strategies in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). We aimed to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and adherence of an emulsifier-free diet (EFD) in healthy volunteers as part of the FOod Additives on the Mucosal barrier (FOAM) study. Methods We recruited 60 healthy volunteers to a 7-week interventional trial. After 1 baseline week of their habitual diet, participants followed an EFD for 6 weeks. Participants were instructed on how to follow an EFD yet were not advised on ultra-processed food (UPF) reduction. Every 2 weeks after starting the EFD (week 2, 4, and 6), subjects were asked about their experience on a 12-item questionnaire, including 5-point Likert scales, open-ended and multiple answer-type questions. Food logs were kept in the smartphone application 'Fatsecret', including photographs to capture brand names. Manual calculation of all days with plausible energy intakes (800-4200 kcals per day for men and 600-3500 kcals for women) for at least 79.5% of the time was performed to exclude incomplete reporting. Emulsifier intake was measured as number of servings of emulsifier-containing foods. Adherence rate was calculated as a percentage of mistake-free days. Results Of the 60 healthy volunteers, 2 were excluded due to NSAID use. Median (IQR) age was 25.5 years (23.0-33.0), median BMI was 22.7 kg/m2 (21.2-25.6) and 19.0% were male. Median percentage of plausible food logs was 100% (98.0-100%), and 1 subject was excluded due to inadequate dietary reporting. During the EFD, emulsifier intake significantly decreased (baseline vs week 1; p=2.3x10-9, vs week 6; p=5.3x10-9, Figure 1A), as well as UPF consumption according to the NOVA classification (baseline vs week 1; p=5.6x10-7, vs week 6; p=1.6x10-7, Friedman test with post-hoc paired Wilcoxon, Figure 1B). The adherence rate to the EFD was very high (median 88.1%, IQR 76.2-95.2%). Median number of mistakes during the EFD was 6 (2-14), for a median number of 3 selected food items (1-5). Most mistakes were made in the categories of dairy-like products, meat products, and bakery goods. The top 3 reported challenges included restricted food choices, checking food labels, and longer shopping times (Table 1). At week 6, For 70.7% the EFD was tasty to very tasty and for 72.4% it was acceptable to very acceptable. Hot meals and snacks were the most challenging meal types. Conclusion In this 7-week interventional trial in 60 healthy volunteers, adhering to an EFD was feasible and acceptable. While following the EFD, an inadvertent and stable decrease in UPF intake was noted. These finding represent important considerations when designing future dietary trials in IBD.

Public awareness, attitude, and practice regarding food labeling, Alexandria, Egypt

BackgroundFood labeling is an important public health tool allowing consumers to make informed and healthy choices. Considering how important it is for consumers to be aware of food labels while choosing healthy foods, this study aims at assessing public awareness, attitude, and practice regarding food labeling in Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.MethodsA cross sectional study using a predesigned interview questionnaire to collect data from 719 adult consumers from both sexes (28.2% males: 71.8% females), recruited from different branches of one of the largest supermarkets in Alexandria.ResultsMore than half of the participants (55.6%) reported reading food labels. The most frequently read information was production/ expiry date (76.8%), product name (68.3%), and ingredients (38.0%) while the least frequently read was nutritional facts (29.9%). More than half of the study sample (50.9%) had low awareness about the content of food labels, nevertheless, having higher scores on awareness about food labels predicted reading practice. Nearly three-quarters of the respondents had average to good food label reading practice. Most respondents (81.8%) had a favorable attitude about food labeling in its present form, however, higher attitude scores did not seem to influence their use of food labels. Being older (β = 0.045, CI; 0.014–0.076, p = 0.005), being female (β = 1.162, CI; 0.541–1.784, p = 0.000), having secondary education or equivalent (β = 1.042,CI; 0.050–2.034, p = 0.040), having university education or beyond (β = 3.090, CI; 2.132–4.048, p = 0.000), and having higher scores on awareness about food labels (β = 1.407, CI; 1.324–1.490, p = 0.000) were significant predictors of reading food labels.ConclusionsMost of the studied consumers had a positive attitude towards food labeling, however, more than half of them had low awareness of food labeling content. Nutritional facts were the least frequently read by consumers. Reading food labels was significantly predicted by having higher education, being older, being a female, and having better awareness.

Comparing Pharmacotherapies for ADHD in Adults: Evidence From Outcome-Focused Analysis of Food and Drug Administration Drug Label Registration Trials

Objective: We appraised whether FDA registration trials for ADHD pharmacotherapy in adults provides comparable information to inform treatment expectations. Method: Comparison of ADHD outcome measure patterns in ADHD pharmacotherapy FDA drug label source studies. Results: Among stimulants, from fixed-dose titration data, amphetamine agents had numerically higher placebo-corrected symptom improvement and symptom effect sizes than methylphenidate agents. Symptom effect sizes were lower in the flexible dosing registration studies of atomoxetine and viloxazine. Varying responder definitions were analyzable, based on ≥30% symptom improvement and/or CGI-I improvement of “much” or “very much improved.” Number of exposures needed to create these responses were lower for stimulants than for viloxazine. Conclusion: Heterogeneity in the design and analysis of FDA drug label source trials restricts implications for clinical practice. Research conducted using replicated designs, direct comparison of available treatments, and outcome analyses that generalize to clinical care could better inform clinical decision making.