Nutrition Facts Panel Research Articles

Caregivers' provision of sweetened fruit-flavoured drinks to young children: importance of perceived product attributes and differences by socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics.

Drinks containing added sugar and/or non-nutritive sweeteners are not recommended for children under 6 years. Yet, most young children consume these products. The current study examined factors associated with caregivers' provision of sweetened drinks to their young child. Caregivers reported frequency of providing sweetened fruit-flavoured drinks (fruit drinks and flavoured water) and unsweetened juices (100 % juice and juice/water blends) to their 1- to 5-year-old child in the past month and perceived importance of product attributes (healthfulness, product claims and other characteristics), other drinks provided, reading the nutrition facts panel and socio-demographic characteristics. A partial proportional odds model measured the relationship between these factors and frequency of providing sweetened fruit-flavoured drinks. Online cross-sectional survey. U.S. caregivers (n 1763) with a young child (ages 1-5). The majority (74 %) of caregivers provided sweetened fruit-flavoured drinks to their child in the past month; 26 % provided them daily. Provision frequency was positively associated with some drink attributes, including perceived healthfulness, vitamin C claims and box/pouch packaging; child requests and serving other sweetened drinks and juice/water blends. Provision frequency was negatively associated with perceived importance of 'no/less sugar' and 'all natural' claims. Reading nutrition facts panels, serving water to their child and child's age were not significant. Misunderstanding of product healthfulness and other marketing attributes contribute to frequent provision of sweetened drinks to young children. Public health efforts to address common misperceptions, including counter marketing, may raise awareness among caregivers about the harms of providing sweetened drinks to young children.

The compliance of nutrition claims on pita bread in Lebanon and risk on public health: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundMislabeling is a type of fraud, that can lead to major health concerns, especially when used on staple foods like bread. This study aimed to assess the compliance of nutrition claims on pre-packaged Pita bread in Mount Lebanon with national (LIBNOR; NL 661:2017) and international (CODEX; CAC/GL -2–1985) standards.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted and Lebanese bread samples (n = 75) were collected from all the registered bakeries in Mount Lebanon directorate (n = 25). The claim compliance assessment was based on values of the nutrition facts panel and standard nutrient analyses, following official methods.ResultsOf all assessed breads, 84% carried nutrition claims, and 25.3% carried health claims. Among nutrition claims, 70.7% had non-addition claims, 56.0% had nutrient content claims, and 1.3% had comparative claims. The results showed a high prevalence of nutrition claims with majority non-compliant. Based on the nutrition facts panel, only 32.4% of the sugar related claims, 45.5% of the fiber claims, and 54.4% of salt claims were eligible to make those statements. Based on the chemical nutrient analyses, only 47.0% of sugar claims, 16.1% of fiber claims, and 37.5% of salt claims were compliant. All the claims related to protein (n = 7) were compliant.ConclusionsThese results suggest the urgent need to develop clear guidelines for the effective implementation of the current standard; in order to prevent mislead consumers from making poor decisions at the point-of-sale, which might affect their overall health and efforts towards proper nutrition.

Market potential of new plant‐based protein alternatives: Insights from four US consumer experiments

AbstractThis article reports results from four studies determining the US market potential for plant‐based meat alternatives in different contexts and settings. The first study shows that a pair‐wise choice between beef and a plant‐based alternative was not significantly affected by the presence of nutrition facts panels or ingredient lists. A second study, framed as a food service meal choice, reveals that the introduction of a plant‐based burger has roughly the same effect on beef sales as does the presence of a chicken wrap. The final two studies estimate own‐ and cross‐price elasticities of retail demand. We find small cross‐price elasticities between plant‐based patties and ground beef. Each of the aforementioned results varies for regular meat consumers as compared to consumers who self‐identify with an alternative diet such as flexitarian, vegetarian, or vegan. Combined, this study increases understanding of the impact presented by plant‐based offerings in the US protein market.

Changes in nonnutritive sweetener intake in a cohort of preschoolers after the implementation of Chile's Law of Food Labelling and Advertising.

The first phase of Chile's Law of Food Labelling and Advertising showed important declines in the sugar content of packaged foods, but it is unknown whether the law led to an increase in nonnutritive sweetener (NNS) intake, particularly among preschool children. Estimate the changes in preschoolers' NNS intake after the first phase of the Chilean law. We used 24-h dietary recalls collected in 2016 (pre-law) and 2017 (post-law) from a cohort of preschoolers (n=875). The primary caretaker was the respondent of the recalls. Information on NNS was obtained from nutrition facts panels collected annually and linked to dietary data. We used logistic regression to estimate the changes in the proportion of preschoolers who consume NNS and two-part models to estimate the changes in mean intake. We determined the percentage of children that surpassed the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of each NNS using the National Cancer Institute method. The proportion of consumers of at least one NNS increased from 77.9% to 92.0% (p-value < 0.01). The mean intake increased for sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame-K and steviol glycosides (+20.3, +15.1, +6.1 and +3.3mg/day, respectively). In addition, NNS dietary sources changed for sucralose and steviol glycosides, becoming industrialized juices and dairy beverages more relevant while tabletop NNS became less relevant. None of the children surpassed the ADI. NNS intake increased in preschoolers after the first phase of a national policy that promoted sugar reformulation.

Opportunities to address the failure of online food retailers to ensure access to required food labelling information in the USA.

The rapid growth in web-based grocery food purchasing has outpaced federal regulatory attention to the online provision of nutrition and allergen information historically required on food product labels. We sought to characterise the extent and variability that online retailers disclose required and regulated information and identify the legal authorities for the federal government to require online food retailers to disclose such information. We performed a limited scan of ten products across nine national online retailers and conducted legal research using LexisNexis to analyse federal regulatory agencies' authorities. USA. N/A. The scan of products revealed that required information (Nutrition Facts Panels, ingredient lists, common food allergens and per cent juice for fruit drinks) was present, conspicuous and legible for an average of only 36·5 % of the products surveyed, ranging from 11·4 % for potential allergens to 54·2 % for ingredients lists. More commonly, voluntary nutrition-related claims were prominently and conspicuously displayed (63·5 % across retailers and products). Our legal examination found that the Food and Drug Administration, Federal Trade Commission and United States Department of Agriculture have existing regulatory authority over labelling, online sales and advertising, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme retailers that can be utilised to address deficiencies in the provision of required information in the online food retail environment. Information regularly provided to consumers in conventional settings is not being uniformly provided online. Congress or the federal agencies can require online food retailers disclose required nutrition and allergen information to support health, nutrition, equity and informed consumer decision-making.

Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Nutrition Facts Panel Use among Young Adults in the National Capital Region, Philippines.

This study identified the prevalence of Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) use. It determined the factors associated with NFP use among young adults aged 19-30 years old in the National Capital Region (NCR). This analytical cross-sectional study collected data using a developed survey questionnaire. It was pretested to 32 respondents and administered online among young adults aged 19 to 30 years old residing in NCR at the time of the study, with a target sample size of 384. Convenience sampling was used to gather study participants. Nominal, ordinal, and interval data were summarized as frequencies and proportions. Mean and standard deviation were computed for ratio and interval data. Multiple logistic regression was used to test for the association to NFP use, reported as odds ratios. Study findings showed that the prevalence of NFP use among the respondents was 50.49% (95% CI: 44.64 - 54.81%). The factors found to be associated to NFP use were: 1) being a primary household food shopper (p-value= 0.029; OR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.05-2.63), 2) having a special diet (p-value= 0.001; OR: 3.40; 95% CI: 1.62-7.14), 3) using nutritional supplements (p-value= 0.041; OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.02-2.25), 4) preparing food at home (p-value= 0.019; OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.08-2.49), and 5) engaging in physical activity (p-value< 0.001; OR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.37-3.06) regularly. The findings show the need for improved nutrition education and promotion, especially in the NFP. The study recommended improvement in the study methodology and nutrition education programs. It suggested several research areas and topics to be explored.

Effect of front-of-package labels on consumer product evaluation and preferences

Front-of-Package (FOP) labels highlight important nutrients and help consumers make informed decisions about food purchases. In this study, we investigated consumer comprehension, opinion, and preference associated with two different formats of FOP labels and compared consumer shopping behavior and general trends related to nutrition labeling. Consumer eye-tracking was used for measuring perceived understanding of nutritional information objectively. Results revealed that a color-coded FOP label would garner more attention than a black and white FOP label. Subjects found color-coded FOP labels more straightforward than black and white labels. Participants used the information provided on the FOP for shopping goals. Still, FOPs did not affect objective consumer attention to labels, and labeling schemes did not significantly affect participants' decisions. Participating subjects did use FOP labels instead of the nutrition facts panels. Still, FOP groups scored lower on a nutrition literacy quiz, indicating that their perceived and actual understanding of nutritional information differed. Our findings suggest that subjects pay attention to FOP labels but do not make decisions.

Food labeling effects in marketing

<p id="p00005">As a tool to convey food-related information to consumers, food labels can effectively solve the problem of information asymmetry in food consumption. With the popularization of food labels in practice, more and more scholars have begun to pay attention to the impact of different food labels on consumer behavior. However, most of the existing studies focus on a single food label type and its effects, lacking of comparison and discussion on the effects of different food labels and their inherent mechanisms and boundary conditions. Based on this, this paper reviews the research on food labels in the field of marketing, which focuses on how different types of food labels affect individuals' cognition, emotion and behavior. Meanwhile, this paper introduces the regulatory orientation theory to explain the different effects of different food labels, and on this basis, a more integrated food label effect framework is constructed in this paper. <p id="p00005">Through combing the existing literature, the existing research on food labeling has roughly underwent three stages. The first stage began in the early 1980s. The demand for the nutritional value of food led to the attention and research on the nutrition label. The second stage started around 2000. Scholars mainly focus on labels that can convey information about food safety and quality. In the third stage, in the last decade, eco-environmental labels attracted more attention from consumers and scholars. Based on the different levels of information coverage, food labels can be divided into two types: product-level labels and ingredient-level labels. The product-level label refers to the label which is used to explain the overall characteristics and quality information of the food (including date label, health warning label, organic label, natural label, brand information, genetically modified organism label, eco label, and fair trade label). However, the ingredient-level label refers to the label that is used to display the specific nutritional information of the food (including nutrition facts panel, GDA label, low-fat label, health claim, traffic light label, health star rating, calorie menu label, shelf label). <p id="p00005">Further analysis and comparison showed that different types of food labels differ in influencing results, mechanism of action, and boundaries. Specifically, the product-level labels can arouse consumers' perceptions of safety, risk, and morality, and can effectively increase consumers' trust in products. At the same time, after purchasing products with such labels, consumers will show more food waste and repeated purchases. Ingredient-level labels, on the other hand, mainly affects consumers' perceptions of product health, as well as subsequent food choices and food intake. The theory of regulatory orientation helps to explain the different effects of the two types of food labels. The product-level labels more often initiate consumer preventive orientation, while the ingredient-level labels activate consumer promotion orientation. In addition, the two types of food labeling effects are driven by the halo effect, information processing, conceptual metaphor, social identity, attribute inference and other mechanisms. Besides, these effects are moderated by social demographic factors, individual differences, and product characteristics. <p id="p00005">On the one hand, combing and commenting on the effects of different food labels can provide reference for food manufacturers to carry out food marketing practices. On the other hand, through the construction of food label research framework in the field of marketing, it can point out the context and direction for marketing scholars to carry out empirical research on food label. Based on the overall framework of food labeling effects constructed in this paper, we propose that further research on the topic of food label can be carried out from following aspects in the future: (1) Expanding the behavioral results of ingredient-level labels; (2) Expanding the behavioral results of product-level labels; (3) Exploring the impact of different food label presentation forms on consumers; (4) Expanding the outer packaging labels and related research; and (5) Exploring the reversal mechanism of the negative effects of food labels.

Influence of the San Francisco, CA, Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Health Warning on Consumer Reactions: Implications for Equity from a Randomized Experiment

BackgroundIn 2020, San Francisco, CA, amended an ordinance requiring warning labels on advertisements for sugary drinks to update the warning message. No studies have evaluated consumer responses to the revised message. ObjectivesTo evaluate responses to the 2020 San Francisco sugary drink warning label and to assess whether these responses differ by demographic characteristics. DesignRandomized experiment. Participants and settingDuring 2020, a convenience sample of US parents of children aged 6 months to 5 years (N = 2,160 included in primary analyses) was recruited via an online panel to complete a survey. Oversampling was used to achieve a diverse sample (49% Hispanic/Latino[a], 34% non-Hispanic Black, and 9% non-Hispanic White). MethodsParticipants were randomly assigned to view a control label (“Always read the Nutrition Facts Panel”) or the 2020 San Francisco sugary drink warning label (“SAN FRANCISCO GOVERNMENT WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) can cause weight gain, which increases the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.”). Messages were shown in white text on black rectangular labels. Main outcome measuresParticipants rated the labels on thinking about health harms of sugary drink consumption (primary outcome) and perceived discouragement from wanting to consume sugary drinks. The survey was available in English and Spanish. Statistical analyses performedOrdinary least squares regression. ResultsThe San Francisco warning label elicited more thinking about health harms (Cohen’s d = 0.24; P < 0.001) than the control label. The San Francisco warning label also led to more discouragement from wanting to consume sugary drinks than the control label (d = 0.31; P < 0.001). The warning label’s influence on thinking about harms did not differ by any participant characteristics, including age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, or language of survey administration (all P values for interactions > 0.12). ConclusionsSan Francisco’s 2020 sugary drink warning label may be a promising policy for informing consumers and encouraging healthier beverage choices across groups with diverse demographic characteristics.

Nutri-Score and Nutrition Facts Panel through the Eyes of the Consumer: Correct Healthfulness Estimations Depend on Transparent Labels, Fixation Duration, and Product Equivocality

Research on front-of-pack labels (FOPLs) demonstrated that Nutri-Score is one of the most promising FOPLs regarding healthfulness estimation accuracy. Nevertheless, as consumers are exposed to both the Nutri-Score and the mandatory Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) in the supermarket, it is key to understand if and how both labels interact. This study investigates the contribution of Nutri-Score and NFP regarding healthfulness estimation accuracy, whether this impact differs depending on the product, and what role visual attention plays. We set up an eye-tracking experiment in a controlled setting in which 398 participants rated the healthfulness of 20 products. The results confirmed the positive impact of the Nutri-Score on healthfulness estimation accuracy, though the impact was larger for equivocal (i.e., difficult to judge) products. Interestingly, NFP either had no effect (compared to a package without Nutri-Score or NFP) or a negative effect (compared to a package with Nutri-Score alone) on healthfulness estimation accuracy. Eye-tracking data corroborated that ‘cognitive overload’ issues could explain why consumers exposed to Nutri-Score alone outperformed those exposed to both Nutri-Score and NFP. This study offers food for thought for policymakers and the industry seeking to maximize the potential of the Nutri-Score.

The consumer perspective of labeling on foodstuffs—review

Abstract Background The information present on food labels is essential to provide consumers with proper guidance on the quality of food products, allowing the choice of a nutritionally balanced diet. Easy-to-read systems can help hungry consumers make healthier choices at the time of purchase. The goal of this research is verifying the efficacy of different food labels on foodstuffs by the consumer choices. Methods Scientific articles were analysed from 2016 to 2020, based on Pubmed and Google Scholar. Keywords such as food label, foodstuffs, food industry and consumer were used. Results From scientific research, six articles were analysed. Thus, it is estimated the analysis of 2069 participants were recruited through a large web panel provider. Age, gender, and socioeconomic status quotas were applied to recruit a diverse sample of consumers. The participants choose the healthfulness (less healthy, moderately healthy, healthier) of the foodstuffs. The Multiple Traffic Light led to significant differences in choices between healthier and less healthy products, but not moderately healthy products. No significant differences in choices were observed by product healthfulness when the Daily Intake Guide was present. The Nutrition Facts Panel was viewed for only 7% of all packages. Conclusions On some food labels it is possible to find wrong information due to the use of ambiguous and confusing words that are easily disseminated. Effective strategies are needed to promote both food choices made by consumers and food industry formulations. Nutrition is an essential key to maintaining health, so it should be done as an incentive to improve health.

Changes in food purchases after the Chilean policies on food labelling, marketing, and sales in schools: a before and after study

In 2016, Chile implemented a unique law mandating front-of-package warning labels, restricting marketing, and banning school sales for products high in calories, sodium, sugar, or saturated fat. We aimed to examine changes in the calorie, sugar, sodium, and saturated fat content of food and beverage purchases after the first phase of implementation of this law. This before and after study used longitudinal data on food and beverage purchases from 2381 Chilean households from Jan 1, 2015, to Dec 31, 2017. Nutrition facts panel data from food and beverage packages were linked to household purchases at the product level using barcode, brand name, and product description. Nutritionists reviewed each product for nutritional accuracy and categorised it as high-in if it contained added sugar, sodium, or saturated fat and exceeded phase 1 nutrient or calorie thresholds, and thus was subject to the labelling, marketing, and school regulations. Using fixed-effects models, we examined the mean nutrient content (overall calories, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium) of purchases in the post-policy period compared to a counterfactual scenario based on pre-policy trends. Compared with the counterfactual scenario, overall calories purchased declined by 16·4 kcal/capita/day (95% CI -27·3 to -5·6; p=0·0031) or 3·5%. Overall sugar declined by 11·5 kcal/capita/day (-14·6 to -8·4; p<0·0001) or 10·2%, and saturated fat declined by 2·2 kcal/capita/day (-3·8 to -0·5; p=0·0097) or 3·9%. The sodium content of overall purchases declined by 27·7 mg/capita/day (-46·3 to -9·1; p=0·0035) or 4·7%. Declines from high-in purchases drove these results with some offset by increases in not-high-in purchases. Among high-in purchases, relative to the counterfactual scenario, there were notable declines of 23·8% in calories purchased (-49·4 kcal/capita/day, 95% CI -55·1 to -43·7; p<0·0001), 36·7% in sodium purchased (-96·6 mg/capita/day,-105·3 to -87·8; p<0·0001), and 26·7% in sugar purchased (-20·7 kcal/capita/day, -23·4 to -18·1; p<0·0001). The Chilean phase 1 law of food labelling and advertising policies were associated with reduced high-in purchases, leading to declines in purchased nutrients of concern. Greater changes might reasonably be anticipated after the implementation of phases 2 and 3. Bloomberg Philanthropies, International Development Research Center, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.

A metabolomics comparison of plant-based meat and grass-fed meat indicates large nutritional differences despite comparable Nutrition Facts panels

A new generation of plant-based meat alternatives—formulated to mimic the taste and nutritional composition of red meat—have attracted considerable consumer interest, research attention, and media coverage. This has raised questions of whether plant-based meat alternatives represent proper nutritional replacements to animal meat. The goal of our study was to use untargeted metabolomics to provide an in-depth comparison of the metabolite profiles a popular plant-based meat alternative (n = 18) and grass-fed ground beef (n = 18) matched for serving size (113 g) and fat content (14 g). Despite apparent similarities based on Nutrition Facts panels, our metabolomics analysis found that metabolite abundances between the plant-based meat alternative and grass-fed ground beef differed by 90% (171 out of 190 profiled metabolites; false discovery rate adjusted p < 0.05). Several metabolites were found either exclusively (22 metabolites) or in greater quantities in beef (51 metabolites) (all, p < 0.05). Nutrients such as docosahexaenoic acid (ω-3), niacinamide (vitamin B3), glucosamine, hydroxyproline and the anti-oxidants allantoin, anserine, cysteamine, spermine, and squalene were amongst those only found in beef. Several other metabolites were found exclusively (31 metabolites) or in greater quantities (67 metabolites) in the plant-based meat alternative (all, p < 0.05). Ascorbate (vitamin C), phytosterols, and several phenolic anti-oxidants such as loganin, sulfurol, syringic acid, tyrosol, and vanillic acid were amongst those only found in the plant-based meat alternative. Large differences in metabolites within various nutrient classes (e.g., amino acids, dipeptides, vitamins, phenols, tocopherols, and fatty acids) with physiological, anti-inflammatory, and/or immunomodulatory roles indicate that these products should not be viewed as truly nutritionally interchangeable, but could be viewed as complementary in terms of provided nutrients. The new information we provide is important for making informed decisions by consumers and health professionals. It cannot be determined from our data if either source is healthier to consume.

P35 The Effect of a Traffic Light Labeling Intervention on Amount of Food Served in a College Dining Hall

BackgroundCollege students may not use the nutrition facts label suggesting changes to the label, such as the Traffic Light Label, are needed to increase user friendliness.ObjectiveTo examine the effect of traffic light labels on the amount of food served in a university dining hall in comparison to the control nutrition facts panels.Study Design, Setting, ParticipantsThis study utilized a repeated measures observational design with a control and an intervention period each lasting 28 days at a Midwestern midsize, private university. Following the control period (nutrition facts panels), each food was labeled with a single color (red, yellow, or green) based upon its nutritional quality.Measurable Outcome/AnalysisNumber of servings per day by color (dependent variable) was combined for both lunch and dinner during the control and intervention period. To compare the amount served per day of each color during control and intervention, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. Bonferroni post hoc tests were utilized for multiple comparisons.ResultsThe one-way ANOVA for color and time point was significant (F (5, 150) = 4.75, P < 0.001). Yellow-labeled foods during the intervention (M = 341.89, SD = 275.86) was significantly lower than red-labeled foods during control (M = 654.56, SD = 286.40, P < 0.0001) and intervention (M = 604.91, SD = 295.84, P = 0.008). However, there were no other significant differences between colors and time points.ConclusionThese results suggest that traffic light labels may not be more effective than nutrition facts panels in college dining halls to improve food choices. Specifically, there was no significant difference in number of servings per day in red- and/or green-labeled foods between control and intervention. Furthermore, servings per day of red-labeled foods continued to be significantly greater than yellow-labeled foods during the intervention. Because students may not use nutrition labels to make food choices, college dining halls should consider reformulating recipes to improve healthfulness of options. College students may not use the nutrition facts label suggesting changes to the label, such as the Traffic Light Label, are needed to increase user friendliness. To examine the effect of traffic light labels on the amount of food served in a university dining hall in comparison to the control nutrition facts panels. This study utilized a repeated measures observational design with a control and an intervention period each lasting 28 days at a Midwestern midsize, private university. Following the control period (nutrition facts panels), each food was labeled with a single color (red, yellow, or green) based upon its nutritional quality. Number of servings per day by color (dependent variable) was combined for both lunch and dinner during the control and intervention period. To compare the amount served per day of each color during control and intervention, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. Bonferroni post hoc tests were utilized for multiple comparisons. The one-way ANOVA for color and time point was significant (F (5, 150) = 4.75, P < 0.001). Yellow-labeled foods during the intervention (M = 341.89, SD = 275.86) was significantly lower than red-labeled foods during control (M = 654.56, SD = 286.40, P < 0.0001) and intervention (M = 604.91, SD = 295.84, P = 0.008). However, there were no other significant differences between colors and time points. These results suggest that traffic light labels may not be more effective than nutrition facts panels in college dining halls to improve food choices. Specifically, there was no significant difference in number of servings per day in red- and/or green-labeled foods between control and intervention. Furthermore, servings per day of red-labeled foods continued to be significantly greater than yellow-labeled foods during the intervention. Because students may not use nutrition labels to make food choices, college dining halls should consider reformulating recipes to improve healthfulness of options.

Scepticism of food labelling versus food advertising: a replication and extension

ABSTRACT Given the obesity epidemic and regulatory responses to this public health crisis in the United States and the European Union, it is especially important that we understand how consumers evaluate health and nutrition information presented on food labels and in food advertisements. A single study has explored consumer scepticism of food labelling versus that of food advertising. We replicate the results of this initial work, ask additional questions that extend our understanding of consumer scepticism, and replicate our own findings. Respondents are consistently uncertain about food science, distrustful of regulatory efficacy, suspicious of commercial speech, and sceptical of health claims and the Nutrition Facts Panel. Taken together, these stable results suggest possible manufacturer and regulatory responses and future research directions.

Reformulation of Packaged Foods and Beverages in the Colombian Food Supply.

Public discussion, advocacy, and legislative consideration of policies aimed at reducing consumption of processed foods, such as sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes and mandatory front-of-package (FOP) warning labels, may stimulate product reformulation as a strategy to prevent regulation. In Colombia, there have been major legislative pushes for SSB taxes and FOP labels, although neither has passed to date. In light of the ongoing policy debate and successful implementation of similar policies in Peru and Chile, we explored manufacturer reformulation in the Colombian food supply. We compared the quantities of nutrients of concern (including sugar, sodium, and saturated fat) from the nutrition facts panels of the same 102 packaged foods and 36 beverages from the top-selling brands in Colombia between 2016 and 2018. Our analyses showed a substantial decrease in median sugar content of beverages, from 9.2 g per 100 mL to 5.2 g per 100 mL, and an increase in the percentage of beverages containing non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS), from 33% to 64% (p = 0.003). No meaningful changes in the quantities of nutrients of concern among foods were observed. Our findings suggest little reformulation has occurred in Colombia in the absence of mandatory policies, except for the substitution of sugar with NNS among beverages.

How Online Grocery Stores Support Consumer Nutrition Information Needs

ObjectiveTo evaluate the availability of nutrition-related information and features on leading online grocery store Web sites. MethodsTwelve US grocery Web sites were assessed to determine (1) if Nutrition Facts panel or ingredient statements were available for 26 food items; and (2) if options to filter or sort search results by nutrition-related food attributes were available. ResultsNutrition Facts panel and ingredient statement information were available for most foods for which this information is required on product packaging (85% of foods). Most stores offered the ability to filter food search results by a nutrition-related food attribute. The ability to sort search results by a nutrition attribute was not an option at any of the stores. Conclusions and ImplicationsOnline grocery stores include a variety of nutrition-related features. However, the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient statement information are not universally available for foods for which this information is required on product packaging.

Low-calorie-sweeteners in foods with front-of-package child-directed advertising in Brazil

Abstract Background Low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) are currently found in ultra-processed foods, even in those with high content of sugar, without any front-of-package (FOP) information for LCS content. The aim was to assess the presence of LCS and the combination of LCS and added sugars in foods and beverages with FOP child-directed advertising in the Brazilian packaged food supply. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we used data from the nutrition facts panel (NFP) dataset that includes 11,434 unique foods and beverages collected in 2017 in the five largest food retailers in Brazil. We used information on the NFP and the list of ingredients to determine the presence of LCS and added sugars. A subsample of the packages had the available FOP advertising strategies classified using the INFORMAS methodology (n = 3,491). We estimated the prevalence of LCS and the combination of LCS and added sugar presence in the Brazilian food supply, and assessed the prevalence of foods and beverages with FOP child-directed advertising. Results Out of 3,491 products assessed, 8.9% of the products contained LCS, of which 12.9% were advertised towards children. Regarding the presence of LCS and added sugars, 7.3% of products presented that combination, with 14.6% of those having child-directed FOP advertising. The food groups with the highest prevalence of LCS were: sugary drinks (juices, nectars, fruit-flavored drinks, sodas and other beverages) (40.6%), breakfast cereals and granola bars (31.6%), and sweetened dairy products (23.5%). From those, 5.5%, 6.7% and 17.1%, accordingly, were advertised towards children. Conclusions In this sample, 9% of the foods contained LCS or a combination of LCS and added sugars. In products advertised towards children, we found higher rates of products with LCS and greater presence of LCS in beverages, breakfast cereals and granola bars with children-directed advertising. Key messages This study demonstrates that almost 9% of Brazilian packaged foods have LCS, and that 7% have both LCS and added sugars. In products advertised towards children, such rates were higher (13 - 15%). A clearer information on the front-of-package of foods and beverages regarding the presence of LCS in Brazil is necessary, particularly among those products advertised towards children.

P90 Consumer Use of Food Labels Increases as “Clean Label” Trend Continues

<h3>Background</h3> The "clean label" trend has driven the food industry towards the production of new food products increasingly marketed to consumers looking for wholesome, nutritious, and minimally processed foods. While the number of "clean labels" continue to grow, the term has not been clearly defined and food manufacturers use a range of food labeling strategies to communicate that their products are "natural" and "free-from" industrial ingredients. <h3>Objective</h3> To better understand trends in "clean label" use and resultant food purchasing behaviors, this study examines consumer use of food labels to identify whether food label usage has increased in recent years, and which parts of the food label are used most often when evaluating packaged foods. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> Computer-aided telephone interviews were collected annually over 3 years (2017-2019) in a random, representative sample of Vermont residents (n = 1847). <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Respondents were asked about their use of nutrition facts panels, ingredient lists, front of package claims (natural, low sodium), and labels related to food production practices (organic, non-GMO) when evaluating food products. The Mantel-Haenszel test of linear trends (<i>P</i> < .01) was used to determine whether use of each category of food label changed over time. <h3>Results</h3> The use of all 4 label categories significantly increased from 2017 to 2019, while the proportion of respondents stating that they did not read food labels decreased. Reading of ingredient lists (86%) and nutrition panels (85%) were more frequently reported compared to front of package (74%) and production practice (72%) label claims. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Food label usage is increasing in general, and consumers are increasingly reading both front of package claims (organic, natural, low sodium) and back of package information (ingredients, nutrition facts panel). As consumer demand for "clean label" products increases, more research is needed to better understand the health impacts of such products and the best methods for labeling them.

Impossible to Go Beyond Beef? An Unbiased Metabolomics Analysis

Abstract Objectives Novel plant-based meat alternatives are becoming increasingly popular with consumers. The new generation of meat alternatives is specifically formulated to closely mimic the taste, sensory experience, and nutritional composition of meat. The goal of this work was to perform unbiased analysis of the biochemical composition of ground beef versus a novel plant-based meat alternative to determine their nutritional equivalency. Methods Ground beef from eighteen different steers was purchased from Alderspring Ranch, ID. Eighteen different packages of a plant-based meat alternative were purchased from a local grocery store. Non-targeted metabolomic analysis of sample homogenates was conducted via gas chromatography/electron-ionization mass spectrometry (GC/ei-MS) in the Metabolomics Laboratory of the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. Following log-transformation, t-test were used to compare all individual analytes using a p-value (false discovery rate) cutoff of P &amp;lt; 0.01, without adjustment for multiple comparisons. Multivariate analyses (principal component and cluster analysis) was performed using software procedures in MetaboAnalyst 4.0. Results A total of 159 out of 184 detected metabolites were found to be different between beef and the plant-based meat alternative (P &amp;lt; 0.01). Metabolites such as niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, creatinine/creatine, anserine, hydroxyproline, and glucosamine were only found in beef, while metabolites such as delta-tocopherol, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, vanillic acid, and various plant sterols were only found in the plant-based alternative. Conclusions Despite suggested similarity based on their Nutrition Facts panel, we show that metabolites with important regulatory roles in human health are either absent or present in lower quantities in the plant-based meat alternative. These data suggest that novel plant-based meat alternatives should, at present, not be viewed as direct nutritional replacements for red meat. Funding Sources None.