Consumers’ Views on the Importance of Specific Front-of-Pack Nutrition Information: A Latent Profile Analysis

Abstract

Nutrition labelling can influence consumers’ assessments of food healthiness and their food choices. However, there is a lack of consensus about the optimal type and amount of nutrition information to provide on food packages. This study analysed consumers’ preferences for front-of-pack information relating to energy and various nutrients (sugar, saturated fat, sodium, fibre, carbohydrate, and protein). The aim was to identify discrete preference segments within the Australian market where the current Health Star Rating front-of-pack labelling system can be displayed with different levels of nutrition information. Adults (n = 1558) completed a survey assessing socio-demographics, self-reported nutrition knowledge, diet healthiness, special dietary requirements, and perceived importance of the provision of energy and nutrient information on the front of food packs. Latent profile analysis identified five consumer segments within the sample that ranged from groups exhibiting high levels of interest in various forms of nutrition information to one with very low interest and one with divergent scores according to whether nutrients were perceived as positive or negative for health. The results indicate that different forms of front-of-pack labelling featuring varying degrees of information about energy and specific nutrients are likely to be of interest and use to different market segments.

Enhancing the effectiveness of the Health Star Rating via presentation modifications

“…5 The selection rates for the healthiest product option were substantially higher than those in previous similar research. This is consistent with previous research showing that highly interpretive and colourcoded FoPLs are most effective for improving understanding and choice, 2 but is somewhat at odds with consumers' stated preference for nutrient-specific information on the front of packs.…”

“…This is consistent with previous research showing that highly interpretive and colourcoded FoPLs are most effective for improving understanding and choice, 2 but is somewhat at odds with consumers' stated preference for nutrient-specific information on the front of packs. 5 The selection rates for the healthiest product option were substantially higher than those in previous similar research. 2,3 This is likely attributable to the inclusion in those studies of a greater number of independent variables (e.g.…”

“…2,3 Hybrid FoPLs, such as the HSR and the Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL), have both interpretive and reductive elements in recognition of the superior ability of interpretive nutrition information to facilitate rapid comparisons across products 4 and consumers' stated desire for nutrientspecific information on the front of pack. 5 A recent study of FoPL effectiveness across 12 countries found that of five FoPLS the highly interpretive Nutri-Score (that features only the letters A to E shown in colours ranging from green to red) produced the largest increase in understanding of product healthiness, followed by the MTL. 2 The dominance of the Nutri-Score held across the total sample and within the Australian subsample, despite Australians' greater familiarity with the HSR.…”

Consumers’ Perceptions of the Australian Health Star Rating Labelling Scheme

“…In the middle of the continuum are 'hybrid' FoPLs that present a combination of information from the NIP and an evaluation of that information. A preference for the appearance and use of hybrid compared to purely reductive FoPLs has been found in previous research [2,6,7]. It has been suggested that consumers are generally able to perform tasks related to identifying healthier food products when using a hybrid FoPL compared to a purely reductive version [8,9].…”

“…Nutrition labelling on food allows consumers to be informed about the nutritional composition of the products they are purchasing [1]. Nutrition labelling on packaging has been demonstrated to improve consumers' ability to assess product healthiness and encourage healthier food choices [2]. The display of nutrition information on packaged goods is mandatory in many countries [3] and typically comes in the form of a nutrition information panel (NIP) and ingredients list.…”