None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Governments throughout the world are considering implementing front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling systems. FOP labels provide ‘at a glance’ information that is easy for consumers to understand and act upon. There is now substantial global evidence indicating that interpretative FOP labels (using graphics, symbols or colours) are better understood than traditional quantitative nutrition labels (Campos et al., 2011). However, research on the impact of FOP labels on food purchases and consumption is greatly needed (Signal et al., 2012). The aim of this study is to assess the effects of two interpretive FOP nutrition labels, compared with a standard non-interpretive numerical label, on the healthiness of consumer food purchases in supermarkets and other retail outlets in New Zealand. In this study, two types of FOP labels (Traffic Lights (TL) and Health Star Rating) are compared with a nutrition information panel, which is a current mandatory labelling standard in New Zealand. Several studies suggest that the TL is the best understood FOP label (Signal et al., 2012; Hawley et al., 2013). Health Star Rating labelling will be introduced as a voluntary FOP labelling in Australia. Because it is impossible to apply the front-of-pack labels to be tested to actual food products in supermarkets and other stores, all labels to be tested in the trial will be delivered via download of a smartphone application. The application will be active during the 4 weeks of the study intervention only. The application will be used in the following way: (1) Participants open the application on their smartphone; (2) They position the smartphone camera over the barcode of a packaged food product; (3) The camera acquires the barcode image and immediately provides the product’s nutrition information in one of the following onscreen label formats: Traffic Light Label, Health Star Rating Label or Nutrition Information Panel.
Interventions
Arm 1: Traffic-Light front-of-pack nutrition label. Traffic-light label uses green, amber and red colours to indicate the relative levels (low, medium and high) of four nutrients (fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium).
Arm 2: Health Star Rating front-of-pack nutrition label. The label assigns a rating from 0.5 (less healthy) to 5 (most healthy) stars to foods basing on their Health Star Rating score, calculated from energy, fat, sugar and salt content, and adjusted for other components, such as
Arm 1: Traffic-Light front-of-pack nutrition label. Traffic-light label uses green, amber and red colours to indicate the relative levels (low, medium and high) of four nutrients (fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium). Arm 2: Health Star Rating front-of-pack nutrition label. The label assigns a rating from 0.5 (less healthy) to 5 (most healthy) stars to foods basing on their Health Star Rating score, calculated from energy, fat, sugar and salt content, and adjusted for other components, such as fruit and vegetables. Intervention details (for Arm 1 & 2): Mode of administration: delivered via a specially designed smartphone application (app) Duration of intervention: four weeks Frequency: participants will be able to use the smartphone app to view nutrition labels as often as they wish. To view a nutrition label, users scan barcodes of packaged food products using the smartphone camera, and assigned labels instantly appear on the phone screen. Strategies to improve adherence: Automated reminder messages via the smartphone app will appear three times per week to prompt the participants to use the app.
Sponsors
National Institue for Health Innovation; University of Auckland
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1) Adults (n=1500), 18 years and older, currently living in NZ 2) Owners of a compatible smartphone (iPhone version 3 or later, or Android; models compatible with the application) 3) Shop at a supermarket at least once a week 4) Regular main shopper for the household (do at least 50% of shopping for the household every week) 5) Available for a continuous 5-week trial period 6) Ability to read and understand English 7) Ethnicity will be monitored to ensure equal recruitment of Maori, Pacific and Other ethnicities
Exclusion criteria
1) Previously used the “FoodSwitch” application and/or have it downloaded on their phone 2) Planning to travel/be away for a prolonged time (more than 2 consecutive days) during the study intervention – those participants will be invited to join the study once they are back 3) Only one person per household may be enrolled in this study 4) Failure to successfully complete run-in phase
Outcome results
None listed