Exploring the effectiveness of policy options for simultaneous displaying multiple added sugar labels in Australian adults

Interventional We will examine (i) the relative effect of different combinations of added sugar labels on food and beverage purchasing (using the two most effective labels from a previous trial [Trial 1ACTRN12620000858998]); and (ii) effects by level of participant sugar consumption, gender, age, education, and income. This new evidence will guide and inform the development of effective labelling policies to reduce added sugar consumption for Australians and New Zealanders. Trial: A third-party recruitment company will be used to recruit participants for the online study. The recruitment company have security measures in place to securely store participants’ identifiable data. No identifiable information will be received by the researchers from the recruitment company. Research data (i.e. answers to the survey) will not be available to or stored by the recruitment company. Eligible participants will be randomised to complete one of four online survey conditions that will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Participants will be screened in order to classify them as high or low sugar purchasers. Participants will be asked to select all relevant products they purchase at least once a month for themselves or their household from a range of generic product subcategories in each of the product categories of interest (yoghurt and custards, breakfast cereal and non-alcoholic packaged drinks). For example, in the yoghurt categories this will include: plain Greek or natural yoghurt, flavoured Greek or natural yoghurt, custard etc. These generic subcategories will be classified as “high” and “low” sugar products. If the participants select one or more high sugar products in each category they will be considered a high sugar purchaser. Participants will select their gender, age, education level and income from study specific question groupings. Each survey condition will include three hypothetical purchasing tasks: one each for breakfast cereals, yoghurts and non-alcoholic packaged beverages. The products in each hypothetical purchasing scenario are commercially available and products that participants would recognise. In the current trial, the two most effective labels from Trial 1 (ACTRN12620000858998) will be used to determine four test scenarios for the Trial 2 (current trial). The four test scenarios will be: (i) Status quo – current Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) (Back of Pack labelling system without added sugar content) (control condition); (ii) Label A; (iii) Label B; and (iv) Label A and Label B shown simultaneously. Each participant will be exposed to one treatment condition (sugar labelling intervention or control) and complete the purchasing task in all three food categories. Participants will not receive any feedback after completing the survey. Please refer to trial record ACTRN12620000858998 for further details regarding the different labels assessed in the first study