The effectiveness of a simple front-of-pack logo such as the Choices stamp is supported by new scientific research published in Appetite recently (Feunekes at al.).
Results show front-of-pack labels can help consumers make healthy choices. Importantly, simple labels seem to work as well for the less health conscious and lower-educated, and across countries. Findings also show the importance of endorsement of the label by an international or national organisation in the area of nutrition and health.
The authors further recommend that a simple nutrition label should complement more detailed back-of-pack labelling, such as Guideline Daily Amounts. Gerda Feunekes adds, “in order to help and not confuse consumers it is important to prevent a multitude of different labelling formats. Therefore such a label should be cross-industry and even cross-country”.
“Front-of-pack labels can be a powerful tool in enabling consumers to select healthy options,” says health behaviour expert Hans Brug, professor at the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam. “A simple logo such as the Choices stamp provides an interpretation of the overall healthiness of a food or beverage, therefore leaving little room for misinterpretation by consumers. With more complex systems, such as traffic lights or Guideline Daily Amounts, consumers still need to weigh the information provided.”