Front-of-Package Labels on Unhealthy Packaged Foods in India: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment

Nutrient profiling assessment of packaged snack foods with nutrition-related claims available on the Indian market

Background

Food packaging includes labels with specific nutrient contents to provide consumers with nutritional information. Legislative actions and consumers' growing interest in nutrition information have increased the disclosure of nutrition information. The study was planned to examine packaged snack foods carrying nutritional claims for nutrition labeling.

Methods

The selected packaged chips were divided into categories based on the primary ingredients mentioned on the nutrition label, such as cereal/pseudocereal-based, millet-based, vegetable-based, and pulses/legume-based chips. Four threshold levels, such as total sugar, sodium, total fat, and saturated fat, were used for categorization.

Results

Out of a total of 23 packaged chips, the corresponding 2, 7, 8, and 13 products had a higher content of sugar, saturated fat, sodium, and total fat than the threshold levels. A significant (p ≤ 0.01) difference was observed in the values of nutrients analyzed through laboratory methods in comparison with the values given on the nutrition label in the majority of the products.

Conclusion

The majority of the products belonged to national brands and differed from the nutrition-related information given on the product label in terms of the nutrient content claim.

Impact of Five Types of Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels on Consumer Behavior among Young Adults: A Systematic Review

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that governments promote and implement front-of-package (FoP) nutrition labels to prevent noncommunicable diseases. Recently, additional research has focused on various views on FoP label creation. However, few review studies have examined how different FoP labels affect young consumer behavior. Therefore, this study thoroughly analyzed the evidence on how FoP labels in five categories affect young consumer purchasing intention and behavior. We searched for keywords in the Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCO databases and screened study samples according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Fourteen studies that matched the criteria were included in this review. We discovered that numerous studies support the efficacy of the "graded indicators" category labels, with the "color-coded" and "positive logos" categories trailing closely behind. The effectiveness of the "warning" FoP label category is mixed on consumers' healthy purchasing behavior and intention. The numerical FoP labels were most commonly used to indicate ineffectiveness. Future studies should investigate the effects of FoP labels on various subpopulations and conduct thorough evaluations of the design elements of FoP labels. Also, they should offer evidence-based recommendations, supported by both quantitative and qualitative data, for regions that have not yet implemented FoP labeling systems.

Impact of nutrient warning labels on Colombian consumers' selection and identification of food and drinks high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the impact of nutrient warnings on product selection and ability to identify food products high in nutrients of concern in Colombia.

METHODS

In an online experiment (May-June 2023), Colombian adults were randomized to a nutrient warning, guideline daily amounts (GDA), Nutri-Score, or no-label condition (n = 8,004). Participants completed selection tasks between two fruit drinks labeled according to their condition, one high in sugar and one not. Next, participants answered questions about products high in sugar, sodium, and/or saturated fat ("high-in" product). Finally, they selected which label would most discourage them from consuming a high-in product.

RESULTS

Fewer participants (17%) exposed to the nutrient warning indicated they would purchase the high-sugar fruit drink compared to Nutri-Score (27%, Holm-adjusted (adj) p<0.001) and no label conditions (31%, adj p<0.001); there were no differences between the nutrient warning and GDA label (14%, adj p = 0.087). Compared to the nutrient warning, the GDA label was slightly more effective at helping consumers identify which drink was high in sugar (89% versus 92%, adj p<0.001), while the Nutri-Score and no-label conditions were less effective. Compared to all other conditions, nutrient warnings were more effective at helping participants identify that products were high in nutrients of concern, were more effective at decreasing intentions to purchase these high-in products and were perceived as more effective. Nutrient warnings were most often selected as the label that most discouraged consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

Nutrient warnings are a promising policy to help consumers identify and discourage consumption of products high in nutrients of concern.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Trial Registration: NCT05783726.

Concurrent Undernutrition and Overnutrition within Indian Families between 2006 and 2021

Background

The double burden of malnutrition (DBM), characterized by concurrent undernutrition and overnutrition, is a growing global concern. Families share resources and eating behaviors and programs often target households, yet evidence of the DBM at the family level is scarce.

Objectives

This study examined trends and inequality in the intrahousehold DBM in India between 2006 and 2021.

Methods

Data were from 3 waves of India's National Family Health Survey (NFHS 2006, 2016, and 2021). We examined 3 types of household member (with children aged <5 y) combinations: mother-child (N = 328,039 across 3 waves), father-child, and parent (mother and father)-child (N = 47,139 for each pair). The DBM was defined as one or more individuals with undernutrition (either wasting or stunting in children or underweight in adults) and one or more overweight individuals within the same household. DBM was examined over time, at national and subnational levels, and by residence and wealth.

Results

Nearly all DBM was in the form of an overweight parent and an undernourished weight or stunted child. The prevalence of parent-child DBM increased from 15% in 2006 to 26% in 2021. Father-child pairs experienced the most rapid DBM increase, from 12% in 2006 to 22% in 2021, an 83% increase, driven by increasing overweight among men. In 2021, the DBM was highest in North-Eastern and Southern states, and among relatively rich households from urban areas. The increase in the DBM was faster in rural areas and among poor households compared with that in urban areas and rich households. Urban-rural and rich-poor inequalities in the DBM have decreased over time.

Conclusions

The intrahousehold DBM has increased over time, affecting 1 in 4 households in India in 2021. Family-based interventions that can simultaneously address child underweight and parent overweight are required to address India's increasing intrahousehold DBM.

Obesogenic diet and metabolic syndrome among adolescents in India: data-driven cluster analysis

BACKGROUND

Metabolic syndrome is on the rise in India and is primarily linked to obesogenic dietary habits. The synergy of both is a prominent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Hence, the present study aims to unveil clusters at high risk of metabolic syndrome and ascertain cluster characteristics based on dietary patterns among adolescents aged 10-19 years.

DATA AND METHODS

The study utilizes secondary data, i.e., Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey conducted in 2016-18. The study sample includes children and adolescents aged 10-19 years. An unsupervised learning algorithm was used to ascertain possible clusters in the data based on individuals' dietary patterns. The k-means were used to cluster the data according to their dietary patterns. To determine the number of clusters elbow method was used, and appropriate validation indices were also obtained for the final k. Further, to ascertain the distribution of the obesogenic dietary patterns and metabolic conditions in each cluster was analysed. Bivariate descriptive analysis was used to draw further inferences.

RESULTS

The k-means clusters identified five optimum clusters based on 12,318 adolescents (6333 males (mean age:14.2 ± 2.8) and 5985 females (mean age:14.3 ± 2.8)) 17 dietary patterns. Clusters were named based on how prudent these were in terms of consuming a healthy diet. Cluster phenotypic characteristics were defined as follows: a cluster of obesogenic diets (24%) constituted the highest proportion of the total sample and was significantly suffering from obesity (p < 0.001), and greater proportions of lipid anomalies (p = 0.51) and hypertension (p = 0.44) but not statistically significant. In contrast, 21% of the sample comprised a plant-based diet cluster and suffered from all deficiencies but folate (p = 0.625), zinc (p = 0.132), and greater proportion from obesity (p = 0.19; not significant), and diabetes (p < 0.001). A cluster of "convenient" (20%) mainly suffered from lipid anomalies (p = 0.00), diabetes (p = 0.03), and a greater proportion from hypertension (p = 0.56) with deficiencies of all the essential vitamins and minerals but significantly from vitamin A (p < 0.001), folate (p < 0.001), and iron (p = 0.017). Lastly, the cluster of those who follow a "Western diet" (17%) was found to have lipid anomalies (p = 0.003), diabetes (p = 0.016), greater proportion of vitamin B12 (p = 0.136), D (p = 0.002), folate (p < 0.001), and iron deficiencies (p = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Adolescents in India show a strong association between obesogenic diet and metabolic syndrome. Therefore, the burden of metabolic syndrome at early ages can be prevented by controlling obesogenic dietary practices and addressing micronutrient deficiencies. This may be done by targeted health promotional campaigns in schools and college-going populations in India.

Cultural and Contextual Drivers of Triple Burden of Malnutrition among Children in India

This study examines malnutrition's triple burden, including anaemia, overweight, and stunting, among children aged 6-59 months. Using data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-2021), the study identifies risk factors and assesses their contribution at different levels to existing malnutrition burden. A random intercept multilevel logistic regression model and spatial analysis are employed to identify child, maternal, and household level risk factors for stunting, overweight, and anaemia. The study finds that 34% of children were stunted, 4% were overweight, and 66% were anaemic. Stunting and anaemia prevalence were higher in central and eastern regions, while overweight was more prevalent in the north-eastern and northern regions. At the macro-level, the coexistence of stunting, overweight, and anaemia circumstantiates the triple burden of childhood malnutrition with substantial spatial variation (Moran's I: stunting-0.53, overweight-0.41, and anaemia-0.53). Multilevel analysis reveals that child, maternal, and household variables play a substantial role in determining malnutrition burden in India. The nutritional health is significantly influenced by a wide range of determinants, necessitating multilevel treatments targeting households to address this diverse group of coexisting factors. Given the intra-country spatial heterogeneity, the treatment also needs to be tailor-made for various disaggregated levels.

Front-of-package nutrition labeling as a driver for healthier food choices: Lessons learned and future perspectives

This work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the use of front-of-package nutritional labeling (FOPL), identify and characterize the major existing FOPL systems, examine the impact of FOPL systems on consumer behavior, and discuss future perspectives. The searched databases were PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, and papers in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French were considered. The integrative review method was used, comprising 68 papers. The FOPL system from more than 47 countries from North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Australia, and Asia was included in this study. The two main ways to characterize FOPL are the level of interpretation and the type of information provided. Interpretive schemes (such as warning labels, multiple traffic lights, and Nutri-Score) appear to lead to better consumer understanding and support healthier food purchases. However, due to the differences among the results and the specificity of the contexts in which they are used, it is impossible to define one FOPL interpretation scheme superior to the others. Some potential factors that influence the effectiveness of FOPL on consumer attitudes have been identified, such as food taste, as a major intrinsic factor. Extrinsic factors, such as price, food category, cultural diversity, politics, and economics, were also relevant. The lack of availability of similar alternatives, lack of understanding of the importance of FOPL, and lower levels of income and education were also some cognitive and social aspects impairing FOPL effectiveness. Prospects for the United States, Europe, Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina were discussed.

Uncovering the Effect of European Policy-Making Initiatives in Addressing Nutrition-Related Issues: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Front-of-Pack Labels

The last decades have been marked by the introduction of front-of-pack labels (FoPL) as an institutional corrective action against obesity and nutrition-related illnesses. However, FoPL-related policy-making initiatives issued by the European Union evolved over time and led to a diversity of labels with different effects on consumers' decisions. As a result, the extant literature adapted to the regulative scenario over the years and investigated the effects of the labels, creating consensus on some topics while being fragmented on others. Similarly, policy-makers adapted some regulations to the evidence supported by the research. With the aim to systematize the overall structure and evolution of the literature on FoPL, investigate the presence of a consensus on specific topics through a co-citation analysis, and examine the evolution of the consensus and co-citation networks over the years and potential research gaps, we report the results of bibliometric and co-citation analyses and a systematic literature review involving 170 papers and a selection of 49 articles published in the last months, for a total of 219 articles, analysed according to three timespans (Period 1 (1989-2011); Period 2 (2012-2016) and Period 3 (2017-2022)). Our findings highlight the interplay of policy development and FoPL research, the presence of few self-reinforcing and well-established co-citation networks based on validated evidence in the literature and the presence of alternative emerging theories that offer different and valid perspectives overlooked by mainstream co-citation research networks.