The Efficacy of Front-of-package Labelling Schemes: an Experimental Study

University of Toronto

Status: Completed

Conditions: Nutrition; Cardiovascular Diseases; Diet Modification

Treatments: Device: Smartphone application FoodFlip Device®; Other: Nutrition Rating System - Warning Label; Other: Nutrition Rating System - Traffic Light; Other: Nutrition Rating System - Health Star

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03290118

34393

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is an online study that aims to test the effectiveness of Interpretative Nutrition Rating Systems (INRS) such as the Health Star Rating System (HSR or Star System), traffic light system and warning labels (high sodium, saturated fat and sugar) proposed by Health Canada. The study will incorporate the use of a Smartphone application (app), FoodFlip®, to help educate consumers on each INRS prior to their exposure on food packages.

Enrollment: 2,008 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• speak English as a primary language
• reside in Canada excluding the Northern Territories
• are 18 years or over
• provide informed consent
• do at least some of the household grocery shopping
• own a smartphone (version iPhone 3 or later or Android)
• are able to complete the survey on a minimum screen size of 9.7 inches.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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2,008 participants in 4 patient groups

Traffic Light

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group will be provided with a survey that shows the food and beverage packages with traffic light front of pack labels only. Intervention is the Nutrition Rating System - Traffic Light

Treatment:

Device: Smartphone application FoodFlip Device®

Other: Nutrition Rating System - Traffic Light

Star System

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group will be provided with a survey that shows the food and beverage packages with health star rating front of pack labels only. Intervention is the Nutrition Rating System - Health Star Rating

Treatment:

Device: Smartphone application FoodFlip Device®

Other: Nutrition Rating System - Health Star

Warning Label

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group will be provided with a survey that shows the food and beverage packages with warning front of pack labels only. Intervention is the Nutrition Rating System - Warning Labels

Treatment:

Other: Nutrition Rating System - Warning Label

Device: Smartphone application FoodFlip Device®

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in this group will be provided with a survey that shows the food and beverage packages without any front of pack labels.