With the huge number of packaged food and beverages available in supermarkets, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make healthy food choices. Mandatory labelling requirements such as nutrition information panels (NIPs), together with nutrition claims (e.g. “99% fat free”) and endorsement programs compete for consumers’ attention and valuable label space. This can make identifying healthy foods confusing. Meanwhile, the need to select healthier foods is more important than ever, as Australians get fatter and increase their risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
Clearly, an easier-to-understand system for labelling foods is needed to support the NIP. One alternative system which is gathering support in Australia and internationally is the placement of nutrition information on the front of food packages, where it is immediately visible to consumers. This is referred to as “front-of-pack food labelling”.
The research documented in this report aims to determine which front-of-pack food labelling system would be most appropriate for adoption in Australia. Its focus was:
- Identifying which front-of-pack food labelling system consumers prefer;
- Determining if consumers prefer one consistent labelling scheme to be used on all food products or multiple labelling schemes; and
- Testing how well each front-of-pack food labelling system performs, particularly if consumers could quickly and correctly identify healthier products.
The report shows that “traffic light” front-of-pack food labelling – where total fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium content are ranked and colour coded as either high (red), medium (amber) or low (green) – is significantly more helpful to consumers trying to choose healthier food products than other labelling systems. The research also shows that the traffic lights system leads to more accurate assessments of nutrient levels and is easier and quicker to use.
Jointly produced by Cancer Council, Choice magazine, the Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise, the Public Health Advocacy Institute of Western Australia, and the Obesity Policy Coalition, this report documents the research methodology, the findings in detail and makes recommendations for facilitating more informed consumer choice in purchasing healthier food products.