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Completed

NCT Number: NCT01626729

Facts-Up-Front Versus Traffic-Light Food Labels

The U.S. food and beverage industry recently released a new front-of-package nutrition labeling system called Facts Up Front that will be used on thousands of food products. The purpose of this study was to test consumer understanding of the Facts Up Front nutrition labeling system compared to the Multiple Traffic Light system (Traffic Light). Facts Up Front displays grams/milligrams and % daily value information for various nutrients; Traffic Light uses an interpretive color-coded scheme to alert consumers to low, medium or high levels of certain nutrients. Participants in an Internet-based study were randomized to one of five front-of-package label conditions: 1) No Label; 2) Traffic Light; 3) Traffic Light plus information about protein and fiber (Traffic Light+); 4) Facts Up Front; or 5) Facts Up Front plus information about "nutrients to encourage" (Facts Up Front+). Total percentage correct quiz scores were generated reflecting participants' ability to compare two foods on nutrient levels, based on their labels, and to estimate amounts of saturated fat, sugar, sodium, fiber and protein in foods. 703 adult participants recruited through an online database in May 2011 participated in this Internet-based study and data were analyzed in June 2011. The investigators hypothesized that the Traffic Light label groups would perform better than the Facts Up Front groups on all outcomes.

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Key information

Conditions

Food Labeling

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Survey Sampling International & Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants in Survey Sampling International Panels

Exclusion criteria

  • Younger than 18 years old

Treatment and study plan

Traffic Light

Behavioral

A kilocalories (calories) per serving label and a Traffic Light symbol with High/Med/Low text indicating amounts of saturated fat, total sugars, and sodium per serving.

Traffic Light+

Behavioral

A calories per serving label and a Traffic Light symbol with High/Med/Low text indicating amounts of saturated fat, total sugars, sodium, fiber and protein per serving.

Facts Up Front

Behavioral

A label displaying calories, saturated fat, sodium, and total sugars per serving. Nutrient amounts were listed in grams/milligrams and % Daily Values (%DVs), which indicate whether a serving of food is high or low in a nutrient based on daily value recommendations for a 2,000 calorie diet, were included. This symbol was created based on the Facts Up Front symbol description provided by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Food Marketing Institute, without the inclusion of nutrients to encourage.

Facts Up Front+

Behavioral

A label displaying calories, saturated fat, sodium, and total sugars per serving. The label also showed two (out of the possible eight) nutrients to encourage with the highest %DV. Nutrient amounts were listed in grams/milligrams and %DVs were included. This symbol was based directly on the Facts Up Front symbol description provided by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Food Marketing Institute.

No label control group

Behavioral

No label control group

Primary outcomes

  1. Nutrient Comparison and Nutrient Level Estimation Accuracy

    Time frame: Baseline

    Participants took a nutrient level comparison quiz asking them to identify which of two products presented side-by-side in the same food category were higher or lower in different nutrients. Participants also viewed 8 individual products and estimated whether the product had low, medium or high amounts of saturated fat, sugar, sodium, fiber, and protein. The primary outcomes were total percentage correct on these quizzes.

  2. Perceptions of Health, Taste and Purchase Intent

    Time frame: Baseline

    Participants rated how healthy they thought each individual product was, how good it would taste and their likelihood to buy the product for themselves and their children (answered only by those who reported having children) using a 9-point Likert scale. Each set of ratings was averaged across eight products.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Consumer Label Preferences

    Time frame: Baseline

    Composite scores were created based on several items assessing ease of label interpretation and understanding, label complexity, and degree of label confusion.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Yale University

Other

Collaborators

  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Registry information

Official study title

Facts-Up-Front Versus Traffic-Light Food Labels: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2011
Primary completion
2011
Study completion
2011
First posted
Jun 25, 2012
Registry last updated
Jun 25, 2012

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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