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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04152785

Measurement of Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Meals of a University Food Operator

Université Laval wishes to raise awareness among students and employees in the university community so that they become aware of the impacts of their consumption choices by equipping them to adopt consumption behaviours that are favourable to the environment and their health. To do this, it is necessary to assess consumers' perception of the information available when choosing a meal to determine, among other things, whether knowledge of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions influences their selections. In addition to this evaluation criterion, consumer perception of the nutritional quality of food will also be assessed. The nutritional composition of the meals of the characterized week will make it possible to calculate, using a nutritional profiling tool, the nutritional quality score of each meal of the day.

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Key information

Conditions

Food Selection Behavior Feeding Behavior Food Preferences

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functionnal Foods (INAF)

Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada

About this study

This study consists of an individual meeting with each participant. This meeting will last approximately 1 hour during which each subject will choose a meal and complete various questionnaires. Subjects (male or female) will be randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions ("GHG", "nutrition", "GHG+nutrition" and "no logo"). Since subjects could change their eating behaviours if they knew the true purpose of the study, they will be deliberately misled when they enter the study. Participants will be recruited to participate in a market research study in which they will be invited to taste and evaluate a new meal for the cafeteria. At the end of the session, each participant will be informed of the actual objective of the study.

In this context, the general objectives of this second phase of the project are therefore:

  • Evaluate consumer perceptions of the available information on the GHG score (in equivalent C02), the nutritional quality score and the eco-efficiency score (combination of GHG + nutrition), and;
  • Determine if the presence of information (logo on the different scores) influences food choice and consumption among Université Laval students and staff.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Study or work at Université Laval

Exclusion criteria

  • People taking drugs that may affect appetite (e.g., antidepressants, antipsychotics or corticosteroids);
  • People with food allergies or intolerances, and pregnant and lactating women;
  • People with food aversions to more than 20% of the main meal ingredients from the menu.

Treatment and study plan

Information regarding GHG and/or nutrition

Behavioral

Participants will have to select a meal from a menu.

Primary outcomes

  1. Consumer perceptions of the meal given the information available on the GHG score, the nutritional quality score and the eco-efficiency score (combination of GHG + nutrition) vs no logo.

    Time frame: Within the year after the beginning of the study

    Visual analogue scale (150mm) evaluating the perception of the participants according to the information given. Participants draw a line on the scale (between 0 and 150 mm). The higher the score, the higher the appreciation.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Food choice by the students and staff at Université Laval depending on the presence of information (logo on the different scores).

    Time frame: Within the year after the beginning of the study

    Which meal between the 2 meals presented will be chosen by the participants given the information (logos or no logo) they received.

  2. Amount of the meal consumed by the students and staff at Université Laval depending on the presence of information (logo on the different scores).

    Time frame: Within the year after the beginning of the study

    Measured in grams of food before and after the meal.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Laval University

Other

Collaborators

  • Ministère de l'environnement et lutte contre les changements climatiques

Registry information

Acronym: Cafeteria

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2021
First posted
Nov 5, 2019
Registry last updated
Dec 22, 2021

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

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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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