Jensen Jørgen Dejgård, Sommer Iben
University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics, Rolighedsvej 25, 1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, 4100 København Ø, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017 Aug 23;14(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s12966-017-0559-y.
Food product reformulation is seen as one among several tools to promote healthier eating. Reformulating the recipe for a processed food, e.g. reducing the fat, sugar or salt content of the foods, or increasing the content of whole-grains, can help the consumers to pursue a healthier life style. In this study, we evaluate the effects on calorie sales of a 'silent' reformulation strategy, where a retail chain's private-label brands are reformulated to a lower energy density without making specific claims on the product.
Using an ecological study design, we analyse 52 weeks' sales data - enriched with data on products' energy density - from a Danish retail chain. Sales of eight product categories were studied. Within each of these categories, specific products had been reformulated during the 52 weeks data period. Using econometric methods, we decompose the changes in calorie turnover and sales value into direct and indirect effects of product reformulation.
For all considered products, the direct effect of product reformulation was a reduction in the sale of calories from the respective product categories - between 0.5 and 8.2%. In several cases, the reformulation led to indirect substitution effects that were counterproductive with regard to reducing calorie turnover. However, except in two insignificant cases, these indirect substitution effects were dominated by the direct effect of the reformulation, leading to net reductions in calorie sales between -3.1 and 7.5%. For all considered product reformulations, the reformulation had either positive, zero or very moderate negative effects on the sales value of the product category to which the reformulated product belonged.
Based on these findings, 'silent' reformulation of retailer's private brands towards lower energy density seems to contribute to lowering the calorie intake in the population (although to a moderate extent) with moderate losses in retailer's sales revenues.
食品配方改良被视为促进健康饮食的多种手段之一。对加工食品的配方进行改良，例如降低食品中的脂肪、糖或盐含量，或者增加全谷物含量，有助于消费者追求更健康的生活方式。在本研究中，我们评估了一种“隐性”改良策略对卡路里销量的影响，即零售连锁店的自有品牌被改良为能量密度更低的产品，而不对产品进行具体宣传。
采用生态研究设计，我们分析了一家丹麦零售连锁店52周的销售数据，并补充了产品能量密度数据。研究了八个产品类别的销售情况。在这52周的数据期内，每个类别中的特定产品都进行了配方改良。使用计量经济学方法，我们将卡路里营业额和销售额的变化分解为产品配方改良的直接和间接影响。
对于所有考虑的产品，产品配方改良的直接影响是相应产品类别中卡路里销量的减少——减少幅度在0.5%至8.2%之间。在几种情况下，配方改良导致了间接替代效应，这在减少卡路里营业额方面产生了适得其反的效果。然而，除了两个不显著的情况外，这些间接替代效应被配方改良的直接效应所主导，导致卡路里销量净减少3.1%至7.5%。对于所有考虑的产品配方改良，改良对改良产品所属产品类别的销售额要么有积极、零或非常适度的负面影响。
基于这些发现，零售商自有品牌向更低能量密度的“隐性”配方改良似乎有助于降低人群的卡路里摄入量（尽管程度适中），同时零售商的销售收入会有适度损失。
