Sensometrics & Consumer Science, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, By Pass de Rutas 8 y 101 s/n, C.P. 91000 Pando, Canelones, Uruguay; Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República, Tristán Narvaja 1674, CP 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay.
MAPP Centre for Research on Customer Relations in the Food Sector, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 10, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
Food Res Int. 2018 May;107:669-674. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.03.021. Epub 2018 Mar 5.
The reformulation of the food products available in the marketplace to improve their nutritional quality has been identified as one of the most cost-effective policies for controlling the global obesity pandemic. Front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling is one of the strategies that has been suggested to encourage the food industry to reformulate their products. However, the extent to which certain FOP labels can encourage product reformulation is dependent on consumer reaction. The aim of the present work was to assess consumers' perception towards product reformulation in the context of the implementation of nutritional warnings, an interpretive FOP nutrition labelling scheme. Three product categories were selected as target products: bread, cream cheese and yogurt, each associated with high content of one target nutrient. For each category, six packages were designed using a 3 × 2 experimental design with the following variables: product version (regular, nutrient-reduced and nutrient-free) and brand (market leader and non-market leader). A total 306 Uruguayan participants completed a choice experiment with 18 choice sets. Reformulated products without nutritional warnings were preferred by participants compared to regular products with nutritional warnings. No apparent preference for products reformulated into nutrient-reduced or nutrient-free product versions was found, although differences depended on the product category and the specific reformulation strategy. Preference for reformulated products without nutritional warnings was more pronounced for non-market leaders. Results from the present work suggest that reformulation of foods in the context of the implementation of nutritional warnings holds potential to encourage consumers to make more healthful food choices and to cause a reduction of their intake of nutrients associated with non-communicable diseases.
改进市场上食品产品的配方以提高其营养价值已被确定为控制全球肥胖流行的最具成本效益的政策之一。 在前包装（FOP）营养标签是鼓励食品行业对其产品进行重新配方的建议策略之一。 然而，某些 FOP 标签在多大程度上可以鼓励产品重新配方取决于消费者的反应。 本工作的目的是评估消费者在实施营养警告的情况下对产品重新配方的看法，这是一种解释性的 FOP 营养标签方案。 选择了三种产品类别作为目标产品：面包、奶油芝士和酸奶，每个产品都与一种目标营养素的高含量有关。 对于每个类别，使用 3×2 实验设计设计了六个包装，变量如下：产品版本（常规、营养减少和无营养）和品牌（市场领导者和非市场领导者）。 共有 306 名乌拉圭参与者完成了 18 个选择集的选择实验。 与有营养警告的常规产品相比，参与者更喜欢没有营养警告的重新配方产品。 虽然差异取决于产品类别和具体的重新配方策略，但没有发现对营养减少或无营养产品版本的重新配方产品的明显偏好。 对于非市场领导者，对没有营养警告的重新配方产品的偏好更为明显。 本工作的结果表明，在实施营养警告的情况下对食品进行重新配方有可能鼓励消费者做出更健康的食物选择，并减少与非传染性疾病相关的营养素摄入。
