Smart Organizations, UCLL University of Applied Sciences, Geldenaaksebaan 335, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
Health Innovation, UCLL University of Applied Sciences, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Nutrients. 2021 Aug 24;13(9):2915. doi: 10.3390/nu13092915.
Research on front-of-pack labels (FOPLs) demonstrated that Nutri-Score is one of the most promising FOPLs regarding healthfulness estimation accuracy. Nevertheless, as consumers are exposed to both the Nutri-Score and the mandatory Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) in the supermarket, it is key to understand if and how both labels interact. This study investigates the contribution of Nutri-Score and NFP regarding healthfulness estimation accuracy, whether this impact differs depending on the product, and what role visual attention plays. We set up an eye-tracking experiment in a controlled setting in which 398 participants rated the healthfulness of 20 products. The results confirmed the positive impact of the Nutri-Score on healthfulness estimation accuracy, though the impact was larger for equivocal (i.e., difficult to judge) products. Interestingly, NFP either had no effect (compared to a package without Nutri-Score or NFP) or a negative effect (compared to a package with Nutri-Score alone) on healthfulness estimation accuracy. Eye-tracking data corroborated that 'cognitive overload' issues could explain why consumers exposed to Nutri-Score alone outperformed those exposed to both Nutri-Score and NFP. This study offers food for thought for policymakers and the industry seeking to maximize the potential of the Nutri-Score.
关于包装正面标签（FOPL）的研究表明，Nutri-Score 在健康评估准确性方面是最有前途的 FOPL 之一。然而，由于消费者在超市中同时接触到 Nutri-Score 和强制性营养成分表（NFP），因此了解这两个标签是否以及如何相互作用是关键。本研究调查了 Nutri-Score 和 NFP 对健康评估准确性的贡献，这种影响是否因产品而异，以及视觉注意力扮演什么角色。我们在一个受控的环境中设置了一个眼动追踪实验，其中 398 名参与者对 20 种产品的健康度进行了评分。结果证实了 Nutri-Score 对健康评估准确性的积极影响，尽管对于模棱两可（即难以判断）的产品影响更大。有趣的是，NFP 对健康评估准确性要么没有影响（与没有 Nutri-Score 或 NFP 的包装相比），要么有负面影响（与只有 Nutri-Score 的包装相比）。眼动追踪数据证实，“认知过载”问题可以解释为什么只接触 Nutri-Score 的消费者表现优于同时接触 Nutri-Score 和 NFP 的消费者。这项研究为寻求最大限度发挥 Nutri-Score 潜力的政策制定者和行业提供了一些思路。
