Effects on consumers' subjective understanding of a new front-of-pack nutritional label: a study on Italian consumers

Abstract

Front-of-pack nutritional label (FOPL) systems have been developed worldwide to amplify and simplify nutritional information and induce healthier choices. This study explores consumers' internal reactions - in terms of subjective understanding and liking - to a new FOPL: the NutrInform Battery. The investigation aims to assess the clear comprehension by consumers of the information provided by the NutrInform Battery FOPL scheme, based on a sample of 200 Italian respondents, in a real-life setting, with products representative of the most widely consumed food categories, using a between-subject design. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions: products marked with NutrInform Battery or Nutri-Score labels. The results provided evidence of the effectiveness of NutrInform Battery in being perceived by consumers as an informative FOPL scheme. Specifically, consumers found NutrInform Battery more informative and helpful than Nutri-Score in terms of their understanding of the product composition.

Keywords: Front-of-pack nutritional label; Italy; NutrInform Battery; Nutri-Score; liking; subjective understanding.