Control (management)

Product (mathematics)

Neuroscience

Statistics

Chromatography

Social psychology

Computer science

Environmental health

Business

Advertising

Psychology

Mathematics

Nutrition facts label

Internal medicine

Artificial intelligence

Geometry

Medicine

Chemistry

Sample (material)

Perception

Audiology

Randomized controlled trial

Nutrients

Background: Brazil is currently debating the implementation of front-of-package labels. This study tested if Warning labels (WLs) improved consumer understanding, perceptions, and purchase intentions compared to Traffic-Light labels (TLLs) in 1607 Brazilian adults. Methods: In this online, randomized controlled experiment participants saw images of 10 products and answered questions twice&mdash;once in a no-label, control condition and then again in a randomly assigned label condition. The relative differences in responses between WLs and TLLs between control and label conditions were estimated using one-way ANOVAs or Chi-square tests. Results: Presenting WLs on products compared to TLLs helped participants: (i) improve their understanding of excess nutrient content (27.0% versus 8.2%, p &lt; 0.001); (ii) improve their ability to identify the healthier product (24.6% versus 3.3%, p &lt; 0.001); (iii) decrease perceptions of product healthfulness; and (iv) correctly identify healthier products (14.0% versus 6.9%, p &lt; 0.001), relative to the control condition. With WLs, there was also an increase in the percentage of people: (v) expressing an intention to purchase the relatively healthier option (16.1% versus 9.8%, p &lt; 0.001); and (vi) choosing not to buy either product (13.0% versus 2.9%, p &lt; 0.001), relative to the control condition. The participants in the WL condition had significantly more favorable opinions of the labels compared to those in the TLL group. Conclusions: WLs would be more effective, compared to the TLL, at improving consumer food choices.

Are Front-of-Package Warning Labels More Effective at Communicating Nutrition Information than Traffic-Light Labels? A Randomized Controlled Experiment in a Brazilian Sample