Effects of Alternative Nutrition Label Formats and Nutrition Reference Information on Consumer Perceptions, Comprehension, and Product Evaluations

Abstract

The authors examine some potential effects of changes in nutrition labels associated with the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990. They report a study in which effects of basic label format, inclusion of nutrition reference values, perceived nutritiousness of the product, and nutrition knowledge are examined. As hypothesized, results indicate that awareness of whether the product contains more than recommended amounts of negative nutrients (e.g., cholesterol, saturated fat) differs across formats. Also as postulated, inclusion of reference values and higher levels of nutrition knowledge results in higher reported purchase likelihood for a product that is perceived as highly nutritious and lower purchase likelihood for a product with low perceived nutritiousness. They conclude with implications of these results for public policy.