Journal Article

Objective understanding of Nutri-Score Front-Of-Package nutrition label according to individual characteristics of subjects: Comparisons with other format labels

Unité de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (UREN) ; Université Paris 13 (UP13)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [Cnam] (Cnam)-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Allès, Benjamin, Touvier, Mathilde, Egnell, Manon, Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle, Equipe 3: EREN- Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (CRESS - U1153) ; Université Paris 13 (UP13)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [Cnam] (Cnam)-Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et Statistique Sorbonne Paris Cité (CRESS (U1153 / UMR_A_1125 / UMR_S_1153)) ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5 (UPD5)-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA

2018

Overview

Background To improve nutritional status and prevent chronic nutrition-related diseases, international organizations have recommended the use of multiple strategies, including front-of-package nutrition labelling (FOPL). In France, the Nutri-Score has been selected by health authorities in March 2017. However, to be effective in purchasing situations, the label needs to be well understood, which may be influenced by label format and sociodemographic characteristics. This study aimed at investigating the objective understanding of the Nutri-Score compared to other label formats, and more particularly among specific at-risk populations. Methods The objective understanding of four FOPLs-namely Nutri-Score, Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL), the simplified nutrition labelling system (SENS), and modified Reference Intakes (mRls)-was investigated in a sample from the NutriNet-Sante French cohort (n = 3,751). Logistic regression mixed models were computed to assess the association of the four FOPLs, compared to a \"no label\" situation, on the consumers' ability to rank products according to their overall nutritional quality. Objective understanding was also investigated according to sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics. Results Compared to a \"no label\" situation, all FOPLs were significantly associated to an increase in consumers' ability to classify the products correctly, with wide disparities in results according to formats. The best performance was observed for the Nutri-Score (OR = 20.33(17.68-23.37)), followed by SENS (OR = 9.57(8.50-10.77)), MTL (OR = 3.55(3.20-3.93)) and mRls (OR = 1.53(1.39-1.69)). This ranking was similar among all sub-populations and the ORs associated to the Nutri-Score were over 10, whichever the sub-group considered. Women, younger people, non-smokers, individuals with higher educational level and those with children had a higher capacity to identify healthier products (all P <= 0.05). Conclusion Nutri-Score, with a summarized graded and color-coded format, using semantic colours, is associated to a higher objective understanding than monochrome and nutrient-specific labels. Furthermore, though objective understanding may differ according to individual characteristics of subjects, the magnitude of effect of the Nutri-Score largely outweighed this effect, even in the at-risk populations.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,CCSD,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: At risk populations / Biology and Life Sciences / Care and treatment / Children / Chronic diseases / Chronic illnesses / Consumers / Descriptive labeling / Diet / Epidemiology / Exercise / Format / Health aspects / International organizations / Labeling / Labelling / Labels / Life Sciences / Lifestyles / Medicine and Health Sciences / Nutrition / Nutrition research / Nutritional status / Nutritive value / People and Places / Populations / Prevention / Public health / Quality / Questionnaires / Regression analysis / Research and Analysis Methods / Santé publique et épidémiologie / Smoking / Social Sciences / Sociodemographics / Socioeconomic factors / Studies / Traffic signals
• ISBN: 0004428001000