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Helping consumers with a front-of-pack label: Numbers or colors?

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  • Crosetto, Paolo
  • Muller, Laurent
  • Ruffieux, Bernard

Abstract

This paper contributes to the debate on front-of-pack nutritional labels. Because of their dissimilar formats, Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) and Traffic Light (TL) may trigger different responses among consumers. While GDA is comprehensive and cognitively demanding, information is coarser and more salient in TL. We implement an incentivized laboratory experiment to assess the relative performance of GDA and TL labeling schemes in assisting consumers to build a healthy daily menu. Participants must compose a daily menu, choosing from a finite set of products, and are paid a fixed cash amount only if the menu satisfies pre-determined nutritional goals. Goals correspond to achieving the Guideline Daily Amount values of 1 (kcal), 4 (kcal, fat, sugar, salt) or 7 (kcal, fat, sugar, salt, fiber, vitamin C and calcium) different nutritional attributes. Three different labels, GDA, TL and a combined GDATL are provided. Results show that GDA performs better than TL when subjects do not face time constraints. When time is limited however, TL and GDA have identical efficacy with 4 nutritional goals, and TL even outperforms GDA with 7 nutritional goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Crosetto, Paolo & Muller, Laurent & Ruffieux, Bernard, 2016. "Helping consumers with a front-of-pack label: Numbers or colors?," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 30-50.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:55:y:2016:i:c:p:30-50
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2016.03.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Malhotra, Naresh K, 1982. "Information Load and Consumer Decision Making," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 8(4), pages 419-430, March.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Edouard Civel & Nathaly Cruz-Garcia, 2018. "Green, yellow or red lemons? Framed field experiment on houses energy labels perception," EconomiX Working Papers 2018-35, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    2. Christopher R Gustafson & Rachel Kent & Michael R Prate Jr, 2018. "Retail-based healthy food point-of-decision prompts (PDPs) increase healthy food choices in a rural, low-income, minority community," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Edouard Civel & Nathaly Cruz-Garcia, 2018. "Green, yellow or red lemons? Framed field experiment on houses energy labels perception," Working Papers hal-04141696, HAL.
    4. Chen, Xuqi & Gao, Yujuan & Gao, Zhifeng, 2022. "Impacts of color-coded nutrition facts panel and consumer responses," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322206, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Edouard Civel & Nathaly Cruz, 2018. "Green, yellow or red lemons? Artefactual field experiment on houses energy labels perception," Working Papers 1809, Chaire Economie du climat.
    6. Thiene, Mara & Scarpa, Riccardo & Longo, Alberto & Hutchinson, George, "undated". "Front of Pack Food Labels and dietary choice determinants: what works and for whom?," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 261225, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Fabrice Etilé, 2019. "The Economics of Diet and Obesity: Public Policy," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) hal-02154445, HAL.
    8. Paolo Crosetto & Anne Lacroix & Laurent Muller & Bernard Ruffieux, 2018. "Nutritional and economic impact of 5 alternative front-of-pack nutritional labels: experimental evidence," Working Papers hal-01805431, HAL.
    9. Aysegul Kanay & Denis Hilton & Laetitia Charalambides & Jean-Baptiste Corrégé & Eva Inaudi & Laurent Waroquier & Stéphane Cézéra, 2021. "Making the carbon basket count: Goal setting promotes sustainable consumption in a simulated online supermarket," Post-Print hal-03403040, HAL.
    10. Thiene, Mara & Scarpa, Riccardo & Longo, Alberto & Hutchinson, William George, 2018. "Types of front of pack food labels: Do obese consumers care? Evidence from Northern Ireland," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 84-102.
    11. Gautam, Ruskin & Gustafson, Christopher R. & Brooks, Kathleen R., 2017. "Label Position and it Impacts on WTP for Products Containing GMO," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258105, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Nutritional labels; Food choice; Experimental economics; Guideline Daily Amount; Reference intake; Traffic Lights;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D18 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Protection
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments

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