Search Results (121)

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are foods formulated through extensive industrial processing, with little or no natural food constituents, and include ingredients such as artificial colors, flavors, and other food additives to enhance shelf life and palatability. They are typically energy-dense and poor in essential nutrients, including products such as sugar-sweetened beverages, packaged snacks, processed meats, instant noodles and confectioneries. UPF intake has been associated with a wide range of metabolic and inflammatory diseases, especially obesity and adiposity. The transition to independent living and increased dietary autonomy among young adults, particularly university students, are associated with higher reliance on UPF. This narrative review aims to examine the global evidence on the association between UPF consumption and obesity and adiposity outcomes among young adults. Most reviewed studies demonstrated a consistent positive association between UPF consumption and increased obesity and adiposity risks among young adults. UPF consumption within this population is substantial, ranging between 25% and 50% of total energy intake (TEI). The association between UPF consumption and increased risk of obesity and adiposity can be explained through multiple biological and behavioral mechanisms, including high energy density and palatability, disruption of satiety signaling, gut microbiota alterations, and hormonal dysregulation. To reduce the long-term burden of obesity among young adults, public efforts should be directed to important health interventions, such as university awareness nutritional programs, front-of-pack labeling, and policy-level restrictions on UPF marketing. Full article

Background: The Glycemic Index (GI) serves as a critical indicator of carbohydrate quality linked to postprandial glycemic response. As “Low-GI” claims proliferate on front-of-pack labels, it remains unclear how consumers value this complex signal. This study quantifies willingness to pay (WTP) for Low-GI labeling and tests a “motivation–capability” mechanism, positing that health orientation motivates label use, while objective Low-GI knowledge facilitates targeted evaluation across nutritional contexts. Methods: A discrete choice experiment was conducted in China using plain yogurt (N = 910). Mixed logit models analyzed how the valuation of the Low-GI claim is moderated by carbohydrate context, health orientation, and objective knowledge. Results: Results indicate a significant average premium for Low-GI labeling, with health orientation acting as a consistent motivational amplifier. Objective knowledge functions as a critical moderator interacting with carbohydrate context, driving label valuation only in specific low- or high-carbohydrate profiles while triggering skepticism in regular carbohydrate ones. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the public health effectiveness of emerging physiological claims depends jointly on consumer motivation and label-specific literacy. Consequently, policy interventions should combine label standardization with targeted education, equipping consumers with the capability to decode the claim’s physiological meaning rather than relying on a generalized health halo. Full article

Background: Childhood obesity and being overweight represent a global public health challenge; the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) contributes to this problem. In Mexico, public health policies have been implemented to improve school food environments. Objective: To assess the school food environment before the implementation of the guidelines for the preparation, distribution, and sale of food and beverages (SFGs) in three primary schools in Mexico City. Methods: A cross-sectional mixed method study was conducted, including structured non-participatory observation of selling points outside and inside of schools, and availability of drinking fountains and lunchboxes contents. A food waste audit assessment was performed to identify the most frequently consumed products, main ingredients, front-of-package labels, and colorants. Additionally, 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted with school authorities, teachers, and food vendors. Results: SSBs and UPFs selling points were observed outside and inside in public schools, while in private schools, only inside, with use of delivery food apps. Public schools lacked functional drinking fountains. A total of 345 food waste items were collected across the schools, of which 46.3% were SSBs and 53.7% were UPFs. The main ingredient was sugar (15.6%), the principal front-of-package was excess sugar (37.5%), and the most frequently used colorants were red 40 (25.1%). Interview participants reported awareness of the SFGs; however, they identified barriers such as resistance from parents and students and the economic dependence of school cooperatives on UPFs sales. Conclusions: These findings highlight structural and economic challenges for the effective implementation of public policies promoting healthier school food environments. Full article

Text recognition on coffee bean package labels is of great importance for product tracking and brand verification, but it poses a challenge due to variations in image quality, packaging materials, and environmental conditions. In this paper, we propose a pipeline that combines several image enhancement techniques and is followed by an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) model based on vision–language (VL) Qwen VL variants, conditioned by structured prompts. To facilitate the evaluation, we construct a coffee bean package image set containing two subsets, namely low-resolution (LRCB) and high-resolution coffee bean image sets (HRCB), enclosing multiple real-world challenges. These cases involve various packaging types (bottles and bags), label sides (front and back), rotation, and different illumination. To address the image quality problem, we design a dedicated preprocessing pipeline for package label situations. We develop and evaluate four Qwen-VL OCR variants with prompt engineering, which are compared against four baselines: DocTR, PaddleOCR, EasyOCR, and Tesseract. Extensive comparison using various metrics, including the Levenshtein distance, Cosine similarity, Jaccard index, Exact Match, BLEU score, and ROUGE scores (ROUGE-1, ROUGE-2, and ROUGE-L), proves significant improvements upon the baselines. In addition, the public POIE dataset validation test proves how well the framework can generalize, thus demonstrating its practicality and reliability for label recognition. Full article

In vitro meat presents a promising alternative to conventional meat production by addressing environmental and animal welfare concerns. However, broader market adoption depends on increasing consumer acceptance. Labels on product packaging have been shown to be effective in influencing consumer behavior in previous studies. This paper examines the impact of different front-of-package labels on German consumers’ choices regarding in vitro chicken meat, with the goal of identifying effective labeling strategies. To investigate this, an online choice experiment was conducted with 200 participants from Germany. In addition to the label, products varied in terms of price, origin, and calorie content. The data were analyzed using latent class analysis, which identified four distinct consumer segments characterized by their preferences, attitudes, and personal characteristics. The results were used to simulate market scenarios, evaluating the effectiveness of different labeling strategies for in vitro chicken meat. These insights provide a foundation for targeted marketing approaches that promote consumer acceptance and inform the introduction of in vitro meat products in Germany. Full article

Background: Health consciousness refers to an individual’s level of knowledge and concern regarding the impact of food on personal health; sensory appeal to the influence of attributes such as taste, aroma, appearance, and texture on food preference; and perception of front-of-package (FOP) labels refers to how the presentation of nutritional information on the package affects product choice. Given the increasing concerns about unhealthy food consumption among university students and the role of FOP labels in guiding food choices, it is essential to understand how these factors influence purchase intentions. Objective: This study was to examine the relationship between health consciousness, sensory appeal, and perception of FOP labels with purchase intentions for unhealthy foods in university students. Methods: A cross-sectional predictive study involved 361 students from public and private universities using a non-probability purpose-sampling approach. Data were collected through a previously validated questionnaire and analyzed using multiple linear regression. Results: The results revealed a significant positive association between sensory appeal and purchase intentions for unhealthy foods (β = 0.339; p < 0.001). In contrast, health consciousness (β = −0.296; p < 0.001) and perception of FOP labels (β = −0.237; p < 0.001) were inversely related to purchase intentions. Conclusion: These findings suggest that promoting health consciousness, improving perceptions of FOP labels, and addressing sensory appeal could effectively encourage healthier eating habits and prevent diet-related diseases among university students. Full article

Background: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) represent a substantial part of modern diets, with a growing prevalence in food environments worldwide. Their unfavourable nutritional composition and adverse health effects present growing public health concerns. Methods: This study examines the prevalence of UPFs in the Slovenian food supply, their nutritional quality and the use of different food symbols and labelling schemes on food packaging. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the representative Slovenian branded foods database. A total of 23,173 prepacked foods and beverages were categorised into levels of processing according to the NOVA classification system. The nutritional composition of UPFs was compared to less processed products within 16 narrow subcategories. Additionally, the prevalence in the use of front-of-package nutrition labelling (FOPNL) and subjectively nutrition-related elements (SNREs) (such as EU Organic, Vegan labels etc.) were assessed across different food categories and processing levels. Results: Results show that UPFs represent 54.5% of the available products in the Slovenian food supply, with the highest prevalence in Confectionery (93%), Bread and bakery products (83%), Meat, meat products and alternatives (77%) and Convenience foods (74%). Comparison of nutritional composition indicated that UPFs had significantly poorer nutritional composition compared to less processed counterparts, including higher levels of sugar, salt and saturated fats, and a lower protein content. Breakfast cereals, Snack foods, Meat alternatives and Pre-prepared salads and sandwiches showed the most significant differences between UPFs and less processed counterparts. Analysis of the prevalence of symbols and labelling schemes revealed that 33.8% of products carried at least one FOPNL (15.0%) or SNRE (19.1%), with SNREs being more prevalent on less processed products and FOPNL predominantly used on UPFs (p < 0.05). The most prevalent SNRE was the EU Organic logo (12.7%), followed by the Vegan (4.7%) and Non-GMO (3.1%) logos, whereas the most frequent FOPNL was Reference Intakes (RI), presenting only energy value RI-Energy (12.5%), followed by nutrient-specific RI (1.6%), while other FOPNL were scarce and limited to certain categories. An additional comparison of visual presentation highlighted the potentially selective use of voluntary FOPNL to improve product framing. This raises concerns about their role in guiding consumer choices versus serving as marketing tools, especially when it comes to UPFs. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for monitoring UPFs in the food supply together with harmonised, mandatory labelling regulations to ensure transparency and empower consumers to make healthier choices. Full article

The growing global focus on the adverse health conditions associated with excessive sugar consumption has prompted health and policy organizations as well as the public to take a more mindful approach to health and wellness. In response, food and beverage companies have proactively innovated and reformulated their product portfolios to incorporate low and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCSs) as viable alternatives to sugar. LNCSs offer an effective and safe approach to delivering sweetness to foods and beverages and reducing calories and sugar intake while contributing to the enjoyment of eating. The objective of this paper is to enhance the understanding of LNCSs segmentation and definitions, dietary consumption and reduction guidance, front-of-package labeling, taste and sensory perception and physiology, metabolic efficacy and impact, as well as the overall safety of LNCSs and sugar. Full article

Background: The European Commission has called for a harmonised front-of-package nutritional label (FOPNL) system in the European region. The Keyhole is a widely adopted positive FOPNL used in several Nordic countries. The Nutri-Score is a five-level graded FOPNL, more recently introduced in Western Europe. Both FOPNLs are supported by intrinsically different nutrient profiling systems (NPSs). A third NPS is the Choices NPS, which originally supported a positive FOPNL similar to the Keyhole and has been expanded into a five-level NPS. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to investigate the overall alignment between both the Choices and Nutri-Score multi-level NPSs and the Keyhole NPS. Furthermore, food group-based alignment was analysed to understand the main sources of misalignment. Methods: In this study, we extracted 1064 food/drink items from the food and beverage database of the Swedish Food Administration. All products were assessed according to all three NPSs, and alignment was assessed, using the Keyhole NPS as a recommendation-based reference. Two definitions of alignment were examined—healthier (more lenient, i.e., two highest grades) and healthiest (stricter, i.e., only the highest grade). Results: The overall alignment between the Choices and Keyhole NPSs was similar to that between the Nutri-Score and Keyhole NPSs (89% and 85% alignment under the healthiest definition, i.e., stricter). However, two food groups showed poor alignment between the Nutri-Score NPS and the Keyhole NPS (~60%). Under the healthier (more lenient) definition, the alignment for both the Choices and Nutri-Score systems with the Keyhole system was lower (86% and 79%). Conclusions: The alignments and misalignments between the Choices/Nutri-Score systems and the Keyhole system prompt important considerations for future developments of FOPNL systems for the Nordic countries. Extending the Keyhole NPS to include a multi-level criterion could potentially help consumers identify healthier choices, even for less nutritious foods. Full article

Background: To help consumers make healthier choices, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been charged with developing a front-of-package label (FOPL) to appear on US packaged foods and beverages. One option being explored is the use of “high-in” FOPLs for added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat using a threshold of ≥20% of the recommended daily value (%DV) per portion/serving size to define “high-in”. While research has addressed what FOPL designs are most effective at visually communicating “high-in”, less attention has been paid to the nutrient profile model (NPM) used to decide which products should receive these labels. In addition, several established regional NPMs already exist that identify products that are high in nutrients of concern, but it is unclear how these compare to the FDA’s %DV approach. Methods: We used a dataset of 51,809 US products from Mintel’s Global New Products Database to examine how the FDA’s current definition of “high-in” compares to three established regional NPMs: the Canadian NPM, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) NPM, and Chile’s NPM. Results: Overall agreement between the four NPMs was 51% for foods and 72% for beverages, with highest agreement in categories such as sweetened sodas (87%), and lowest agreement in categories such as bread (14%) and salty snacks (29%). The Canadian NPM showed the highest agreement to the FDA “high-in” criteria while the Chilean and PAHO models had lower agreement. For many food categories, the FDA’s definition of “high-in” would require the fewest products to carry a “high-in” label. This issue was particularly pronounced in categories that tend to be served in small portions (e.g., salty snacks, bars), but disappeared or reversed for categories that are served in larger portions (e.g., frozen and non-frozen main dishes). Conclusions: The NPM chosen has important policy implications for an FOPL system’s ability to identify unhealthy foods and incentivize companies to reformulate products. Based on these results, the FDA should consider using a stronger NPM similar to those used elsewhere in the Americas region when deciding the final thresholds for “high-in” for US packaged foods and beverages. Full article

The Smart Choice logo (SCL), as an encouraging form of front-of-package nutrition labeling (FOPNL), helps consumers to choose low-oil, -salt, and -sugar mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is widely acknowledged that nutrition knowledge contributes to nutrition label use, but there has been little research on whether it helps enhance consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP). Our study aims to fill this gap by investigating 630 randomly selected Chinese adults from Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Henan, Sichuan, and Guangdong. The semi-double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent value method was selected to measure their WTP for pre-packed mooncakes with the SCL at 20 different premium levels, ranging from 0% to 95% of the price per unit. It was found that the respondents’ WTP decreased by 0.7% as the premium level increased by 1%, and the WTP of people from South China, those who were obese, and those with a high income was not sensitive to changes in premium. Nutrition knowledge played a negative moderating role, and the probability of the premium levels affecting WTP decreased by 1.0% for each 1 point increase in the nutrition knowledge level. These findings highlight the potential implications associated with SCL promotion and differentiated mooncake pricing, as well as the supply of healthier Chinese holiday foods. Full article

Background/Objectives: Front-of-package labeling (FOPL) policies are a useful strategy to inform consumers about foods high in nutrients of concern, but little is known about what type of label works best in Bangladesh, a country with increasing levels of unhealthy food intake and diet-related diseases. Methods: We conducted 10 focus groups with men and women in rural and urban Bangladesh (n = 76). Using a semi-structured discussion guide, we asked consumers for their perceptions of the healthfulness of nutrients and foods, two common FOPLs (a color-coded guideline daily allowance [GDA] label and a warning label), and different visual elements of the warning label (e.g., shape, icon, text). Results: Participants understood the health harms of sugar and salt consumption but were less clear on saturated fat. Both FOPLs were perceived as helpful for identifying unhealthy foods, but the warning labels were perceived as easier to understand and more likely to influence behaviors than the GDA. Regarding the design of warning labels, participants perceived warning devices, holding straps, and octagonal shapes as effective but had mixed reactions to which icons or textual statements were most effective. Conclusions: FOPLs are likely to facilitate Bangladeshi consumers’ ability to identify unhealthy products. Further research is needed to understand the impact on food choices as well as the most effective design in this population. Full article

Background: Front-of-package labeling (FOPL) is shown to support healthier consumer choices. Many countries have adopted different FOPL systems. Objective: This study explored perceptions and understanding of three FOPLs and identified features that could enhance their effectiveness in Kenya. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted across four Kenyan counties—Nairobi, Mombasa, Garissa, and Kisumu. Data from 12 focus group discussions with 137 adults of diverse socio-demographic backgrounds were analysed. Participants evaluated three FOPLs: Red and Green (RG) Octagon, Red and Green Octagon with icons and text (RGI), and Black Octagon Warning Label (WL). The FGDs assessed visibility and memorability, comprehension, potential effectiveness, and cultural relevance of each label. NVivo version 14.0 was used for thematic analysis. Results: Kenyan consumers had mixed perceptions of the proposed FOPLs. The black Octagon WL was found to be the most visible and memorable due to its bright colours. Although the RG and RGI symbols were visually engaging, some participants reported confusion with the colour meanings. The WL was also more readily understood due to its text. Overall, WL was preferred for its potential to influence purchasing decisions, while all three FOPLs were considered culturally suitable. Conclusions: The Black Octagon Warning Label was the most visible and comprehensible of the three FOPLs and shows promise in influencing consumer behaviour in Kenya. While RG and RGI symbols are appealing, their colour scheme could reduce their effectiveness. Educating consumers on FOPLs could enhance their impact in reducing unhealthy food purchases. Full article

Background: Front-of-pack-labels (FOPLs) on packaged foods provide essential information to help consumers make informed dietary choices. However, evidence on their effectiveness, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Kenya, is limited. Objective: This study assessed the effectiveness of three FOPLs in helping consumers identify nutrients of concern in packaged food products and influencing their purchase intention in Kenya. Methods: A total of 2198 shoppers from supermarkets in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Garissa were randomized into three groups: Red and Green Octagon label (RG), Red and Green Octagon with icons (RGI), and Black Octagon Warning label (WL). In the control phase, participants were shown unlabeled images of packaged foods, followed by questions. In the experimental phase, the same images were presented with one assigned FOPL, and participants responded again to the same set of questions. Differences in correct identification of nutrients of concern and changes in purchase intention were analyzed using frequency tables and Chi-Square tests, while modified Poisson regression assessed FOPL effectiveness. Results: FOPLs significantly improved correct nutrient identification and reduced the intention to purchase unhealthy foods, with the WL proving most effective. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of FOPLs, particularly the WL, as an effective regulatory tool for promoting healthier food choices in Kenya. Full article

Front-of-pack labeling (FOPL) may represent an important instrument for the food industry in the promotion of food product reformulation. The present cross-sectional study used salt reduction in packaged breads as a case study, aiming to investigate whether two different types of FOPL (i.e., Nutri-Score (NS) and NutrInform battery (NIB)) can capture food reformulation and thus be effective tools for encouraging reformulation. The Nutri-Score and NIB were calculated by consulting the nutritional declarations and ingredient lists of 527 packaged breads currently sold in Italy before and after applying three different theoretical reformulation strategies: (i) a 25% salt decrease from the current median salt content in bread; (ii) a reduction of up to 0.825 g/100 g of salt, corresponding to the sodium benchmark of 330 mg/100 g set by the World Health Organization (WHO); and (iii) the minimum salt reduction needed to improve the NS by one grade. The results show that only ~44% of breads had improved NSs when the sodium was lowered to reach the WHO benchmark or when salt was reduced by 25%, whereas large variability was observed in the minimum salt reduction needed to improve the NS. Regarding the NIB, the battery for salt improved when both strategies of reformulation were applied. FOPL is not always effective in capturing food reformulation in terms of salt reduction, possibly discouraging the efforts of food companies to improve the nutritional quality of foods. Full article