Effects on Consumers' Subjective Understanding and Liking of Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels: A Study on Slovenian and Dutch Consumers

Angelo Baccelloni; Andrea Giambarresi; Marco Francesco Mazzù

doi:10.3390/foods10122958

Effects on Consumers' Subjective Understanding and Liking of Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels: A Study on Slovenian and Dutch Consumers

Foods. 2021 Dec 1;10(12):2958. doi: 10.3390/foods10122958.

Authors

Angelo Baccelloni¹, Andrea Giambarresi², Marco Francesco Mazzù³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Communication and Social Research, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Salaria, 00198 Roma, Italy.
² Department of Business and Management, LUISS Guido Carli University, Viale Romania, 00197 Rome, Italy.
³ Luiss Business School, Via Nomentana, 00162 Roma, Italy.

Abstract

In the context of the ongoing debate on front-of-pack labels (FOPL), extant research highlights a lack of clear indications on which label is most effective in increasing consumers' knowledge of food nutritional quality, and in favoring informed food choices. In this study, we have compared the effects of two different labels, one nutrient-specific label (i.e., NutrInform Battery) and one summary label (i.e., Nutri-Score), in terms of consumers' "subjective understanding" and "liking". Our work advances prior research on FOPL performance by focusing on two different countries-which have different socio-political contexts and which, from previous studies, present limited evidence on the topic-Slovenia, currently utilizing the Protective Food logo, and the Netherlands, who has recently adopted the Nutri-Score. The study also confirms, in line with previous research, a higher effectiveness of the nutrient-specific label, NutrInform Battery, on all analyzed dimensions in tested countries, when compared to the summary label, Nutri-Score.

Keywords: Netherlands; NutrInform Battery; Nutri-Score; Slovenia; front-of-pack nutritional label; liking; obesity; overweight; subjective understanding.