A study found out that in South Africa (SA), warning labels may improve consumer understanding of nutrition information and assist consumers in determining the nutritional quality of packaged foods and drinks – identifying between healthy and unhealthy products.
Titled “South African consumers’ perceptions of front-of-package warning labels on unhealthy foods and drinks” the study was published in the PLoS One Journal.
A Senior Lecturer in the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Makoma Bopape, said the study aimed to explore adult South African consumers’ perceptions of front-of-package Warning Labels (WL) on foods and non-alcoholic beverages and their insights into features that could influence the effectiveness of the warning label.
Bopape added that the study was prompted by the global’s high prevalence of overweight and obesity, which is not unique to South Africa.
The study discovered that most people from all socio-economic backgrounds favoured WL. They claimed that WL informed them about the nutritional composition of food concisely and clearly and could save on shopping time.
Also, the study found that some participants viewed WL as beneficial because they warn of potential health risks, is simple to understand, and may benefit child health.
The study looked into front-of-package labelling (FOPL), a policy tool that could assist consumers in making informed food choices. The policy, which has been used in countries such as Chile and Israel but never in South Africa, presents summarised nutrition information on the front of the package in addition to the comprehensive and scientific nutritional information which usually appears at the back of food packages. “Back-of-package nutrition labeling uses complicated terminology and is difficult for ordinary citizens to interpret,” alluded Bopape.
Some participants expected WL to reduce their purchases of unhealthy foods, while others believed the labels would not affect their purchasing habits. Bopape believed that no country in the world has been able to reverse the rising numbers of overweight and obese people and that the increase has been especially pronounced in low and middle-income countries, including South Africa. “Due to urbanisation, there is a shift from traditional diets to consumption of ultra-processed foods made from multi-ingredient formulated mixtures containing little if any whole foods. Such include ready-to-eat refrigerated processed meat, carbonated drinks, biscuits, and breakfast cereals, which are typically high in sodium, sugar, saturated fats, and calories,” explained Bopape.
She mentions that the South African Demographic and Health Survey (2016) reports an overweight and obesity prevalence of 31% among South African men and an even higher prevalence of 68% among South African women, which is a concern.
“Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and diabetes are becoming more common in low- and middle-to-high-income countries, including South Africa. As a result, comprehensive and effective corrective actions are required to address these trends,” Bopape recommended. She adds that FOPL has been suggested as one of the strategies to prevent and manage NCDs.
WL and the FOPL system tested in the study by Bopape is an interpretive system that helps consumers easily identify products that are high in energy, saturated fats, sugar, and sodium. The labelling system aims to discourage the purchase and overconsumption of unhealthy products by visibly flagging these unhealthy products at the front of the pack, and increasing their risk perception, thereby making unhealthy products easier to identify, and discouraging their purchase and overconsumption.
The WL system evaluates the nutritional quality of food products for the consumer and presents the information in the form of icons or symbols, such as stop signs or triangles depicting danger. These interpretive food labels are more effective than their counterparts at guiding people to eat certain foods.
The study recommended that in South Africa, a policy mandating nutrition warning labels on unhealthy packaged foods could improve South African consumers’ understanding of nutrition information and assist them in identifying unhealthy foods and beverages.
“Consumers have limited shopping time and WL that are conspicuous could serve as a means to quickly identify unhealthy products within a short period,” asserted Bopape.
Full article: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0257626
By evans.khalo@ul.ac.za