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RESOURCE:

Designing Front-of-Package Labels to Inform Consumers and Encourage Healthier Food Choices in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study

Lindsay S. Taillie, et al.

New study co-authored by the RTSL nutrition team uses focus groups of consumers in Bangladesh to better understand purchasing decisions and effectiveness of nutrition labels. Chief food purchase concerns include that a food has sufficient beneficial nutrients, is free from germs or toxins, and does not contain high levels of nutrients of concern. Results suggest that front-of-package labels would help consumers more easily identify unhealthy foods and that warning labels were perceived as more effective than color-coded labels.

Abstract:

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.
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