Evaluatie van het nutri-score label aan de hand van eye-tracking

The 2018 National Health Survey shows that 55% of the adult Belgian population is overweight and 21% suffers from obese, which might result in chronic diseases. The need to stimulate healthy food choices in the Belgian population is therefore crucial. A strategy to encourage consumers to make healthier food choices is the use of front-of-pack labels, of which the Nutri-Score is an example. This label offers consumers clear information about the nutritional quality of food products by using a color scale in combination with classification letters: from dark green (A) to dark red (E). In 2018, Minister of Health Maggie De block decided to introduce the Nutri-Score label, but without making it mandatory. The Nutri-Score label has also been recommended by other European countries, the European Commission and the World Health Organization. More clarity about the effectiveness of this food label could help to steer both national and European policy in a clear direction and to avoid arbitrariness. The aim of this project is therefore to examine whether the Nutri-Score has an effect on the food choices of the consumer. In particular, the following research questions are addressed in this project:

(i) Do consumers focus on the Nutri-Score? Does it stand out sufficiently among other pack elements?

(ii) Do consumers understand the Nutri-Score, does it help them to distinguish healthy from unhealthy food?

(iii) Do consumers make healthier food choices in environments with Nutri-Scores versus environments without Nutri-Scores?

(iv) What are possible barriers to an effective Nutri-Score?

The innovative character of this project lies in the combination of behavioral experiments with eye-tracking, which offers an all-round approach to answer the research questions in depth. The effectiveness of the Nutri-Score will be investigated both inside and outside the lab, ranging from contexts such as supermarkets, student restaurants to drink vending machines.

The findings of this project are relevant for various target groups. These include not only current and future policy makers, but retailers and food producers as well. After all, if the findings are positive, the latter group will possibly adjust product formulas to achieve a more favorable score and have to develop new packaging. This project is carried out in partnership with Sciensano, Delhaize and KU Leuven, among others.