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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #311977
Research Project: Dietary Guidelines Adherence and Healthy Body Weight Maintenance

Location: Healthy Body Weight Research

Title: Changes in front-of-pack food labeling from 2007-2014

Author
item HOFFMANN, ANA - University Of Tennessee
item COLBY, SARAH - University Of Tennessee
item Jahns, Lisa

Submitted to: Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2015
Publication Date: 3/28/2015
Citation: Hoffmann, A., Colby, S., Jahns, L.A. 2015. Changes in front-of-pack food labeling from 2007-2014 [abstract]. Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 29:382.2.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Objective: The objectives were to describe the proportions of packaged foods with front-of pack (FOP) nutrition marketing or marketing to children that were high in saturated fat, sodium, and/or sugar content, and changes in the proportions from 2007 to 2014. Methods: FOP nutrition marketing, child marketing, and nutrient criteria from the Nutrition Facts Label on all packaged food items in a large Midwestern supermarket were recorded in 2007 (n = 5,500) and again in 2014 (n = 6,324). Products were coded as high or not high in saturated fat (>20% daily value), sodium (>20% daily value), and/or sugar (fruit or milk based products =21 g sugar and non-fruit or milk based =6 g sugar). The data were weighted by number of product variations and chi-square analyses and frequency distributions were computed. Results: The proportion of products with FOP nutrition marketing was greater in 2014 (62%) than in 2007 (49%) (p <0.001). Of those products with nutrition marketing in 2014, 44.7% had nutrition marketing and were high in saturated fat, sodium, and/or sugar, compared to 48% in 2007. Only 3.1% of all products were marketed towards children in 2014, compared to 16% in 2007; 78.1% also had nutrition marketing in 2014 compared with 71% in 2007. Of those child-marketed products with nutrition marketing in 2014, 71.3% were high in saturated fat, sodium, and/or sugar which was greater than the 58.6% found in 2007 (p <0.001). A food company symbol was the most common marketing tactic in all product categories. Conclusions: Products marketed to children in 2014 had FOP nutrition marketing more often and was more often high in saturated fat, sodium, and/or sugar. This may suggest that clinicians should advise consumers to evaluate products based on the Nutrition Facts Label. Support: USDA-ARS 3062-51000-051-00D.