Work

Impact of whole-grain labelling on food choice and perceived healthfulness: A randomised choice experiment

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Whole-grain intake is critical to lower cardio-metabolic disease risk, yet global consumption remains below recommended levels. Online grocery shopping offers an opportunity to provide consumers with clearer whole-grain content information, potentially leading to healthier choices. This study assessed whether whole-grain labelling in an online shopping context could increase selection of whole-grain products and perceived healthfulness. METHODS AND RESULTS: Australian adults (n = 2013) participated in an online choice experiment, where respondents were randomised to either an intervention (with colour-coded whole-grain labelling) or a control group (no labelling). All participants were shown four food categories, each with three food alternatives varying in whole-grain content. For each food category, participants were asked to select which product they would purchase and rank products from most to least healthy. Prevalence ratios for selecting the 'best choice' (i.e. highest in whole grains) and correctly ranking products healthfulness were calculated using log binomial regression. The prevalence of choosing the 'best choice' product was significant, between 1.33 (95 % CI 1.19-1.48; p < 0.001) and 1.77 (1.58-1.99; p < 0.001) times as high in the intervention group compared to the control group across food categories. The prevalence of correctly ranking product healthfulness was significantly higher in the intervention group, with prevalence ratios ranging from 1.37 (95 % CI: 1.24-1.50; p < 0.001) to 2.00 (1.81-2.22; p < 0.001) across food categories. CONCLUSION: Providing whole-grain information and interpretive labelling at the online point-of-sale may increase choice of whole-grain food and enhance perceptions of healthfulness. This strategy has the potential to improve public health by increasing whole-grain consumption.

Source: Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases

DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2025.104406

Authors: Agnivo Sengupta, Kathy Trieu, Eleanor J. Beck, Jason HY. Wu, Simone Pettigrew, Eden M. Barrett

Institutions: UNSW Sydney, The George Institute for Global Health

Language: English

Topic: Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,000