Research conducted by IBOPE Intelligence shows that 67% of people, or about 7 out of 10 respondents, prefer nutritional semaphores, compared to 31% who say they prefer the warning model on food and beverage labels. The proposal that uses colors (green, yellow and red) to translate information about the sugars, fat and sodium content of the products – known as Quantitative Nutritional Semaphore – is considered the most clear and didactic for 65% of respondents.
The new proposal of frontal nutrition labeling, which has been discussed by society, aims to bring information about the content of nutrients contained in foods to the front of the packaging. The research made the comparison between the nutritional semaphore model and the warning model, both presented to Anvisa (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária) as proposals for frontal labeling in Brazil. The issue is a priority on the Agency’s regulatory agenda.
The survey also reveals that 81% of the respondents evaluated that the traffic light model facilitates the understanding of nutritional information, against 78% of the warning model. The color system used to classify nutrients on a frontal label is rated as optimal / good by 85% of the population, versus 74% of the warning model. In addition, 47% evaluated the ease of reading and understanding the information with scores 9 or 10, compared to only 26% of the assessment model of the warning.
One more favorable argument for the quantitative nutritional semaphore model is that the relationship between green, yellow and red colors is already common for the Brazilian, while other proposals are based on warning models with messages written on a black background, which do not report the amount of nutrients highlighted.
The population already has a habit of consulting information on the packaging, but emphasizes the need for the adequacy and review of some items. Approximately 3/4 of the population generally seeks information on the packaging to assist in the choice of products. The nutritional chart is the third most sought after item:
Shelf life or date of manufacture: 45%
Price: 24%
Nutrition Facts: 21%
Health warnings (diet, light, no cholesterol, no trans fat, no lactose, contains gluten, etc.): 18%
Brand or manufacturer: 13%
List of ingredients: 10%
Quantity: 7%
Nutrition Semaphore
The model is a frontal label that indicates, by portion, the amount of sodium, total sugars and saturated fat, colored in green, yellow and red. It was developed based on several studies, an analysis of the world scenario and a bibliographic review carried out by the Nucleus of Studies and Research in Food – NEPA, UNICAMP – State University of Campinas.
The color green demonstrates that the levels of the nutrient in question (sugar, saturated fat or sodium) are considered low or suitable for the consumption of the food in the portion when associated with a balanced daily diet.
The yellow color demonstrates that the nutrient levels deserve attention because they signal that a consumption above the recommended portion can compromise the balance of daily food.
The red color demonstrates that nutrient levels are considered high in the recommended daily portion and therefore should have a greater consumption attention when associated with a balanced diet.
About the search
IBOPE Intelligence has heard 2,002 people in 142 counties for quantitative research. In the qualitative research, eight focal groups were conducted (quat in São Paulo and four in Recife), for script application. “Quantitative research was planned to represent the opinion of the population of the country as a whole and covers all regions of Brazil and all socioeconomic levels,” says Patrícia Pavanelli, director of IBOPE Intelligence.
Source: Ibope Intelligence.
Available at: https://goo.gl/ZZwnbg