Big picture vs. small details: exploring how front-of-package labels influence healthy food consumption and cognitive processing

BackgroundFront-of-package labeling (FoPL) has been increasingly implemented as a public health nutrition strategy to promote healthier dietary choices and reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases. However, the effectiveness of different FoPL formats and the cognitive pathways associated with consumers’ food perceptions and choices remain unclear. This study aimed to examine how different FoPL types influence consumers’ health perceptions, food choices, and cognitive pathway patterns.MethodsTwo experimental studies were conducted. Study 1 employed a 2 × 2 between-subjects online experiment comparing FoPL type (summary vs. nutrient-specific) and color coding (absent vs. present) among 237 participants. Two-way ANCOVA was used to examine the effects of FoPL design on health perception changes and food choice changes while controlling for health food interest and functional health literacy. Study 2 expanded the stimuli to multiple low-health food categories and compared three experimental conditions among 138 participants: a Health Star Rating summary label, a Multiple Traffic Light-style color-coded nutrient-specific label, and a No-FoPL control condition. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine indirect associations involving nutrition accuracy, food health perception, and intentions to purchase low-health foods.ResultsIn Study 1, a significant interaction effect between FoPL type and color coding was observed for health perception changes (F = 11.08, p < 0.001). Specifically, nutrient-specific labels with color coding generated significantly higher perceived healthfulness than nutrient-specific labels without color coding. However, no significant main or interaction effects were found for food choice changes. In Study 2, the summary-label condition showed a significant indirect association with lower intentions to purchase low-health foods through food health perception (β = −0.326, p = 0.028). In contrast, the color-coded nutrient-specific-label condition showed a significant sequential indirect association involving nutrition accuracy and food health perception (β = −0.119, p = 0.044). The two models explained substantial variance in intentions to purchase low-health foods, with R2 values of 0.504 for the summary-label model and 0.404 for the nutrient-specific-label model.ConclusionDifferent FoPL designs were associated with distinct cognitive pathway patterns. Summary labels were more closely linked to food health perception, whereas nutrient-specific labels, especially when combined with color coding, were linked to nutrition accuracy and subsequent health perception. These findings provide practical implications for optimizing FoPL policies and designing more effective nutrition communication strategies to promote healthier dietary behaviors.