One Label Does Not Fit All : Toward an Integrative Framework of Consumer Response to Front-of-Package Nutrition Label Formats

Nutrition labeling literature yields fragmented results about the effect of front-of-package (FOP) nutrition label formats on healthy food choice. Specifically, it is unclear which type of nutrition label format is effective across different shopping situations. To address this gap, we adopt a novel perspective that is informed by the dual-system view of the mind. A systematic review of nutrition labeling literature returned 59 papers that implicitly provide evidence for the dual-system view. Building on the findings of these studies, we conclude that the effectiveness of nutrition label formats is influenced by the consumer’s dominant processing system, which itself is a function of specific contexts and personal features (e.g., motivation, nutrition knowledge, time pressure, and depletion). The study applies a situational processing perspective to demonstrate that consumers might prefer different FOP nutrition label formats in different situations and can exhibit varying responses to the same label format across situations. We close by offering suggestions for policy makers and researchers to help improve current FOP nutrition label formats