Decoding the Interplay of Front-of-Pack Labels, Price, and Consumer Perceptions: Impact on Food Choices in Korea and Singapore

Summary

The global epidemic of obesity and chronic diseases has led to widespread use of front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labels. While existing research has established a link between FOP labels and consumer choices, the interplay between product types, consumer perceptions, and label effectiveness is underexplored. This study examines: 1) whether consumers perceive healthier food item as more expensive when healthiness is less obvious; 2) how FOP labels mediate the relationship among product characteristics, price, and consumer's belief about food healthiness and price on choices; and 3) whether food choice changes given a price, with and without FOP labels, are more prominent for products where the perceived healthiness by consumers significantly differs from label indications. The investigators will conduct experiments with online panelists in Korea and Singapore in two settings: restaurant menus and grocery items. Results will inform more impactful nutritional information policies for healthier food choices and improved population health.

Conditions

• Consumer Behavior

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Positively framed FOP labels (present versus absent) x Price (high versus low)

The intervention combines either a front-of-pack (FOP) label that frames high nutrition or no FOP label with price variation. Products are randomly assigned to either receive a positively-framed FOP label or no label, and to either a high or a low price. This yields four experimental arms: 1. Positively framed FOP label with high price 2. Positively framed FOP label with low price 3. No label with high price 4. No label with low price

BEHAVIORAL

Graded FOP labels (no label vs. high rating (grade A) vs. low rating (grade D)) x Price (average vs. premium)

The intervention combines either a graded front-of-pack (FOP) labelling or no FOP labelling with price variation. Products are randomly assigned to either receive a graded label or no label, and to either a premium or an average price. This yields six experimental arms: 1. High grade (A) with premium price 2. Low grade (D) with premium price 3. No label with premium price 4. High grade (A) with average price 5. Low grade (D) with average price 6. No label with average price

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Korea University

  collaborator OTHER

• National University of Singapore

  collaborator OTHER

• Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sang Hyeon Lee · Korea University

• Soye Shin · Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-10-31

Primary Completion

2025-12-31

Completion

2025-12-31