How do design features influence consumer attention when looking for nutritional information on food labels? Results from an eye-tracking study on pan bread labels

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate consumer visual processing of food labels when evaluating the salt content of pan bread labels and to study the influence of label design and nutritional labelling format on consumer attention. A total of 16 pan bread labels, designed according to a full factorial design, were presented to 52 participants, who were asked to decide whether the sodium content of each label was medium or low, while their eye movements were recorded using an eye tracker. Results showed that most participants looked at nutrition labels and the traffic light system to conclude on the salt content of the labels. However, the average percentage of participants who looked at the actual sodium content was much lower. Nutrition information format affected participants' processing of nutrition information. Among other effects, the inclusion of the traffic light system increased participants' attention towards some kind of nutrition information and facilitated its processing, but not its understanding.

Keywords::

• nutritional information
• food labels
• front-of-pack
• eye tracking
• attention

Declaration of interest: The authors are indebted to Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (ANII, Uruguay) for the scholarship granted to Lucía Antúnez and to Espacio Interdisciplinario (Universidad de la República, Uruguay) for financial support. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.