Impact of a Front-of-pack Nutrition Labelling on Food Purchases in Contract Catering

Impact of a Front-of-pack Nutrition Labelling on the Nutritional Quality of Purchases of Customers in Contract Catering - a Controlled Trial

This controlled trial investigates the impact of the implementation of a front-of-pack nutrition label, namely Nutri-Score, on foods and beverages sold in a contract catering in France on the nutritional quality of purchases.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Food Labeling
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Front-of-pack nutrition label Nutri-Score

Detailed Description

The introduction of front-of-pack nutrition labelling is thought to help consumers making healthier food choices at the point-of-purchase. In 2017, the French government has selected the Nutri-Score as single front-of-pack nutrition label to be applied on food products sold in French supermarkets, on a voluntary basis.

Some studies have found that the Nutri-Score would help consumers making healthier choices. Nevertheless, its impact has been demonstrated in experimental supermarkets and its implementation only concerns products sold in groceries and supermarkets, as it is stated in the official decree. The potential impact of the Nutri-Score in contract catering remains unknown, while this sector represents a growing share of out-of-home catering and that the promotion of the Nutri-Score in this sector is now part of the National Public Health Plan.

Thus, the objective of the present study is to investigate the impact of the implementation of the Nutri-Score in contract catering restaurants on the nutritional quality of food purchases. The trial will be conducted using a quasi experimental before/after design with a comparison group. Data on purchases will be collected regularly through receipts, and the nutritional quality of purchases will be evaluated over time on two pairs of sites. In each pair of sites, one site will receive an intervention (Nutri-Score) and one site will be a control site. Within each pair, the sites will be comparable in terms of food offer and consumers profile.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 2082
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Bobigny, France, 93017
    • Equipe de recherche en Epidémiologie nutritionnelle

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• all individuals purchasing in the contract catering restaurants will be included.

Exclusion Criteria:

• No

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention arm; In this arm (site n°1), participants will purchase their products in the restaurant first in a control phase and then in an interventional phase with the Nutri-Score affixed on food products.	Behavioral: Front-of-pack nutrition label Nutri-Score; The intervention consists of displaying the Nutri-Score on dishes and pre-packed foods.
No Intervention: Control arm; In this arm (site n°2), participants will purchase their products in the restaurant during the whole study without any label affixed on food products.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in the overall nutritional quality of purchases over time	Score using the Food Standards Agency nutrient profiling system modified by the HCSP, allocating points depending on the amounts in unfavourable elements (energy, saturates, sugars, sodium) and favorable elements (fibres, proteins and fruits, vegetables, nuts and oils (olive, colza, nuts))	Through study completion, an average of 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in energy content of purchases	Energy content of the purchases in kcal / 100g	Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Change in Saturated fat content of purchases	Saturated fat content of the purchases in g / 100g	Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Change in Sugar content of purchases	Sugar content of the purchases in g / 100g	Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Change in Sodium content of purchases	Sodium content of the purchases in mg / 100g	Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Change in Protein content of purchases	Protein content of the purchases in g / 100g	Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Change in Fibre content of purchases	Fibre content of the purchases in g / 100g	Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Change in Fruit, vegetable and nut content of purchases	Fruit, vegetable and nut content of the purchases in % / 100g	Through study completion, an average of 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Paris 13
• Collaborators: ELIOR GESTION

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 16, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 13, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): March 13, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 24, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 30, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): February 5, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 6, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 5, 2021
• Last Verified: August 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: nutritional quality; Food labeling; food purchases
• Other Study ID Numbers: ELIOR

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No