Nutrition Labeling Program to Promote Healthy Dietary Patterns

The increase in diet related diseases worldwide is considered to be primarily caused by a changing environment encouraging high energy intakes and a sedentary lifestyle. Examples of important environmental factors are the changing nature of the food supply, the changing socio-demographic structure of the population, the lack of nutrition information and the increasing reliance on foods consumed away from home. This evolution has driven the development of measures to encourage more healthy eating patterns. Nutrition labelling is one of those measures. Since adults and students spend approximately half their waking hours at the workplace or university, the work or study environment is believed to be an appropriate setting to assess and try to change individuals' dietary behaviour. This study aims to evaluate a nutrition labelling program in improving university canteen customers' dietary pattern and behavioural determinants (e.g. knowledge).