Effect of food labeling on children

Further increases in health problems in children such as tooth decay or obesity are a societal problem. Attempts to educate via labeling about health critical ingredients and animate to health compliant behavior should counteract these problems. But such references also affect children? And if so, how should they be designed? These questions are answered currently part of a research project on the "Kinderkaufladen competence" at the Department of Marketing at the University of Siegen.

"From a first study shows that a warning children can increasingly resort to a healthy place to an unhealthy alternative. However, they are in foods popular brands more willing to beat caution to the wind, "says Prof. Dr. Hanna Schramm Klein, Head of the Department of Marketing.

In order to get the first results to the interplay between warnings and brands, was conducted by the Department of Marketing at the University of Siegen an experimental preliminary study. The effect of warnings regarding popular or unpopular brands was examined.

One group of participating students were on unhealthy drinks with the remark "Pass! This is not good for your teeth! "Offered, the other received no such verbal warning. The main results: In fact, the warning led to less lemonade was drunk, but this effect was significantly less effective than in the infamous brand of the popular brand.

Obviously, children with food popular brands more willing to ignore warnings. This raises a particular responsibility for the manufacturer of popular brands. At the same time, the Company is required to educate children regarding hazardous substances. How exactly can be done, the authors examine Prof. Dr. Hanna Schramm-Klein, Dr. Gunnar Mau and Celina Steffen in further studies.

To the background:

46 percent of first graders suffer during their childhood childhood caries. This is partly due to the consumption of sugar-containing foods, prefer the children to congenital taste preferences. For other hazardous products, such as. Cigarettes, is trying to solve by labeling about health critical ingredients and animate to health-compliant behavior. Actually occupy the first studies that such warnings in adults can take effects on the usage of hazardous products.

However, with food do not require the identification of critical health ingredients. Nutrients and energy content are given only in the form of a nutritional table on product packaging.

The much-discussed color coding of food using a traffic light system has been prevented by the European Parliament last year. The favored by the food industry model of "Guideline Daily Amounts", which serves as a guideline for the recommended daily intake of energy and certain ingredients, will remain voluntary. The question remains as to this day, whether (and how) warnings in children work at all. And if so, how they must be then designed.

"For retailers and manufacturers that question is doubly relevant," explains Prof. Dr. Schramm-Klein and elaborates: "On one hand, companies have social responsibility - especially for children - and with it the need to precisely this group of consumers against health risks to protect. On the other hand, companies have the goal of positioning performance directed their brands. "Against this background, the influence of brands in this context, in this study, therefore, in addition to the effect of health warnings reviewed.

Source: Siegen [University]