Effect of the traffic-light system on nutrition labeling in processed food products in the Ecuadorian population

Abstract

The 2012 Ecuadorian National Nutrition and Health Survey found that a high proportion of the country's population is overweight or obese. To address this health issue, in 2013, the Ecuadorian government implemented the use of a mandatory traffic-light (TL) nutritional labeling to be displayed on all processed food and beverages for sale in the country. We aimed to evaluate Ecuadorian consumers’ preferences for the nutritional attributes represented in the TL nutritional labels. In this cross-sectional study, 1,152 Ecuadorian consumers aged 18 and older in charge of food purchases completed an online survey. Results of a choice experiment with yogurt products revealed strong preferences and willingness to pay for yellow and green labels reaching price premiums of $1.15 for fat and $1.34 for sugar relative to red labels. The study provides evidence that consumers have high understanding of the TL nutritional labeling and prefer products with colors representing healthier alternatives.