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QUALITATIVE EVALUATION: THE ECUADORIAN TRAFFIC LIGHT
LABEL FOR PROCESSED FOODS
Wilma B. Freire PhD
BACKGROUND
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Source: Freire WB., et al. (2014). Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición de la población ecuatoriana de cero a 59 años. ENSANUT-ECU 2012. Ministerio de Salud Pública/Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos. Quito, Ecuador
1 in 10 Ecuadorians between 50 and 50 has diabetes
3 in 10 school-age children are overweight or
obese
High blood pressure affects 22.7% of
Ecuadorians between
50 and 59
2 of 3 Ecuadorians
between 19 and 59 are overweight
or obese In 2011 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic pulmonary disease accounted for 47.8% of deaths in Ecuadorians between 30 and
70 78.2% of women and
57.1% of men between 30 and 39 have a weight
circumference greater than they should
THE FOOD LABEL POLICY
1. Establishes cut-off points for high, medium, and low concentrations of added fat, sugar, and salt.
2. Establishes the appearance and size of the traffic light label.
3. Requires additional information for energy drinks, alcoholic beverages, genetically modified ingredients, and non-caloric sweeteners and colorants.
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OBJECTIVESGeneral: Evaluates consumer perceptions, use, and understanding of the nutritional label for processed foods.
Specific:1. Analyze consumer perceptions related to consumption patterns and the traffic light label. 2. Evaluate understanding of information contained in the traffic light
label among different population groups. 3. Explore how consumers use the traffic light label to make decisions
regarding purchase and consumption of processed foods.
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FOCUS GROUPSSelection and distribution: 21 groups organized according to: • Region (9 highlands, 10 coast, 2 Eastern lowlands),• Location (8 cities and towns divided by population size: major
city, county, parish),• Sex (separate and mixed groups),• Age group: 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, and 20-64 years. Audio recording, transcription, and analysis using a 3-step coding procedure
KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS• 8 structured interviews with representatives of manufacturers and
commercial sector. • Large, medium, and small producers (including transnationals) and
sellers (supermarkets, neighborhood shops) Interview notes and content analysis.
STRUCTURED OBSERVATION• Collection and analysis of processed food and beverage packages
and containers
METODOLOGY
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Adaptation or compensation
strategies related to processed foods and the traffic light
label
Drink waterConsume
smaller amounts (a small bite,
half a package)
Decrease frequency of consumption
Consume because of lack of healthy
alternativesPreference for
products labelled
MEDIUM or LOW
Avoid consumption because of specific
conditions: diabetes,
hypertension
Consume to satisfy individual
preferences
Increase consumption of products with
artificial sweeteners
Stop consuming products
labelled HIGH
REDUCTION
COMPENSATION
REPLACEMENT
NO CHANGE
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KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS
1. Opposition to the traffic light label· Difficulties in implementation: insufficient time allowed to change packaging.· Information is not useful to consumers.· Consumers are not interested in the label. · Confusion between natural and added fat, sugar, and salt.· Label does not contribute to the underlying problem of overweight and obesity; processed foods are a small part of the diet.· Reduced sales of some products.
2. The GDA label provides more useful information.
de tu ingesta diaria recomendada Valores típicos en 100g: Energía 756 kJ / 213 kcal
Cada paquete contiene
Energía
Grasa
Saturada
Azúcar
Sal
Grasa
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STRUCTURED OBSERVATIONS
Information was collected on different ways that the label is applied in practice: products sold in supermarkets, shops, and kiosks.
Some processed foods and drink containers reveal inconsistencies in the application of the regulation.
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Conclusions:
1. The Ecuadorian traffic light label provides nutritional information that is easily understood by consumers, who use it to make decisions about purchase and consumption of processed foods.
2. The most important feature of the label is the simplicity of the graphic display of information about added fat, sugar, and salt.
3. Successful implementation of nutritional information must be accompanied by monitoring and evaluation components. 9