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