The effects of the 2020 food labeling regulation on consumer decisions

Abstract

In 2020, the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) introduced an update to food labelling regulations aimed at enhancing the clarity of information provided to consumers and improving their understanding of the nutritional content of food products, particularly regarding the presence of added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, which are highlighted on labels as warning messages. Based on this regulatory change, this article seeks to analyse how the 2020 food labelling law affects consumers’ choices. To achieve this objective, a case study was conducted through the administration of a questionnaire to 393 residents of the municipality of Pinhalzinho, in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The responses were subsequently analysed using descriptive statistical methods. The findings indicate that the implementation of front-of-package nutrition labelling exerted a modest influence on consumers’ purchase intentions, while also revealing significant differences in responses between consumers with and without children, as well as between men and women. The attributes identified as most important at the time of purchase were product expiry date, price, and ingredient quality.