A simpler food rating system may be less effective

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-12-06 03:00

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Health labels on foods can influence buyer behaviour and a more holistic labelling system may be more effective than just labelling foods as 'healthy' or 'unhealthy', according to US research. The team recruited 275 supermarket shoppers in the US and randomised them into experiments testing how two different health labelling systems influenced their choices; the US Food and Drug Administration's binary labels which classify foods as either healthy or not, and a Food Compass Score that combines various health variables to give foods a health score out of 100. The researchers say the likelihood of shoppers picking healthier options increased when exposed to both labelling strategies, but the Food Compass appeared more effective.