Do firms leverage the FDA nutrient label rounding rules to generate favorable nutrition fact panels or health claims?

Publication date: Available online 9 January 2020Source: Food PolicyAuthor(s): Melissa A. Wright, Timothy K.M. Beatty, Hayley H. ChouinardAbstractThe increasing incidence of nutrition related health concerns has made food labeling an important policy issue. Previous work suggests the importance of communicating nutrition information to consumers through product packaging. This paper investigates the role of labeling guidelines, which allow the rounding of calorie and nutrient levels on nutrition fact panels and affects front of package claims. We examine ready-to-eat cereal products as a bundle of nutrient attributes, and estimate the likelihood and magnitude of the rounding of specific nutrients and calories. We find systematic rounding, both up and down, of several nutrients, which affects allowable health claims and may influence consumer product choice and health outcomes.

Source: Food Policy - January 10, 2020 Category: Food Science Source Type: research