Multi-stakeholder perspectives on food labels and the future of healthy eating

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dc.contributor.advisorJoubert, Elizabethen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorGuetterman, Timothyen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorSigge, Gunnaren_ZA
dc.contributor.authorTodd, Melvien_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Food Science.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-02T12:16:01Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-16T12:43:14Z
dc.date.available2022-11-02T12:16:01Z
dc.date.available2023-01-16T12:43:14Z
dc.date.issued2022-12
dc.descriptionThesis (PhDFoodSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa, like many other countries throughout the world, is grappling with the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, caused in part by an unhealthy diet. This study investigated how changes to the presentation of nutritional information on food labels can potentially help South Africans judge the healthiness of food, thereby potentially guiding them towards healthier choices and beneficial health outcomes. As a point of departure for the study, the value-adding potential of legislating health claims on food labels was considered. Draft legislation to allow health claims have been pending since 2014, and the legislation also does not address any claims pertaining to the health potential of our indigenous food plants, despite notable research spending in this area. Interviews (n = 49) with stakeholders with varied expertise revealed strong evidence for economic value creation potential from health claims, however, this was skewed towards businesses. The findings were less clear about other forms of value and the potential beneficiaries. Developing metrics that people understand and that relate to all forms of value will be required to ensure that health claims on food labels, should they be permitted, do not only benefit a select group of stakeholders. Delving deeper into the question of whether legislating health claims on food labels would be useful for consumers revealed more challenges than opportunities. Persistent impediments to use of the information and unresolved questions about the substantiation and enforcement of health claims were of particular concern. At the same time, no solution appeared apparent for reaching consumers in the informal market with nutritional information. While legislating health claims is not recommended at present, numerous front-of-pack (FOP) label proposals were made by the interview participants. In the final stage of the study, consumers (n = 1 261) were asked to compare FOP labels and a health claim relative to a no-label control, applied to a fictitious cereal product, a commonly consumed processed food in South Africa. Both health warnings and health star rating showed promise in terms of assisting consumers in identifying less healthful products, but effect sizes were largest for the warning label. This outcome requires validation with more product categories, as well as testing in real-world settings. The study culminated with the presentation of a three-phased nutritional labelling strategy for South Africa: ‘Make it clearer’, ‘make it simpler’, ‘make it smarter’ - intended to illustrate the need to take action now whilst simultaneously planning for the future. At a policy level, while South Africa plans for the implementation of FOP labels, we should be actively planning for the labelling of the future – one which will be more technologically enabled. The findings of this study may provide policy-makers and decision-makers, such as the Department of Health, with valuable information about the presentation of nutritional information on food labelling (i.e. selecting FOP labels for further real- world testing), as well as setting the course for the future.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika, soos baie ander lande regoor die wêreld, worstel met die toenemende las van nie- oordraagbare siektes wat deels deur 'n ongesonde dieet veroorsaak word. Hierdie studie het ondersoek ingestel na hoe veranderinge aan die aanbieding van voedingsinligting op voedseletikette Suid-Afrikaners moontlik kan help om die gesondheid van voedsel te beoordeel, en hulle sodoende moontlik te lei tot gesonder keuses en voordelige gesondheidsuitkomste. As uitgangspunt vir die studie is die waardetoevoegingspotensiaal van die wetgewing ten opsigte van gesondheidsaansprake op voedseletikette oorweeg. Konsepwetgewing om gesondheidsaansprake toe te laat is sedert 2014 hangende, en die wetgewing spreek ook geen eise aan wat betrekking het op die gesondheidspotensiaal van ons inheemse voedselplante nie, ten spyte van noemenswaardige navorsingsbesteding op hierdie gebied. Onderhoude (n = 49) met belanghebbendes met verskei kundighedehet het sterk bewyse gelewer vir ekonomiese waardeskeppingspotensiaal uit gesondheidsaansprake, maar dit was meestal vir besighede. Die bevindinge ten opsigte van ander vorme van waardetoevoeging en die potensiële begunstigdes was minder duidelik. Die ontwikkeling van maatstawwe wat mense verstaan en wat verband hou met alle vorme van waarde sal vereis word om te verseker dat gesondheidsaansprake op voedseletikette, sou dit toegelaat word, nie net 'n uitgesoekte groep belanghebbendes bevoordeel nie. Verdere ondersoek na die vraag of wetgewing van gesondheidsaansprake op voedseletikette nuttig vir verbruikers sou wees, het meer uitdagings as geleenthede aan die lig gebring. Aanhoudende struikelblokke vir die gebruik van die inligting en onopgeloste vrae oor die stawing en afdwinging van gesondheidsaansprake was veral kommerwekkend. Terselfdertyd het geen oplossing aan die lug gekom om verbruikers in die informele mark met voedingsinligting te bereik nie. Terwyl wetgewing van gesondheidsaansprake tans nie aanbeveel word nie, is talle voor-op-verpakking-etiketvoorstelle deur die deelnemers aan die onderhoude gemaak. In die finale stadium van die studie is verbruikers (n = 1 261) gevra om voor-op-verpakking-etikette en 'n gesondheidsaanspraak met betrekking tot 'n geen-etiket kontrole te vergelyk, toegepas op 'n fiktiewe graanproduk, 'n algemeen verbruikte verwerkte voedselproduk in Suid-Afrika. Beide gesondheidswaarskuwings en gesondheid-stergraderings het belofte getoon om verbruikers te help om minder gesonde produkte te identifiseer, maar effekgroottes was die grootste vir die waarskuwingsetiket. Hierdie uitkoms vereis validering met meer produk-kategorieë, sowel as toetsing in werklike omgewings. Die studie het geeindig met die aanbieding van 'n driefase-strategie vir voedingsetikettering: 'Maak dit duideliker', 'maak dit eenvoudiger', 'maak dit slimmer'. Die strategie se doel is om die behoefte te illustreer om terselfdertyd nou aksie te neem en vir die toekoms te beplan. Op 'n beleidsvlak, terwyl Suid-Afrika beplan vir die implementering van voor-op-verpakking-etikette, moet ons aktief beplan vir die etikettering van die toekoms - een wat meer tegnologies gevorderd sal wees. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie kan aan beleidmakers en besluitnemers, soos die Departement van Gesondheid, waardevolle inligting verskaf oor die aanbieding van voedingsinligting op voedseletikettering (d.w.s. die keuse van voor-op-verpakking-etikette vir verdere werklike toetsing), asook die rigting vir die toekoms bepaal.af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctoralen_ZA
dc.format.extentxxii, 346 pages : illustrations (some color)en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/125962
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectLabels -- Food -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectFood -- Health aspectsen_ZA
dc.subjectMulti-stakeholder -- Aspect -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectMixed methodsen_ZA
dc.subjectFood law and legislation -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectFood and nutrition securityen_ZA
dc.subjectNutrition -- Tablesen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTDen_ZA
dc.titleMulti-stakeholder perspectives on food labels and the future of healthy eatingen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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