Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27938403›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2016

Obtaining consumer perspectives using a citizens' jury: does the current country of origin labelling in Australia allow for informed food choices?

Elizabeth Withall, Annabelle M Wilson, Julie Henderson, Emma Tonkin, John Coveney, Samantha B Meyer, Jacinta Clark, Dean McCullum, Rachel Ankeny, Paul R Ward

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Elizabeth WithallDiscipline of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 5042.
Annabelle M WilsonDiscipline of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 5042. annabelle.wilson@flinders.edu.au.
Julie HendersonSchool of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 5042.
Emma TonkinDiscipline of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 5042.
John CoveneyDiscipline of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 5042.
Samantha B MeyerSchool of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave West, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1.
Jacinta ClarkDiscipline of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 5042.
Dean McCullumSA Health, Government of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 5000.
Rachel AnkenySchool of History and Politics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 5000.
Paul R WardDiscipline of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 5042.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundContemporary food systems are vast and complex, creating greater distance between consumers and their food. Consequently, consumers are required to put faith in a system of which they have limited knowledge or control. Country of origin labelling (CoOL) is one mechanism that theoretically enables consumer knowledge of provenance of food products. However, this labelling system has recently come under Australian Government review and recommendations for improvements have been proposed. Consumer engagement in this process has been limited. Therefore this study sought to obtain further consumer opinion on the issue of CoOL and to identify the extent to which Australian consumers agree with Australian Government recommendations for improvements.

methodsA citizens' jury was conducted with a sample of 14 South Australian consumers to explore their perceptions on whether the CoOL system allows them to make informed food choices, as well as what changes (if any) need to be made to enable informed food choices (recommendations).

resultsOverall, jurors' perception of usefulness of CoOL, including its ability to enable consumers to make informed food choices, fluctuated throughout the Citizens' Jury. Initially, the majority of the jurors indicated that the labels allowed informed food choice, however by the end of the session the majority disagreed with this statement. Inconsistencies within jurors' opinions were observed, particularly following delivery of information from expert witnesses and jury deliberation. Jurors provided recommendations for changes to be made to CoOL, which were similar to those provided in the Australian Government inquiry.

conclusionsConsumers in this study engaged with the topical issue of CoOL and provided their opinions. Overall, consumers do not think that the current CoOL system in Australia enables consumers to make informed choices. Recommendations for changes, including increasing the size of the label and the label's font, and standardising its position, were made.

Indexed as

Choice BehaviorConsumer BehaviorAdolescentAdultAgedCommunity ParticipationFemaleFood LabelingFood PreferencesHumansMaleMiddle AgedNutrition PolicyQualitative ResearchResearch DesignSouth AustraliaCitizens’ juryCountry of originFood labellingTrust

Identifiers

PMID27938403
PMCPMC5148900

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.