Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40560477›Full record

Trial reportEuropean journal of nutrition2025

Effects of front-of-package nutrition labelling systems on objective understanding and purchase intention in El Salvador: results from a multi-arm parallel-group randomised controlled trial.

Fabio da Silva Gomes, Alexandra Gálvez, Danilo Pérez, Carolina Paz, Claudia Alfaro, José Gerardo Merino, Gastón Ares, Carlos Felipe Urquizar Rojas

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in European journal of nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

8 authors.

Fabio da Silva GomesPan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Washington, D.C, USA. gomesfabio@paho.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4997-4642
Alexandra GálvezPan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Washington, D.C, USA.
Danilo PérezCentro para la Defensa del Consumidor, San Salvador, El Salvador.
Carolina PazCentro para la Defensa del Consumidor, San Salvador, El Salvador.
Claudia AlfaroUniversidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas, San Salvador, El Salvador.
José Gerardo MerinoInstituto de Nutrición de Centroamérica y Panamá (INCAP), Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Gastón AresFacultad de Química, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando, Universidad de la República, Pando, Uruguay.
Carlos Felipe Urquizar RojasDepartment of Design, University of Joinville Region, Joinville, Brazil.

Funding

Resolve to Save Lives N/AWorld Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeFront-of-package labelling (FOPL) schemes have been developed to provide more useful information to consumers and facilitate more critical and healthier food choices. This single-blinded multi-arm parallel-group randomised controlled trial aimed at assessing the effect of different FOPL schemes on the objective understanding of the nutritional content and intention to purchase products, in El Salvador.

methodsParticipants (n = 1204) were exposed to two-dimensional images of 15 mock-up products presented at random and balanced orders. Participants were exposed to mock-ups featuring no FOPL scheme (control group, n = 305) or one of the following schemes: black octagonal warning labels (OWL) (n = 302), traffic-light labelling (TFL) (n = 297), or guideline daily amounts (GDA) (n = 300).

resultsThe odds for choosing to purchase the least harmful of the options more often was the highest in the OWL group compared to the control group: two times higher in the OWL group (OR 2·21, 95% confidence interval 1·58 - 3·11), and 49% higher in the TFL (1·49, 95%CI 1·06 - 2·11), with no changes in the GDA (1·06, 95%CI 0·75 - 1·50). OWL also resulted in the highest odds for correctly identifying the least harmful option (OR 3·77, 95%CI 2·79 to 5·09), and for correctly identifying a product with higher amounts of sugars, sodium, total fat, and/or saturated fats (3·26, 95%CI 2·40 to 4·43).

conclusionOWL outperformed GDA and TFL in its ability to improve objective understanding of nutritional information and purchase intention. Results support the adoption of OWL in El Salvador. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN 12,389,597. DATE OF REGISTRATION: 17 July 2023 (retrospectively registered).

Indexed as

Consumer BehaviorFood LabelingFood PreferencesAdolescentAdultChoice BehaviorEl SalvadorFemaleHumansIntentionMaleMiddle AgedNutritive ValueSingle-Blind MethodYoung AdultDecision makingFood choiceFood labellingFront-of-package labellingHealth policyNutrition & dieteticsPublic health

Identifiers

PMID40560477
PMCPMC12198295

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.