Consumer Reaction to FOP Labeling
Presented By
Dennis Milne, MS
Director, Business Relations
Nutrition and Obesity Strategies Department
Dennis.Milne@heart.org
1
• Consumer Research Summary
• Behaviors
• Reliance on FOP Symbols
• Maintaining Consumer Relevancy with Heart-Check
• Position on New FOP Labeling Direction
2
Shoppers are creatures of habit. When
considering new items, price and nutrition play
key roles
Grocery Purchasing: Role of New Products
Typical Purchases
Enjoy
Buying
Many New
Items
16%
Usually Buy
Same Items
Every Time
10%
Why Buy New Items
74
Better Price
61
Better Nutrition
Buy Mostly
Same, Some
New
74%
Has Appealing New
Flavor or Type
Base: Total (n=414)
Q6 When thinking about a typical trip to buy groceries, which statement best describes what you typically purchase?
Q7 When you are selecting new items, which factors, if any, influence trying something new?
57
percent
Consumers’ Response on Most Used Sources for
Information.
#1
% Use Always/Sometimes
#2 - Internet
Food Packages/
Labels
#4- Grocery Stores
Q.21 How often do you use each of the sources below for information on nutrition/health?
#3 – Health Professionals
#5- Friends & Family
Consumers are looking for the basics
on the Nutrition Facts Panel
Fat and Calories, followed by Serving Size
#3
#2
#1
Specific Items on Nutrition Facts Label
% Always
55
Total Fat
#4
Calorie Content
52
48
Serving Size
Saturated Fat
47
Trans Fat
47
Sugars
43
Fiber
36
Salt/Sodium
36
Cholesterol
Base: Total (n = 1003)
Base: Always/Sometimes/Rarely Use Nutritional Facts Panel (n = 990)
Q.5: How often do you use the following information on food packaging and nutritional
5 labels?
35
There are four attitudinal consumer segments that are
“somewhat” to “very concerned” with nutrition
Consumer Segmentation Model
Proactive
29%
Very Concerned
About Nutrition
American Heart
Association/Confidential
Struggling Dieters
Overweight/Low
Effort
15%
33%
% of Consumers
6
Lucky
23%
Less Concerned
About Nutrition
Proactives and Struggling Dieters are most likely to have
purchased products with the AHA Food Certification mark
Segment Use of AHA Symbol When Shopping
% Consumers
Look for Most
Purchased Past 90 Days
37
Lucky
36
45
Overweight/Low Effort
41
52
Struggling Dieters
43
60
Proactive
44
49
Total
41
Q.11: Which symbol do you look for the most when shopping for food?
Q.12: In the last 90 days, have you purchased a food product with any of the following symbols/logos?
7
Food Certification Consumer Brand Strength*
Compared to other leading nutrition and non-nutrition on-packaged icons,
heart-check leads with strongest aided brand awareness, trust and purchase
intent/follow-through.
Aided Awareness
Trust Most
49
83
Look for Most
Purchased Past 90 days
41
63
61
33
35
28
38
27
15
AHA
21
20
28
8
7
7
Komen
Pepsico
Whole
Grains
3
Keystone
3
Best life
5
10
None of
these
AHA
9
7
5
9
3
Komen
Pepsico
Whole
Grains
8
3
Keystone
Best life
73
American Heart Association
59
American Diabetes Association
Consumers see the AHA as the
most trusted authority for
nutrition messages and for
deciding if a food product may
display a health symbol/logo.
58
FDA or USDA
38
An Independent Panel of Scientists, Nutritionists
26
A Consumer Advocate Organization
The Product Manufacturer
A Group of Food Industry Representatives
Not sure
None of
these
7
% Trust To Decide
6
12
In-store Purchase Impact Analysis
Objective
•To isolate the impact of the heart-check mark on purchases of certified products among
targeted consumer segments.
Methodology
• Promoted Products: heart-check mark certified
• Test Period
Pre Period: 4 weeks
Promotion Period: 4 weeks
Promotion Elements:
- heart-check mark on packaging
- heart-check mark on point-of-purchase shelf tag
- heart-check mark nutrition messages at checkout
• Geography: SuperValu & Pathmark stores (matched panel in 63 test & 63 control)
• Metric Measure: Dollar sales of heart-check mark products
• Shoppers in study: 340,000
9
10
In-store
Study Results
1. The in-store shelf tag promotion achieved its primary objective by
increasing sales of certified products among targeted consumer
segments.
1. Sales lift by shopper segment ranged from 1.5% to 6.7%, test
vs. control
2. The campaign was most impactful among Struggling Dieters
which is positive given that this group had a low focus on heart
health.
2. At a total store level, combined sales for all certified items were up
5%, test vs. control.
3. Although most shoppers are not specifically looking for the mark
when they enter the store, in a follow-up survey 75% said they are
pleased to see if while shopping and that the mark does influence
their purchase decision.
Nutrition Education: In-store Health & Wellness Events



Turn key for grocery
retailers looking for value
added programs for their
shoppers
Develop nutrition themed
events leveraging existing
in-store vehicles

Kiosks

Display of sample
size product

Recipes/Coupons

Shelf edge integrated
signage

End-cap displays

Circulars

Mobile marketing
using QR codes
Collaboration with CPG,
Associations and
Commissions
Objective
Maintaining Relevancy: Enhancing the Heart-Check
FoodHeart
Certification
Program to support
American
Association
achievement of AHA’s 2020 health promotion goal.
Scientific Statements guiding the process
•Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations: A Scientific
Statement of the American Heart Association Nutrition
Committee
•Defining and Setting National Goals for Cardiovascular
Health Promotion and Disease Reduction: The American
Heart Association’s Strategic Impact Goal Through 2020
and Beyond
•Dietary Sugars Intake and Cardiovascular Health: A
Science Statement from the American Heart Association
Nutrition Guidelines
Currently certify under five (5) regulatory CHD health claims:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Trans Fat, and Reduce Risk of Heart
Guiding Principles
Disease (Docket
#2006Q-0458)
Dietary Saturated Fat and Cholesterol, and Risk of Coronary Heart
Disease (21 CFR 101.75)
Whole grain Foods with Moderate Fat Content (Docket #03Q-0547)
Nuts & Heart Disease (Docket #02P-0505)
Omega-3 Fatty Acids & Coronary Heart Disease (Docket #2003Q-0401)
For Program Nutrition Criteria:
Go To www.heartcheckmark.org
Nutrition Guidelines Alignment
Effective September 2011
•
•
•
Total fat increased while keeping saturated fat, Trans fat and cholesterol the same,
thereby allowing products higher in mono and polyunsaturated fats (“better fats”)
Guiding Principles
Certification of nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts and
some pine nuts
Certification of fish > 500 mg EPA + DHA per 85 grams
Effective January 2014
•
•
Revised Sodium Criteria
Total Sugar/Calorie Screening Guidelines to limit added sugars and implementation
of a dietary fiber requirement to improve the quality of certified grain-based
products
Heart-Check Evolution to New Design
1995
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
2005
2010
2011
Simplified language and streamlined graphic standards options.
Vertical alignment and containment border strengthens visibility on package.
Design the strongest favorite in consumer focus groups and quantitative surveys.
Design favored by companies selected from current program participants.
Single design versus three variations.
Design shown to FDA and USDA prior to rollout.
Rolled out September 2011
• Companies may use immediately
• Current package inventories using old logos must convert by January 15, 2014
Do FOP Systems Have A Positive Impact on
Public Health?
1.
2.
3.
Food modeling was conducted by Dr. Victor Fulgoni of Nutrition Impact.
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data were
used to evaluate the relationship of consuming foods that meet
American Heart Association Heart-Check Program criteria to Diet
Quality [as measured by the Healthy Eating Index.]
Relationships of percentage of calories from AHA-certifiable foods in
specific nutrient/food group intakes and physiological parameters
including body weight, BMI, lipids, and blood pressure were examined.
Results: The data demonstrate that a greater consumption (as percentage of
total calories) of foods that meet AHA Heart-Check Program criteria is
associated with better diet quality and lower cardiovascular disease risk.
Position on the New FOP Labeling Direction
The American Heart Association supports the establishment of a
standardized, comprehensive front-of-package food labeling program
and icon system with unified criteria based upon the best available
science and consumer research, featuring consumer education as the
ultimate goal.
Until there is a unified system in the marketplace, AHA believes there is
a unique role for the Heart-Check Program and will continue to strive to
maintain the long-standing awareness, trust and credibility that the
heart-check mark has developed over time with consumers.
Thank You
For More Information on the American Heart
Association’s Food Certification and New Meal
Certification Programs Go To:
www.heartcheckmark.org