NCT06842680

Testing Ultraprocessed Food Labels in Chile

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Ultraprocessed Food Warning Label in Chile

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 3,645 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this experiment is to examine the effects of a warning label signaling that a product is ultraprocessed among a sample of Chilean parents. The main questions this experiment aims to answer are: Do ultraprocessed warning labels on their own impact product purchase intentions? Do ultraprocessed warning labels impact product purchase intentions in the presence of nutrient warning labels? Do ultraprocessed warning labels help more consumers identify ultraprocessed foods? Participants will be randomly assigned to a control arm or an ultraprocessed warning label arm. In both arms, products will carry nutrient warning labels, which are Chile's current policy. Participants will see three similar products, all of which will be ultraprocessed: one not high in any nutrients of concern, one high in sodium, and one high in sodium and saturated fat. For each product, participants will rate their purchase intentions and indicate whether they believe the product to be ultraprocessed. Researchers will compare results across arms.

Detailed description

Participants will complete an online randomized experiment programmed in Qualtrics. After providing informed consent, participants will be randomly assigned to one of two arms: control (i.e., no ultraprocessed warning label) arm or ultraprocessed warning label arm. In both arms, products will carry nutrient warning labels, which are Chile's current policy. In random order, participants will see three similar mock bags of potato chips. All products seen will be ultraprocessed, and thus carry an ultraprocessed warning label in the ultraprocessed warning label arm. Additionally, one of the products will not be high in any nutrients of concern, one product will be high in sodium, and one product will be high in sodium and saturated fat. For each product, participants will rate their purchase intentions, perceived healthfulness, and indicate whether they believe the product to be ultraprocessed.

Conditions

• Diet, Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Control	Products do not carry ultraprocessed warning label. To match the current Chilean legislation, products carry octagonal nutrient labels when applicable.
BEHAVIORAL	Ultraprocessed warning label	Products carry ultraprocessed warning label. To match the current Chilean legislation, products carry octagonal nutrient labels when applicable.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-07-14
• Primary completion: 2025-08-31
• Completion: 2025-08-31
• First posted: 2025-02-24
• Last updated: 2025-09-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States