NCT07214805

Perceptions of and Reactions to Ultra-Processed Menu Label Designs

Understanding Perceptions of and Reactions to Ultra-processed Food Label Designs

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 14,720 (actual)
• Sponsor: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The primary objective of this study is to explore perceptions and understanding of different menu label designs related to ultra-processed foods (UPF). Participants will be randomized to view a fast-food online menu excerpt featuring one of sixteen labeling conditions and then will answer questions about the participant's reactions to and interpretations of the label, perceived label effectiveness, the intention to purchase a menu item with the label, as well as the participant's perceptions of fast-food menu items with and without the label.

Detailed description

This survey will explore the perceptions and understanding of different hypothetical UPF menu label designs. The survey research firm CloudResearch will recruit a sample of \~12,400 adults aged 18 years and older who reside in the United States. This exploratory study will use a factorial experiment to assess different UPF label designs. Participants will be randomized to view a fast-food menu excerpt with one of sixteen labeling schemes, varying by message ("Ultra-Processed" vs. "Contains Food Additives" vs. "Warning: Ultra-Processed" vs. "Warning: UPF"), background and text color (red background with white text vs. yellow background with black text), and type (icon-plus-text vs. text-only). All menus will consist of a selection of food and beverage items, and select items will have the UPF label. Participants will be shown the menu and the label in isolation and will then be asked about the participant's interpretations of the label, reactions to the label, perceived message effectiveness (PME) of the label, how helpful the participant finds the label to be, and the participant's intention to purchase a menu item with the label. The participants will also be shown two different individual fast-food items with the label to which the participant was randomized in random order and asked about the perceived appeal and healthfulness of the menu items. The primary outcome will be intention to purchase a hypothetical menu item with the label. Secondary outcomes include label interpretation, perceived label understandability, perceived label believability, perception that the label grabbed attention, perceived message effectiveness (PME) of the label, perceived helpfulness of the label. Other outcomes include perceived level of appeal of menu items, and perceived level of healthfulness of menu items.

Conditions

• Food Choices

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Ultra-Processed, Red, Icon-plus-text Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Ultra-Processed, Red, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Contains Food Additives, Red, Icon-plus-text Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Contains Food Additives, Red, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Warning Ultra-Processed, Red, Icon-plus-text Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning Ultra-Processed, Red, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Warning UPF, Red, Icon-plus-text Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning UPF, Red, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Icon-plus-text Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Contains Food Additives, Yellow, Icon-plus-text Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Contains Food Additives, Yellow, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Warning Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Icon-plus-text Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Warning UPF, Yellow, Icon-plus-text Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning UPF, Yellow, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Ultra-Processed, Red, Text-only Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Ultra-Processed, Red, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Contains Food Additives, Red, Text-only Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Contains Food Additives, Red, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Warning Ultra-Processed, Red, Text-only Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning Ultra-Processed, Red, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Warning UPF, Red, Text-only Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning UPF, Red, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Text-only Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Contains Food Additives, Yellow, Text-only Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Contains Food Additives, Yellow, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Warning Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Text-only Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
BEHAVIORAL	Warning UPF, Yellow, Text-only Labels	Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning UPF, Yellow, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-10-09
• Primary completion: 2025-11-02
• Completion: 2025-11-02
• First posted: 2025-10-09
• Last updated: 2025-12-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States