This is an approach to eating aimed at promoting overall health and preventing disease by: 1) providing a sufficient range and quantity of nutrients to meet human needs without excess in any one class of nutrients 2) avoiding the introduction of substances that are detrimental to human health throughout all stages of the value chain of food production. Healthy diets must also be affordable and culturally acceptable.
Published in Chapter:
Public Policies, Traffic Light Signpost Labeling, and Their Implications: The Case of Ecuador
Arturo Luque González (Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Ecuador & Observatorio Euromediterráneo de Espacio Público y Democracia URJC, Spain)
Copyright: © 2022
|Pages: 21
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-3380-5.ch009
Abstract
This study analyzes the traffic light signpost labeling that is included in processed foods, through which consumers are informed about added fat, sugar, and salt levels. At the same time, the awareness and use that the public make of this labeling, introduced by the Ecuadorian government as part of their Good Living health program, was also studied. A questionnaire was given to some 419 students from Ambato, Ecuador of both genders and from different economic circumstances. Subsequently, a descriptive analysis of the collected data was carried out, and through inferential statistics, relationships were established between the responses to the questionnaire and the factors identified. The results showed that most people are aware of traffic light signpost labeling at the time of purchase, although some consumers tend to mistakenly associate the indicators (green, yellow, red) with the food-hazard levels of the products. The opinions surveyed demonstrated a vague meaning and usefulness associated with the traffic light system.