The role of nutritional labeling in promoting healthier food choices: a review of the major issues in the EU

Titolo Rivista RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA'
Autori/Curatori Azzurra Annunziata, Angela Mariani
Anno di pubblicazione 2017 Fascicolo 2016/2 Lingua Inglese
Numero pagine 13 P. 107-119 Dimensione file 166 KB
DOI 10.3280/RISS2016-002010
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As the widespread rapid growth of diet-related diseases becomes a major public concern, nutritional labeling is increasingly considered a potential tool to support the goal of changing unhealthy eating habits while retaining consumer freedom of choice. This paper aims to contribute to the institutional debate on the effectiveness of nutritional labeling on the back or front of packaging in promoting healthier food choices, focusing on the EU. The major issues detected and discussed are based on a literature review of recent studies that have examined the limits and potentials of such tools. Finally, we discuss other promising application fields of nutritional labeling, such as on alcoholic beverages and restaurant menus, and present some directions for further research.

La rapida diffusione di malattie non trasmissibili è diventa una preoccupazione prioritaria nell’agenda delle autorità pubbliche. Il presente lavoro si propone di contribuire al dibattito istituzionale sulla efficacia dell'etichetta nutrizionale posta, con diversi formati, sulla parte posteriore o anteriore della confezione dei prodotti nella promozione di scelte alimentari più salutari, concentrandosi sull’UE. I principali temi analizzati sono basati su una rassegna degli studi recenti che hanno esaminato i limiti e le potenzialità di tale strumento. Infine, sono discussi altri campi di applicazione dell'etichettata nutrizionale di particolare rilevanza, in particolare per le bevande alcoliche e i menu dei ristoranti, e sono individuate alcune direzioni per ulteriori ricerche.

Keywords:Scelte alimentari, etichetta nutrizionale, logo qualità nutrizionali, etichette a semaforo, Quantità giornaliere indicative (GDAs), politiche UE.

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Azzurra Annunziata, Angela Mariani, The role of nutritional labeling in promoting healthier food choices: a review of the major issues in the EU in "RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA'" 2/2016, pp 107-119, DOI: 10.3280/RISS2016-002010