Clinical Study Finds FDA Proposed Nutrition Labels Less Effective Than Bold Warning Designs for Shoppers

New research in The Lancet shows "Multi-High-In" food labels help shoppers identify unhealthy nutrients 30% faster than the FDA's proposed info box design.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 28, 2026, 5:50 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Lancet

Evaluating Federal Proposals Against International Labeling Standards

The United States Food and Drug Administration is currently moving toward mandatory front-of-package labeling, yet new research suggests its primary design may fall short of its public health goals. According to a study led by Dr. Liji Thomas, the FDA proposed "Nutrition Info Box," which utilizes percent Daily Values and qualitative terms like low or medium, was less effective than simpler warning-style formats. While packaged foods remain the largest source of added sugars and sodium in the American diet, the study indicates that purely numerical or complex interpretive data can be difficult for the average consumer to process quickly. This finding aligns with evidence from Latin American countries where bold, high-content warnings have already successfully driven product reformulation and healthier consumer habits.

The Performance Superiority of Multi-High-In Warning Symbols

In a comprehensive trial involving 13,929 participants, researchers compared five different labeling schemes to determine which best helped consumers identify nutrient profiles. According to the study results, the "Multi-High-In" label, which lists each nutrient of concern on a separate, prominent tag, achieved the strongest performance. This specific design allowed shoppers to evaluate the healthfulness of a product between 21 and 30 percent faster than the FDA proposed format. Furthermore, this style had the highest rate of consumer recall and was the most likely to be utilized during the decision-making process. The researchers noted that the strength of this design lies in its simplicity, as it flags high levels of harmful ingredients without requiring the consumer to calculate percentages.

Navigating the Health-Halo Effect in Mixed Nutrient Profiles

A significant challenge identified in the study is the "health-halo effect," where consumers mistakenly perceive an unhealthy food as beneficial because it is low in certain negative nutrients. This phenomenon was particularly prevalent with "Nutrition-Info-Red" labels, which use red text for high levels but also include "Low" markers for other ingredients. According to the authors, the presence of a "Low" label on products like sweetened yogurt or beef jerky can create a false impression of healthfulness that outweighs the warnings. In contrast, the "Multi-High...