Decoding Food Labels: Innovative Tools to Educate using Front-of-Pack Labeling for Protect Health Children of Brazil

• Grant number: 24/21316-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Veridiana Vera de Rosso
• Grantee: Sarah Polezi Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade (ISS). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims to explore the impact of food labeling regulations and marketing strategies targeting children, focusing on recently implemented public policies in Brazil. In light of growing concerns about childhood obesity and unhealthy eating habits, front-of-package labeling (FOPL) has emerged as an essential tool to help consumers make healthier food choices. The study intends to assess the effect of implementing the Brazilian regulations RDC 429/2020 and IN 75/2020 (ANVISA) on products that use child-directed marketing strategies on their labels. Additionally, it aims to validate an educational intervention using comic strips designed to teach children about the importance of reading food labels, with the goal of promoting better nutritional education from an early age. Another objective of this project is the cultural adaptation and validation of the Canadian "Child-Appealing Packaging" tool, which aims to characterize child-targeted marketing on food labels. By comparing the results obtained in this project with data from other countries, it will be possible to understand the effects of food labeling regulations and marketing strategies on the nutritional quality of foods and, consequently, on children's health. The study seeks to provide support for public policymakers to evaluate and improve public health strategies, enhancing the effectiveness of food labeling in protecting children.