ARS | Publication request: Marketing of Food in the Grocery Store Environment

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: March 6, 2008
Publication Date: March 6, 2008
Citation: Colby, S.E., Hoverson, B., Johnson, L.K. 2008. Marketing of Food in the Grocery Store Environment. [Abstract]. 5th Annual Pediatric Healthy Weight Summit, Greenville, NC, March 6-7, 2008.

Technical Abstract: Goals/hypothesis: This research sought to determine how often nutrition marketing (health claims, nutrient content claims, or any marketing using health or nutrition information beyond minimum requirements) is used on labels of foods that are high in saturated fat (approx. 20% daily value), sodium (approx. 20% daily value), and/or sugar (no daily value established, high sugar operationally defined as approximately 6 grams sugar per serving for non-fruit/milk based products and approximately 21 grams sugar per serving for fruit/milk based products). Methods: All items packaged with food labels (N=56,900) in all six grocery stores in Grand Forks, N.D. were visually surveyed. A set of coding instructions and a list of marketing strategies were developed by the principal investigator and supervising dietitian to govern a team of 8 dietary personnel (working in teams of two) who visited all 6 grocery stores. Results: Of the 56,900 food labels surveyed, 49% of all products contained nutrition marketing. Of those products, 48% had both nutrition marketing and were high in saturated fat, sodium and/or sugar (11%, 17%, and 31% respectively). Therefore 23% of all products contained both nutrition marketing and were high in saturated fat, sodium and/or sugar. Of 9,105 products perceived to be marketed to children, 71% had nutrition marketing. Seventy two percent of products marketed to children that did not use nutrition marketing were high in saturated fat, sodium and/ or sugar (25%, 20% and 51%, respectively). Of products marketed to children with nutrition marketing on the label, 59% were high in saturated fat, sodium and/or sugar (13%, 13 % and 49%, respectively). Therefore, 42% of all products marketed to children contained both nutrition marketing and were high in saturated fat, sodium and/or sugar and 63% of all products marketed to children are high in saturated fat, sodium and/or sugar. More of the products targeting children using nutrition marketing were found to be high in saturated fat, sodium and/ or sugar than products targeting the general population.