"www.fao.org/about/meetings/sustainable-food-systems-nutrition-symposium The International Symposium on Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition was jointly held by FAO and WHO in December 2016 to explore policies and programme options for shaping the food systems in ways that deliver foods for a healthy diet, focusing on concrete country experiences and challenges. This Symposium waas the first large-scale contribution under the UN Decade of Action for Nutrition 2016-2025. This presentation was part of Parallel session 2.1: Regulations, awareness and advocacy for better informed food choices"

2. QUALITATIVE EVALUATION:
THE ECUADORIAN TRAFFIC LIGHT LABEL
FOR PROCESSED FOODS
Wilma B. Freire PhD

3. BACKGROUND
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Source: Freire WB., et al. (2014). Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición de la población ecuatoriana de cero a 59 años. ENSANUT-ECU 2012.
Ministerio de Salud Pública/Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos. Quito, Ecuador
1 in 10 Ecuadorians between 50
and 50 has diabetes
3 in 10 school-age
children are overweight or
obese
High blood pressure
affects 22.7% of
Ecuadorians
between
50 and 59
2 of 3
Ecuadorians
between 19 and
59 are
overweight or
obese
In 2011 diabetes,
cardiovascular disease,
cancer, and chronic pulmonary
disease accounted for 47.8%
of deaths in Ecuadorians
between 30 and 70
78.2% of women and
57.1% of men between 30
and 39 have a weight
circumference greater
than they should

4. THE FOOD LABEL POLICY
1. Establishes cut-off points for high, medium, and low
concentrations of added fat, sugar, and salt.
2. Establishes the appearance and size of the traffic
light label.
3. Requires additional information for energy drinks,
alcoholic beverages, genetically modified ingredients,
and non-caloric sweeteners and colorants.
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5. OBJECTIVES
General:
Evaluates consumer perceptions, use, and understanding of the nutritional
label for processed foods.
Specific:
1. Analyze consumer perceptions related to consumption patterns
and the traffic light label.
2. Evaluate understanding of information contained in the traffic light
label among different population groups.
3. Explore how consumers use the traffic light label to make decisions
regarding purchase and consumption of processed foods.
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6. FOCUS GROUPS
Selection and distribution: 21 groups organized according to:
• Region (9 highlands, 10 coast, 2 Eastern lowlands),
• Location (8 cities and towns divided by population size: major city, county, parish),
• Sex (separate and mixed groups),
• Age group: 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, and 20-64 years.
Audio recording, transcription, and analysis using a 3-step coding procedure
KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS
• 8 structured interviews with representatives of manufacturers and commercial
sector.
• Large, medium, and small producers (including transnationals) and sellers
(supermarkets, neighborhood shops)
Interview notes and content analysis.
STRUCTURED OBSERVATION
• Collection and analysis of processed food and beverage packages and containers
METODOLOGY
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7. Adaptation or
compensation
strategies related
to processed foods
and the traffic light
label
Drink water
Consume
smaller amounts
(a small bite,
half a package)
Decrease
frequency of
consumption
Consume because
of lack of healthy
alternatives
Preference for
products
labelled
MEDIUM or
LOW
Avoid consumption
because of specific
conditions:
diabetes,
hypertension
Consume to
satisfy individual
preferences
Increase
consumption of
products with
artificial
sweeteners
Stop consuming
products
labelled HIGH
REDUCTION
COMPENSATION
REPLACEMENT
NO CHANGE

8. KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS
1. Opposition to the traffic light label
 Difficulties in implementation: insufficient time allowed
to change packaging.
 Information is not useful to consumers.
 Consumers are not interested in the label.
 Confusion between natural and added fat, sugar, and
salt.
 Label does not contribute to the underlying problem of
overweight and obesity;
processed foods are a small part of the diet.
 Reduced sales of some products.
2. The GDA label provides more useful information.
de tu ingesta diaria recomendada
Valores típicos en 100g: Energía 756 kJ / 213 kcal
Cada paquete contiene
Energía Grasa Saturada Azúcar Sal
Grasa
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9. STRUCTURED OBSERVATIONS
Information was collected on different ways that the label is
applied in practice: products sold in supermarkets, shops, and
kiosks.
Some processed foods and drink containers reveal
inconsistencies in the application of the regulation.
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10. Conclusions:
1. The Ecuadorian traffic light label provides nutritional
information that is easily understood by consumers, who use it
to make decisions about purchase and consumption of
processed foods.
2. The most important feature of the label is the simplicity of
the graphic display of information about added fat, sugar, and
salt.
3. Successful implementation of nutritional information must
be accompanied by monitoring and evaluation components. 9