Warning Labels Made Sugary Drinks Less Sugary
Reformulation of Top-Selling Processed and Ultra-Processed Foods and Beverages in the Peruvian Food Supply after Front-of-Package Warning Label Policy
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Sodium levels didn’t budge—even though it’s a major health concern.
Most people assume warning labels would push companies to reduce salt, since it’s linked to hypertension. But here, companies didn’t change a thing—because most products were already below the threshold.
Practical Takeaways
If you're in a country considering FOPWLs, push for them—but pair them with bans on trans fats and sugar taxes for maximum impact.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Sodium levels didn’t budge—even though it’s a major health concern.
Most people assume warning labels would push companies to reduce salt, since it’s linked to hypertension. But here, companies didn’t change a thing—because most products were already below the threshold.
Practical Takeaways
If you're in a country considering FOPWLs, push for them—but pair them with bans on trans fats and sugar taxes for maximum impact.
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Year
2022
Authors
Lorena Saavedra-Garcia, Mayra Meza-Hernández, Francisco Diez-Canseco, L. S. Taillie
Related Content
Claims (6)
After Peru started putting warning labels on sugary drinks, companies changed their recipes to put less sugar and more artificial sweeteners in their drinks, so fewer drinks now had enough sugar to need a warning label.
After Peru started putting warning labels on unhealthy foods, the amount of bad fat in popular foods went down a bit, but the sugar content stayed about the same.
After Peru started putting warning labels on super-sweet drinks, companies changed their recipes to use less sugar and more artificial sweeteners, so fewer drinks now need the warning label.
After Peru started putting warning labels on unhealthy foods, fewer of the most popular foods ended up with those labels—especially ones saying they’re high in sugar or have bad fats, because companies changed their recipes to avoid the warnings.
When states require warning labels on foods with dangerous chemicals, food companies start changing their recipes to avoid those labels — because they don’t want customers to think their products are unsafe.