Front-of-Pack Food Labeling and the Politics of Nutritional Nudges

Abstract

This paper examines the potential for new front-of-pack nutrition labelling initiatives to “nudge” consumers towards healthier food choices. The libertarian-paternalist approach to policy known as nudge initially developed by Thaler and Sunstein is discussed, with its emphasis on designing spaces (including the space of the food label) to shape the behaviour of individuals while not restricting consumer choice or imposing restrictions or penalties on producers. In the context of concerns over diet-related chronic diseases and obesity, new front-of-pack interpretive nutrition labels have been proposed or implemented in an attempt to shift consumer dietary choices, including the multiple traff..