Opinion: Decreasing the junk food U.S. kids eat might be as simple as bold warning labels on front of packaging

Photo by Markus Spiske, Unsplash

Want American children to eat less unhealthy food? Put big warning labels on it. "The U.S. can learn from Chile, another high-income country that grapples with nutrition and health problems. In 2016, as part of a comprehensive law to prevent further increases in childhood obesity, Chile became the first country to implement warning labels on foods high in nutrients of concern, including most ultra-processed products," writes Lindsey Smith Taillie in her opinion for The Wall Street Journal. The front of the package warning label is shaped like a stop-sign and includes "text cautioning consumers that the product is high in sugar, sodium, saturated fat or calories."

Once put on store shelves, the bold black and white labels produced striking results. "Calories consumed from consumer purchases of products with warning labels dropped by 24%, with similar results for sugar and other ingredients," Taillie writes. "The law also spurred the food and beverage industry to reduce the amount of sugar and sodium in many of their products, leading to a healthier food supply."

Other South American countries have adopted similar labeling regulations. In addition, countries such as Chile and Peru "restrict the use of cartoons, characters, or other techniques that appeal to kids on any product carrying a warning label," Taillie explains. 

The U.S. food industry has rejected labeling as redundant, expensive and bad for business, but Chile's results do not support those claims. "A team of researchers found the laws had little to no effect on wages, employment, or profits in the food and beverage industry sector," Taillie writes. "Importantly, researchers found the law also had no effect on food prices, even for products that were reformulated."