Details

Purpose: Policies to reduce consumption of foods and drinks high in calories, added sugar, added sodium, and added saturated fat are important because of their ability to affect millions of people at once. Policies such as front-of-package warning labels, restrictions on marketing to kids, and sugary drinks taxes are proliferating across the globe, yet research on their impact is still nascent, particularly in the Global South.

Rationale: This symposium brings together research on Chile and Peru, two countries that have been global leaders in implementing front-of-package warning labels along with other policies (e.g., marketing controls in Chile and a sugary drink tax modification in Peru). It will provide a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge of these policies on consumers’ perceptions, understanding, and use of the labels, with a focus on low-socio-economic status parents and children, as well as behavioral change in response to the policies (e.g., reduction in purchases of sugary drinks). Attendees will leave with a better sense of the current evidence on these policies as well as the data needed to evaluate such policies.

Objectives: 1) Provide overview of overall food policy environment in Latin America; 2) provide data from focus groups in Chile and Peru; 3) show results on associated changes in sugary drinks purchases in Chile and Peru; and 4) discuss policy implications for these countries and beyond.

Summary:  Chair Ana Clara Duran (Brazil) will provide an overview of the current food policy landscape in Latin America. Fransisco Diez Canseco (Peru) and Camila Corvalan (Chile) will provide data from focus groups among parents in Peru and Chile, respectively, focusing on how parents perceived the law and used it to inform their food purchasing behaviors. Corvalan will provide additional insight from other aspects of the Chilean policy, including reductions in child-directed unhealthy food marketing. Lindsey Smith Taillie (US) will provide data on changes in sugary drinks purchases after implementation of each country’s policies. The overarching symposium will focus on equity, including how these policies have affected low SES populations and interacted with other secular trends like increasing food prices on healthier foods. The discussion will reflect on what evidence is still needed to support policies to promote healthier, more equitable food systems.

Format: Overview (5 minutes); Francisco’s presentation of Peru focus groups (15 minutes), Camila’s presentation of Chilean policies (15 minutes); Lindsey’s presentation of purchases data (15 minutes); overall discussion (25 minutes).

Speaker