Perceptions of and Reactions to Ultra-Processed Menu Label Designs
Understanding Perceptions of and Reactions to Ultra-processed Food Label Designs
2 other identifiers
interventional
14,720
1 country
1
Brief Summary
The primary objective of this study is to explore perceptions and understanding of different menu label designs related to ultra-processed foods (UPF). Participants will be randomized to view a fast-food online menu excerpt featuring one of sixteen labeling conditions and then will answer questions about the participant's reactions to and interpretations of the label, perceived label effectiveness, the intention to purchase a menu item with the label, as well as the participant's perceptions of fast-food menu items with and without the label.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Oct 2025
Shorter than P25 for not_applicable
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
October 6, 2025
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
October 9, 2025
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
October 9, 2025
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
November 2, 2025
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
November 2, 2025
CompletedDecember 11, 2025
December 1, 2025
24 days
October 6, 2025
December 10, 2025
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Intention to purchase
Intention to purchase is measured with the survey question: "How likely would you be to purchase a menu item with this label?" Response options are a 5-point Likert scale: 1=Very unlikely, 2=Unlikely, 3=Somewhat unlikely, 4=Neither likely nor unlikely, 5=Somewhat likely, 6=Likely, 7=Very likely. A higher rating is better.
Immediately after viewing the menu excerpt and label image
Secondary Outcomes (6)
Label interpretation
Immediately after viewing the menu excerpt and label
Perceived label understandability
Immediately after viewing the menu excerpt and label image
Perceived label believability
Immediately after viewing the menu excerpt and label image
Perception that label grabbed attention
Immediately after viewing the menu excerpt and label image
Perceived message effectiveness (PME) as assessed by the University of North Carolina (UNC)-PME scale
Immediately after viewing the menu excerpt and label image
- +1 more secondary outcomes
Other Outcomes (2)
Perceived level of appeal of labeled food item
Immediately after viewing each menu item
Perceived level of healthfulness of labeled food item
Immediately after viewing each menu item
Study Arms (16)
Ultra-Processed, Red, Icon-plus-text Labels
EXPERIMENTALA red icon-plus-text label that reads "ULTRA-PROCESSED" in white text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items. Labels will include a triangle icon with an exclamation point directly preceding the label text.
Contains Food Additives, Red, Icon-plus-text Labels
EXPERIMENTALA red icon-plus-text label that reads "CONTAINS FOOD ADDITIVES" in white text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items. Labels will include a triangle icon with an exclamation point directly preceding the label text.
Warning Ultra-Processed, Red, Icon-plus-text Labels
EXPERIMENTALA red icon-plus-text label that reads "WARNING: ULTRA-PROCESSED" in white text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items. Labels will include a triangle icon with an exclamation point directly preceding the label text.
Warning UPF, Red, Icon-plus-text Labels
EXPERIMENTALA red icon-plus-text label that reads "WARNING: UPF" in white text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items. Labels will include a triangle icon with an exclamation point directly preceding the label text.
Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Icon-plus-text Labels
EXPERIMENTALA yellow icon-plus-text label that reads "ULTRA-PROCESSED" in black text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items. Labels will include a triangle icon with an exclamation point directly preceding the label text.
Contains Food Additives, Yellow, Icon-plus-text Labels
EXPERIMENTALA yellow icon-plus-text label that reads "CONTAINS FOOD ADDITIVES" in black text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items. Labels will include a triangle icon with an exclamation point directly preceding the label text.
Warning Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Icon-plus-text Labels
EXPERIMENTALA yellow icon-plus-text label that reads "WARNING: ULTRA-PROCESSED" in black text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items. Labels will include a triangle icon with an exclamation point directly preceding the label text.
Warning UPF, Yellow, Icon-plus-text Labels
EXPERIMENTALA yellow icon-plus-text label that reads "WARNING: UPF" in black text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items. Labels will include a triangle icon with an exclamation point directly preceding the label text.
Ultra-Processed, Red, Text-only Labels
EXPERIMENTALA red text-only label that reads "ULTRA-PROCESSED" in white text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items.
Contains Food Additives, Red, Text-only Labels
EXPERIMENTALA red text-only label that reads "CONTAINS FOOD ADDITIVES" in white text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items.
Warning Ultra-Processed, Red, Text-only Labels
EXPERIMENTALA red text-only label that reads "WARNING: ULTRA-PROCESSED" in white text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items.
Warning UPF, Red, Text-only Labels
EXPERIMENTALA red text-only label that reads "WARNING: UPF" in white text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items.
Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Text-only Labels
EXPERIMENTALA yellow text-only label that reads "ULTRA-PROCESSED" in black text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items.
Contains Food Additives, Yellow, Text-only Labels
EXPERIMENTALA yellow text-only label that reads "CONTAINS FOOD ADDITIVES" in black text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items.
Warning Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Text-only Labels
EXPERIMENTALA red text-only label that reads "WARNING: ULTRA-PROCESSED" in black text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items.
Warning UPF, Yellow, Text-only Labels
EXPERIMENTALA yellow text-only label that reads "WARNING: UPF" in black text will be placed beneath ultra-processed menu items.
Interventions
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Ultra-Processed, Red, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Contains Food Additives, Red, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning Ultra-Processed, Red, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning UPF, Red, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Contains Food Additives, Yellow, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning UPF, Yellow, Icon-plus-text labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Ultra-Processed, Red, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Contains Food Additives, Red, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning Ultra-Processed, Red, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning UPF, Red, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Contains Food Additives, Yellow, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning Ultra-Processed, Yellow, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Participants will view a fast-food restaurant menu excerpt. Each menu item will be displayed with an image of the item, name, price, and total calories. The Warning UPF, Yellow, Text-only labels will be displayed next to items that are ultra-processed. Participants will view the menu and then the label in isolation and then be asked about a hypothetical intention to purchase a menu item with the label.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- \- 18 years of age or older
- Member of the CloudResearch panel
- Residing in the United States
You may not qualify if:
- \<18 years of age
- Not residing in the United States
- Completed the survey implausibly quickly based on the distribution of the time to complete the survey among all participants
- Failed the built-in Qualtrics survey fraud detection measures
- Failed attention check question included in the survey
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, United States
MeSH Terms
Interventions
Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Julia Wolfson, PhD, MPP
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- NONE
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
October 6, 2025
First Posted
October 9, 2025
Study Start
October 9, 2025
Primary Completion
November 2, 2025
Study Completion
November 2, 2025
Last Updated
December 11, 2025
Record last verified: 2025-12
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will share
- Shared Documents
- SAP, ANALYTIC CODE
- Time Frame
- After the study team has published results, data and other documents will be made available. There is no end date for availability.
- Access Criteria
- Data and supporting documentation will be publicly available on the Open Science Framework website.
The investigators will share anonymous individual level data with members of the research team and with other interested researchers upon request. After results have been published the investigators will make study data available on Open Science Framework consistent with the Data Sharing and Management Plan.