Markedly Reduced Food Intake Clinical Trial
Official title:
The Reduced Calorie Food and Mood Study: Using Sensory Cues to Optimise the Satiety Value of a Reduced-calorie 'Healthier Choice' Product
Health- and nutrient-related labelling is often used to draw consumer's attention to the
potential benefits of consuming one product over another. However, research suggests that
products believed to be 'healthier' and/or lower calorie are often experienced as less
satiating, and may actually prompt people to consume more or these foods, or others.
The current research aimed to whether consuming a reduced-calorie product labelled "Healthier
Choice" affects compensatory eating behaviour (relative to an unlabelled product), and the
extent to which this depends on the product's sensory characteristics.
A two-session randomised study was used to test the satiety value of a reduced-calorie
beverage - characterised as changes in rated appetite and later food intake (kcal) relative
to an original-calorie version - consumed in one of four contexts varying in label and
sensory cues. The beverage-contexts were assessed in a non-crossover manner.
Reformulation strategies to reduce the energy density of commonly consumed food and beverage
products are needed to support weight management, but one concern is that awareness of
consuming 'healthier' foods can promote compensatory eating behaviours. An alternative
solution is not to label calorie-reductions so consumers are unaware that they are consuming
fewer calories in reformulated products, which has been described as a 'stealth health'
approach.
This study investigated whether consuming a reduced-calorie product labelled with Singapore's
'Healthier Choice Symbol' impacts its satiating power relative to an unlabelled control, and
the extent to which this can be further modified by changes to the product's sensory
characteristics.
Participants were randomised to consume an original (211 kcal per portion; kcal/g) and
reduced calorie (98 kcal per portion; kcal/g) versions of a soymilk, with the reduced calorie
version presented in one of four beverage context conditions:
- Context 1 - Sensory-matched, unlabelled calorie reduction (control) - Sensory matched to
taste like the original (equally sweet, thick and creamy), without a label identifier
(covert energy reduction).
- Context 2 - Sensory-matched, labelled calorie reduction - The same sensory matched
beverage as above, but with the HCS attached (explicit energy reduction).
- Context 3 - Sensory-reduced, labelled calorie reduction - Designed to taste less thick,
sweet and creamy than the original, with the HCS attached (explicit energy reduction).
- Context 4 - Sensory-enhanced, labelled calorie reduction - Designed to taste thicker,
creamier and sweeter than the original, with the HCS attached (explicit energy
reduction).
Participants consumed the two beverages (original vs. reduced energy) in one of the four
beverage contexts on two non-consecutive test sessions at the Clinical Nutrition Research
Centre, with at least three days washout between each session. The calorie reduction was
conducted as full-crossover while the beverage context groups were assigned non-crossover, to
reduce demand awareness.
The primary objective was to assess changes in lunch energy intake (kcal) after consuming the
original and reduced-calorie beverages, depending on the beverage context the reduced calorie
version was presented in.
The secondary objectives were to assess the sensory evaluations of the beverages (liking and
perceived thickness, sweetness and expected fullness etc.), changes in rated appetite up to
180 minutes post-consumption and energy intake (kcal) for the rest of the test day (recorded
in a food diary), as a function of the beverages energy density and context.
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