Study 1: "Healthy" Symbols Survey

APPENDIX F
Quantitative Research on a Voluntary Symbol
Depicting the Nutrient Content Claim “Healthy” on Packaged Foods
OMB Control No: 0910-New

Expiration Date: xx/xx/2022

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not
conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0910-New. The
time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 10 minutes per response for the
pretest and test survey, and 15 minutes per response for the experiment pretest and study, including the time
for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing the collection of information.
Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspects of this collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing burden to PRAStaff@fda.hhs.gov.

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S1. Which of the following best describes your role when it comes to buying groceries for your
household?
• I am the primary decision maker for these purchases. [CONTINUE]
• I share the responsibility for making these purchases. [CONTINUE]
• I provide input, but the decisions are made by others in the household. [CONTINUE]
• I am not involved in the decision at all. [THANK AND END]

[MAIN QUESTIONNAIRE - NEW SURVEY PAGE]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is developing a visual image, also called a symbol, to help
consumers make healthier food choices in grocery stores and other places where they buy food. The
healthy food symbol will be available for food manufacturers to voluntarily place on food packaging to
indicate foods that have met the FDA criteria for healthy. This survey will show you a series of draft
symbols that could be used for the healthy food symbol. As you view each symbol, please think about
how you would perceive it if you saw it on a food package.
1. If you saw the following symbols on food packages, which symbol would you think is most effective in
showing that the food product is healthy? Which symbol would you think is least effective in showing
that the food product is healthy? (ALLOW ONE ANSWER FOR “MOST” AND ONE ANSWER FOR
“LEAST”.)
[SHOW SYMBOLS 3 AT A TIME; REPEAT MAXDIFF QUESTION UNTIL ALL 15 SYMBOLS, SHOWN 3 AT A TIME,
ARE SHOWN AT LEAST 3 TIMES EACH].
Which symbol is
MOST effective in
showing that the
food product is
healthy?

Which symbol is
LEAST effective in
showing that the
food product is
healthy?

[INSERT SYMBOL A]
[INSERT SYMBOL B]
[INSERT SYMBOL C]
[INSERT SYMBOL D]
[INSERT SYMBOL E]
[INSERT SYMBOL F]
[INSERT SYMBOL G]
[INSERT SYMBOL H]
[INSERT SYMBOL I]
[INSERT SYMBOL J]
[INSERT SYMBOL K]
[INSERT SYMBOL L]
[INSERT SYMBOL M]
[INSERT SYMBOL N]
[INSERT SYMBOL O]

AFTER EVERY 3RD SET, INSERT: Good work so far. We know that some of these decisions are
challenging. We need to ask you to evaluate __ more sets so that we can better know which of these
would most motivate you to consider drinking less.

[NEW SURVEY PAGE]
[SHOW ALL SYMBOLS ON SCREEN]
[INSERT
SYMBOL A]
[INSERT
SYMBOL F]
[INSERT
SYMBOL K]

[INSERT
SYMBOL B]
[INSERT
SYMBOL G]
[INSERT
SYMBOL L]

[INSERT
SYMBOL C]
[INSERT
SYMBOL H]
[INSERT
SYMBOL M]

[INSERT
SYMBOL D]
[INSERT
SYMBOL I]
[INSERT
SYMBOL N]

[INSERT
SYMBOL E]
[INSERT
SYMBOL J]
[INSERT
SYMBOL O]

2. Now looking at all symbols, please indicate which symbol you think is [Provide a “none of the above”
option”]:
[RANDOMIZE]
Most likely to get your attention as you shop for food
Most visually appealing
Easiest to understand as a symbol of a healthy food product
Most useful in helping to select healthy foods when food shopping
3. Looking at all symbols again, please indicate which symbol(s) you think is(are) [Provide a “none of
the above” option”; Add “Select all that apply”]:
-

Telling you that the FDA “prechecked” the food.
Trying to tell you that the food is safer than foods with no symbol.

[NEW SURVEY PAGE]
4. How likely are you to go to the FDA website to learn more about the FDA healthy food symbol?
- Very likely
- Somewhat likely
- Somewhat unlikely
- Very unlikely
- Don’t know/unsure
5. Please add any comments you have about the symbols or the survey. [OPEN-ENDED].