Uncovering the Effect of European Policy-Making Initiatives in Addressing Nutrition-Related Issues: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Front-of-Pack Labels
The last decades have been marked by the introduction of front-of-pack labels (FoPL) as an institutional corrective action against obesity and nutrition-related illnesses. However, FoPL-related policy-making initiatives issued by the European Union evolved over time and led to a diversity of labels...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-08-01
|
| Series: | Nutrients |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/16/3423 |
| _version_ | 1797442936445599744 |
|---|---|
| author | Marco Francesco Mazzù Angelo Baccelloni Piera Finistauri |
| author_facet | Marco Francesco Mazzù Angelo Baccelloni Piera Finistauri |
| author_sort | Marco Francesco Mazzù |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The last decades have been marked by the introduction of front-of-pack labels (FoPL) as an institutional corrective action against obesity and nutrition-related illnesses. However, FoPL-related policy-making initiatives issued by the European Union evolved over time and led to a diversity of labels with different effects on consumers’ decisions. As a result, the extant literature adapted to the regulative scenario over the years and investigated the effects of the labels, creating consensus on some topics while being fragmented on others. Similarly, policy-makers adapted some regulations to the evidence supported by the research. With the aim to systematize the overall structure and evolution of the literature on FoPL, investigate the presence of a consensus on specific topics through a co-citation analysis, and examine the evolution of the consensus and co-citation networks over the years and potential research gaps, we report the results of bibliometric and co-citation analyses and a systematic literature review involving 170 papers and a selection of 49 articles published in the last months, for a total of 219 articles, analysed according to three timespans (Period 1 (1989–2011); Period 2 (2012–2016) and Period 3 (2017–2022)). Our findings highlight the interplay of policy development and FoPL research, the presence of few self-reinforcing and well-established co-citation networks based on validated evidence in the literature and the presence of alternative emerging theories that offer different and valid perspectives overlooked by mainstream co-citation research networks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:48:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-41ec18959de6473ca22cc3d07e055701 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:48:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-41ec18959de6473ca22cc3d07e0557012023-11-30T22:08:43ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432022-08-011416342310.3390/nu14163423Uncovering the Effect of European Policy-Making Initiatives in Addressing Nutrition-Related Issues: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Front-of-Pack LabelsMarco Francesco Mazzù0Angelo Baccelloni1Piera Finistauri2Luiss Business School, Via Nomentana 216, 00162 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Communication and Social Research, Sapienza University, Via Salaria 113, 00198 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Business and Management, Luiss University, Viale Romania 32, 00197 Rome, ItalyThe last decades have been marked by the introduction of front-of-pack labels (FoPL) as an institutional corrective action against obesity and nutrition-related illnesses. However, FoPL-related policy-making initiatives issued by the European Union evolved over time and led to a diversity of labels with different effects on consumers’ decisions. As a result, the extant literature adapted to the regulative scenario over the years and investigated the effects of the labels, creating consensus on some topics while being fragmented on others. Similarly, policy-makers adapted some regulations to the evidence supported by the research. With the aim to systematize the overall structure and evolution of the literature on FoPL, investigate the presence of a consensus on specific topics through a co-citation analysis, and examine the evolution of the consensus and co-citation networks over the years and potential research gaps, we report the results of bibliometric and co-citation analyses and a systematic literature review involving 170 papers and a selection of 49 articles published in the last months, for a total of 219 articles, analysed according to three timespans (Period 1 (1989–2011); Period 2 (2012–2016) and Period 3 (2017–2022)). Our findings highlight the interplay of policy development and FoPL research, the presence of few self-reinforcing and well-established co-citation networks based on validated evidence in the literature and the presence of alternative emerging theories that offer different and valid perspectives overlooked by mainstream co-citation research networks.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/16/3423front-of-pack labelfood policynutri-scoreNutrInform batterymultiple traffic lightbibliometric analysis |
| spellingShingle | Marco Francesco Mazzù Angelo Baccelloni Piera Finistauri Uncovering the Effect of European Policy-Making Initiatives in Addressing Nutrition-Related Issues: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Front-of-Pack Labels Nutrients front-of-pack label food policy nutri-score NutrInform battery multiple traffic light bibliometric analysis |
| title | Uncovering the Effect of European Policy-Making Initiatives in Addressing Nutrition-Related Issues: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Front-of-Pack Labels |
| title_full | Uncovering the Effect of European Policy-Making Initiatives in Addressing Nutrition-Related Issues: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Front-of-Pack Labels |
| title_fullStr | Uncovering the Effect of European Policy-Making Initiatives in Addressing Nutrition-Related Issues: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Front-of-Pack Labels |
| title_full_unstemmed | Uncovering the Effect of European Policy-Making Initiatives in Addressing Nutrition-Related Issues: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Front-of-Pack Labels |
| title_short | Uncovering the Effect of European Policy-Making Initiatives in Addressing Nutrition-Related Issues: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Front-of-Pack Labels |
| title_sort | uncovering the effect of european policy making initiatives in addressing nutrition related issues a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis on front of pack labels |
| topic | front-of-pack label food policy nutri-score NutrInform battery multiple traffic light bibliometric analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/16/3423 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marcofrancescomazzu uncoveringtheeffectofeuropeanpolicymakinginitiativesinaddressingnutritionrelatedissuesasystematicliteraturereviewandbibliometricanalysisonfrontofpacklabels AT angelobaccelloni uncoveringtheeffectofeuropeanpolicymakinginitiativesinaddressingnutritionrelatedissuesasystematicliteraturereviewandbibliometricanalysisonfrontofpacklabels AT pierafinistauri uncoveringtheeffectofeuropeanpolicymakinginitiativesinaddressingnutritionrelatedissuesasystematicliteraturereviewandbibliometricanalysisonfrontofpacklabels |