When Do Nutri-Score Labels Shift Food Choices? Evidence for Moderation by Health-Goal Activation and Prior Beliefs

Nutri-Score front-of-package labels are designed to guide consumers toward healthier food choices, yet evidence on their effectiveness is mixed. We examined when Nutri-Score shifts purchasing choices and whether its impact depends on making health goals salient at the moment of choice and whether Nutri-Score ratings confirm versus contradict consumers preexisting beliefs about which product is healthier. In a randomized online experiment with Italian adults (N = 792), participants made purchase choices across 30 pairs of familiar grocery products. Nutri-Score presence (present vs. absent) and a brief health-goal prompt ("Which product is healthier?"; present vs. absent) were manipulated between participants. We also categorized product pairs based on whether Nutri-Score ratings aligned with participants prelabel healthiness judgments. Overall, displaying Nutri-Score increased the selection of the higher Nutri-Score option. This shift was largest when the label confirmed prior beliefs and the health-goal prime was present. When Nutri-Score contradicted prior beliefs, the label shifted choices even without the prime. These findings suggest that Nutri-Score effectiveness depends on goal salience and on whether the label provides expectation-consistent versus expectation-inconsistent information; in some cases, unexpectedly favorable ratings on tempting products may also be experienced as more permissible, a possibility that policymakers should consider