Food Package Health Info Fluency

What it measures

A four-item scale measuring how easily a consumer can use the information displayed on food packaging to determine whether a product is healthy or unhealthy. Captures both clarity and confidence in health-related processing fluency from front-of-pack labelling.

Response format

7-point Likert-type (1 = Strongly disagree, 7 = Strongly agree)

Scale items

• Given the information on the package, it is easy to determine how healthy the product is.
• Given the information on the package, it is clear whether the product is high or low in its level of nutritiousness.
• I feel confident about whether this product is a healthy or unhealthy choice based on the information on the package.
• It is easy to understand whether this product is a healthy or unhealthy choice given the information shown on the package.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Draws on fluency measures by Fang, Singh, and Ahluwalia (2007) and Lee and Aaker (2004). Specifically designed for food packaging evaluation but could be adapted for other health communication materials. Relevant to front-of-pack labelling policy research.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Newman, C.L., Howlett, E., & Burton, S. (2016). Effects of objective and evaluative front-of-package cues on food evaluation and choice: The moderating influence of comparative and noncomparative processing contexts. Journal of Consumer Research, 42(5), 749–766.

Keywords