Conceptualising the Effectiveness of NHR Claims

Stimulating behavioural change in the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is crucial as these consumption patterns have a strong link with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart diseases, obesity, and dental decay. Previous studies have shown that using Front of Pack Labels (FOP) such as NHR claims (Nutrition, Health, and Risk Reduction Claims) can direct consumers towards healthy food choices (Acton & Hammond, 2018; Steinhauser & Hamm, 2018). However, limited studies have explored their impact in the beverage category (Franco-Arellano et al., 2020; Hall et al., 2020b). Furthermore, these studies examine the broad category of sugar-sweetened beverages, including fruit juices, iced teas, and energy drinks, without isolating the effects on soft drink consumption. Therefore, this conceptual paper acknowledges this gap and proposes a framework based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour to measure the impact of NHR claims on purchase intentions and actual purchase choices of sugar-free soft drinks. This paper helps bridge the gap between behavioural change interventions and sugar reduction in diets by providing insights to understand the effectiveness of NHR claims in directing consumers towards sugar-free drink options.