South African consumers’ perceptions of front-of-pack warning labels: An online survey in Nelson Mandela Bay

Introduction Warning labels (WLs) have been proposed in South Africa to promote healthier food choices, yet little is known about how consumers in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) perceive WLs and their design features. Aim This study investigated consumers’ perceptions of WLs and their design features in NMB. Methods An online cross-sectional survey was administered using convenience and snowball sampling (N = 96). Closed-ended responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests, while open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis. Results Most respondents supported the implementation of WLs (93.8%) and believed they would help identify unhealthy products (93.8%). Respondents identified the red triangle as the most effective (53/89; 59.6%) and most attention-grabbing (51/91; 56.0%) design, in contrast with South Africa’s draft regulations, which propose a black triangle WL. Only 44.8% of respondents agreed that government-endorsed food labels would be trustworthy. Open-ended responses indicated that respondents perceived WLs as helpful in guiding healthier food choices and lifestyles. Conclusion These findings suggest that consumers in this NMB sample perceived WLs positively and believed they could support healthier choices. Nonetheless, mixed views on government endorsement and concerns that WLs are perceived as “scare tactics” suggest that further pretesting may be warranted.