Rudd Center Claims “Smart Snack” Packaging Confuses Students

The University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
has published a study on student and parent perceptions of competitive
foods and beverages sold in schools under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Smart Snack nutrition standards. Jennifer Harris, et al., “Effects
of Offering Look-Alike Products as Smart Snacks in Schools,” Childhood
Obesity, September 2016.

After soliciting feedback from 659 students ages 13-17 and 859 parents,
the study authors report that students could not distinguish between
products sold in stores and reformulated “look-alike” versions sold in
schools unless the two were placed side-by-side. The study also notes that
parents and students “tended to rate the look-alike and store versions
of less nutritious snack brands as similar in healthfulness, whereas they
tended to view the repackaged Smart Snacks that emphasized improved
nutrition as healthier.” In addition, most participants “inaccurately
believed they had seen look-alike Smart Snacks for sale in stores” and
rated schools selling look-alike Smart Snacks as less concerned about
health, according to a concurrent press release.

“Kids think the healthier Smart Snacks they can buy in school are
the same products that are sold in stores,” Rudd Center Director of
Marketing Initiatives Jennifer Harris is quoted as saying. “This is a great
marketing tool. The snack makers get to sell their products in schools and
at the same time market their unhealthy brands to kids every school day.”
See UConn Today, August 31, 2016.

Issue 616