Traffic-light food labels and pantry layout to make healthier choices easier
Behavioral economics to implement a traffic light nutrition ranking system in a network of food pantries
This project adds traffic-light food labels and layout changes in food pantries to help people who use pantries pick healthier foods.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11184402 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you visit a participating pantry, you'll see foods labeled green, yellow, or red on shelves and on the ordering screens used by pantry staff, and healthier items will be placed to be more visible and accessible. The team will work with food banks and partner pantries to implement the SWAP traffic-light ranking on ordering platforms, shelf tags, and pantry layout using behavioral nudges. The project uses a cluster randomized approach across pantry sites and tracks what foods are offered and what clients select. The researchers will address common implementation barriers like staff time limits to fit these changes into normal pantry operations.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people who regularly use community food pantries or receive food from partner agencies, especially those experiencing food insecurity or at risk for heart disease, diabetes, or related conditions.
Not a fit: People who do not use participating pantries, rely entirely on other food sources, or have strict medical diets that limit food choices may not experience direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, pantries may offer and clients may choose healthier foods more often, which could reduce cardiometabolic disease risk over time.
How similar studies have performed: Traffic-light labeling and choice-architecture nudges have improved healthier selections in grocery and cafeteria settings, but broad implementation across food pantry networks is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thorndike, Anne N — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Thorndike, Anne N
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.