Public acceptability of restrictive food environment policies
E Castellari, L Bartolomei, D Mori, MP Poelman, G Cardon, JM HarringtonAbstract
Background
Modern food environments (FE) increasingly favour nutrient-poor convenience foods, contributing to overweight, obesity, and non-communicable diseases, with stronger effects among lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Intrusive policy measures (taxation, marketing restrictions, product placement rules) tend to be the most effective but the least acceptable to the public, particularly among lower-SES groups. Yet public acceptance is critical for legitimacy and sustainability, and adoption across the EU remains limited and heterogeneous. This study assesses citizens’ preferences for intrusive FE measures by (i) identifying which enjoy broader or narrower support, and (ii) examining how acceptability varies by SES.
Methods
We conducted a Best–Worst Scaling (BWS) experiment in six countries (Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Turkey, Poland) with representative samples of ∼1,000 citizens each. To our knowledge, the first BWS application quantifying preferences for intrusive FE measures. Eight policy measures across four domains (prices, provision, promotion, retail) were evaluated; each respondent completed 14 choice tasks under a Balanced Incomplete Block Design. The final dataset is expected by end of May 2026. Preferences will be estimated via Random Parameters Logit, with Dirichlet regression linking preference shares to SES and FE perception.
Results
Preliminary pilot results show clear differentiation across measures. Taxation of energy-dense foods was the most accepted (β = 0.292, p < 0.001), while mandatory nutritional standards (β = −0.387) and bans on online food marketing (β = −0.387) were the least accepted (both p < 0.001). Mandatory reformulation (β = −0.319) and bans on in-store promotions (β = −0.274) were also rejected (p < 0.001).
Conclusions
Citizens discriminate between functionally similar instruments, with fiscal measures on unhealthy products attracting greater support than supply-side mandates on producers or retailers.