Front-of-package nutrition labelling policy: global progress and future directions.

Nutrition labelling on food packages has been voluntarily implemented by food companies since the beginning of the 20th century. By the end of the 20th century, both governments and non-governmental organizations began to implement different front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labelling systems. FOP nutrition labels encompass a specific element of nutrition labelling postulated to allow for quick decision making about the nutritional content or relative healthfulness of a product provided through its simple, easily viewable and interpretable format. The policy objectives of FOP nutrition labelling are typically twofold: (i) to provide additional information to consumers to inform healthier food choices; and (ii) to encourage the industry to reformulate products towards healthier options. Recent reviews have summarized the implementation of nutrition labelling policies in general. However, there has been an exponential rise in both government and private-sector FOP nutrition labelling policy that deserves specific attention. While it has been argued that FOP nutrition labelling is a marketing, rather than a public health strategy, the purpose of this editorial is to provide an update on the global policy environment regarding governmentendorsed FOP nutrition labelling and to examine realworld evidence of policy implementation.