The impact of food packaging on measured food intake: A systematic review of experimental, field and naturalistic studies

Chronic excess energy intake contributes to the development of overweight andobesity. Solutions are needed to guide consumers towards reducing food intake,especially high energy density (HED) and highly palatable foods. Food packaging, akey element of the eating environment, offers a potential solution to assist consumersin portion control. To investigate whether packaging design influences measured foodintake, a systematic search was undertaken in four electronic databases (OvidMedline; Ovid PsycInfo; Ovid Embase and Web of Science). This process yielded 1671discrete papers, of which 23 articles containing 40 relevant studies were retrieved.Overall, most (n = 36) of the manipulated packaging features influenced consumptionquantity with. The largest effect sizes were observed for packaging which guidedconsumers either by visual or functional features. For example, packaging size, imageson the front of the pack, as well as functional features such as partitioning andresealability all helped to reduce intake. However, individual differences and attentionalfocus mediate packaging effects. Overall, packaging features can be used to reducethe intake of HED foods and increase the intake of nutrient-dense foods (e.g., carrots).Future studies on packaging for portion control (downsizing) might benefit from longterm, randomised control trials to test effects outside of the laboratory context and applied to everyday usage.