Risk factors for Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors Present in Plastic Food Packaging within a Local Population

Nudging strategies can be used to influence healthier dietary choices. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of nudging strategies on choice of a saturated fat (SFA)-modified chocolate chip cookie in a university dining center. A three-phase, quasi-experimental design exposed ‘Late Night Dining’ customers to several nudging strategies that briefly described the health benefits of the modified cookie. Statistical analyses revealed that choice of the cookie in relation to total customers increased with the disclosure of substituted ingredients (20% increase from baseline) and the application of nudging strategies (25% increase from baseline). Furthermore, a significant correlation was detected among ‘health motivation’ and sensory ratings of the modified cookie (rho = 0.4, p < 0.0001). This research may be useful in promoting healthier choices among customers in a university dining center.