A team of researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School has developed a digital toolkit that significantly improves the nutritional quality of online grocery purchases. Published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the study demonstrates how simple interventions, like color-coded labels and healthier alternative prompts, can reduce calories and unhealthy nutrients in shoppers’ carts—a potential game-changer in combating chronic diseases globally.
The study involved a randomized trial on NUSMart, an online grocery platform designed by the researchers. Participants were divided into two groups: one used a standard version of the store, while the other interacted with a version enhanced with four digital features. These included traffic light-style nutritional labels (green for healthiest, red with an “X” for least healthy), sorting items by nutritional value, real-time cart feedback via a pie chart, and suggestions for healthier alternatives.
Using the Nutri-Score (NS) grading system, the team found that the interventions improved the average nutritional quality of carts from a grade C to B. Shoppers also purchased fewer calories (12.86 kcal less), less fat, sugar, and sodium per order. Notably, these healthier choices persisted across all three orders placed during the trial.
Assistant Professor Soye Shin, the study’s first author, emphasized the scalability of these tools: “Our goal was to create low-cost, effective nudges for online grocery platforms. The results show promising potential for improving public health.”
Senior author Professor Eric Finkelstein highlighted the next steps: “Collaborating with retailers to integrate these features into existing stores will unlock their full impact.” Professor Patrick Tan, Duke-NUS Senior Vice-Dean for Research, added, “This research translates scientific insights into practical tools that empower healthier population-wide choices.”
The study underscores the value of multi-pronged digital interventions in promoting healthier diets. Future research will explore the long-term health effects and extend the toolkit to low-income consumers. As online grocery shopping grows, such innovations could play a pivotal role in global health strategies.
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