Background:

Nutritional labeling is a tool that helps prevent chronic non-communicable diseases, whose riskfactors are highlyprevalent in Ecuador.

Objective:

Compare the knowledge, opinions and use of nutrition labels and traffic light labels according to the type of school attended, in a group of adolescents from 1st to 3rd year of highschool in two schools in the city of Quito-Ecuador, during 2017.

Materials and Methods:

A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out in 161 student sof both sexes. A survey was administered measuring their knowledge of the nutritionals toplight, it’s influence on their purchase decisions, and how they read and use nutrition labels.

Results:

89.4 % of students identified the nutrition label, but only 50.9% read them, and only 32.3% completely understand them. 45.3 % of participants have changed their purchase habits by using the nutrition stoplightlabel, and 58.4 % admitted that the stoplight has also benefitted their families. No significant differences were found in any of the analyses.

Conclusion:

In this simple of high school students, nutrition labels do not contribute to food purchase choices. Other factors such as personal patternsof taste and customs determine teenage food purchase decisions.

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