PONE-D-25-27597Experts contributions to the development of a non-sugar sweeteners warning label for Brazilian food productsPLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Ribeiro,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

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ACADEMIC EDITOR: 

Required Revisions for Acceptance:

1. Abstract : Clearly highlight the main findings of the study, including the two preferred warning messages and their key design attributes.

2. Introduction:

- Improve the transition between the global health context and the Brazilian regulatory landscape by explicitly connecting WHO guidelines to the national policy gap earlier in the text.

- Revise phrasing for conciseness where applicable (e.g., “Recent scientific evidence has associated” → “Recent evidence associates”).

3. Materials and Methods:

- Provide more detailed information on how experts were identified and selected (e.g., through professional networks, databases, or institutional affiliations) to ensure reproducibility.

- Discuss how the lack of non-verbal communication in virtual panels may have impacted consensus-building.

- Include examples of the questionnaire (e.g., Google Forms) as supplementary material to enhance transparency.

4. Results:

- Support expert assumptions about Brazilian consumers’ understanding of the term “edulcorante” with references to existing literature on label comprehension, if available.

- Expand on why health risk perception was less emphasized by professionals, considering the potential influence of design prioritization.

- Include a brief comparison between Brazil’s proposed warning labels and those implemented in Argentina and Mexico. Address whether the experts’ preferences align with these regional approaches.

5. Discussion:

- Discuss regulatory feasibility, including anticipated barriers such as industry resistance or consumer misinterpretation, and explain how the proposed labels may help to overcome them.

- As the study is described as the “first phase,” clearly outline the next steps, especially the planned consumer validation study, including its expected methodology and scope.

- Eliminate redundant content, particularly repetitive references to international experiences (e.g., Chile’s reformulation policies).

6. References : Ensure that all references follow a consistent formatting style, as required by PLOS ONE.

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Please submit your revised manuscript by Aug 08 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org . When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.

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We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Elma Izze Da Silva Magalhães

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: The review is an attachment below completely

Abstract: The abstract could better highlight the study’s key findings (e.g., the two preferred warning messages and their design attributes).

Introduction: The transition from global/NSS health risks to Brazil’s labeling gap could be smoother. Consider adding a sentence explicitly linking WHO guidelines to Brazil’s regulatory context earlier.

Reviewer #2: Conducting a qualitative study is quite difficult in almost all fields of science. It was carried out systematically and the method section was very well defined. I congratulate you on your unique work, prepared with utmost care.

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Reviewer #1: Yes:  Hasan Basri

Reviewer #2: No

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Attachments

Attachment

Submitted filename: Comments-PONE-D-25-27597.pdf

Experts contributions to the development of a non-sugar sweeteners warning label for Brazilian food products

PONE-D-25-27597R1

Dear Dr. Ribeiro,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

Elma Izze Da Silva Magalhães

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE