One-liner
Benefit-oriented labels like "healthy" and "sustainable" significantly increase consumers' choice of meat-free food baskets over labels emphasizing content such as "vegan" or "plant-based."
Synopsis
Introduction
The study conducted by Patrycja Sleboda and her team aimed to investigate the impact of labeling on consumer food choices, particularly in the context of vegan and plant-based diets.
Methodology
Participants in the study (n=7,341) were tasked with selecting between two gourmet food gift baskets—one with meat and dairy, the other without. The latter was randomly assigned one of five labels: "vegan," "plant-based," "healthy," "sustainable," or "healthy and sustainable."
Results
Labels that highlighted the benefits of the basket without meat and dairy ("healthy," "sustainable," or both) were more effective in swaying participants' choices than those merely stating its vegan or plant-based content. The study found that benefit-oriented labels were chosen by nearly double the number of participants compared to content-focused labels.
Conclusion
This research suggests that rephrasing how meat-free options are presented could serve as a simple, scalable strategy to promote healthier and more environmentally friendly food choices across different demographics, including red-meat eaters.
Key quotes
- "The food gift basket without meat and dairy was less likely to be chosen when its label focused on its content (stating 'vegan' or 'plant-based') rather than its benefits (stating 'healthy,' 'sustainable' or both)."
- "Only 20% of participants chose the food basket without meat and dairy when it was labeled 'vegan,' while 27% chose it when it was labeled 'plant-based.'"
- "Changing labels is a low-cost scalable intervention for promoting healthy and environmentally sustainable food choices."
Make it stick
- The power of words: Benefit-oriented labels can double the preference for meat-free foods.
- "Vegan" isn't always persuasive: Phrasing like "healthy & sustainable" wins more consumer votes.
- Labels influence eats: A shift in labeling could tilt diet choices towards sustainability.
Talking points
- Did you know that simply calling a food "healthy and sustainable" can make it more appealing than labeling it "vegan"?
- I was surprised to learn that nearly twice as many people would choose a plant-based food option when it's advertised as "healthy" rather than "vegan"—shows how much impact word choice has on our perceptions.
- What are your thoughts on how changing a few words on a label can significantly alter consumer behavior and potentially improve public health and the
This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.