Changing the narrative: How “healthy” and “sustainable” labels could boost plant-based choices

19 Dec 2023 --- US-based researchers suggest that changing food labels from “vegan” or “plant-based” to “healthy” or “sustainable” may encourage people to eat more meals without dairy and meat. They note that the word “vegan” has negative connotations, but people are increasingly concerned about eating healthy and environmentally friendly food. 

In an online study, US citizens were twice as likely to choose a gourmet gift basket without meat or dairy if it was labeled as “healthy” or “sustainable” than if the products were labeled as “vegan” or “plant-based.” 

Nutrition Insight discusses the study’s outcomes with its authors Patrycja Sleboda, assistant professor of psychology at the City University of New York, Wändi Bruine De Bruin, co-director of the behavioral sciences program at the University of Southern California and Joe Árvai, director of the University of Southern California’s Dornsife Wrigley Institute for environmental studies. 

“We hope that food products currently labeled as ‘vegan’ or ‘plant-based’ will be re-labeled as healthy to shift people’s focus and boost healthier and more sustainable consumption,” underscore the authors. 

“The label ‘vegan’ is very unpopular among US citizens and Europeans, and the label ‘plant-based’ is not much more popular. Many people don’t realize that vegan or plant-based diets are healthier and more sustainable.” 

The researchers indicate that meat and dairy have a significant carbon footprint, contributing over 70% of global food-related greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, various studies have linked limiting animal-based products and increasing fruit and vegetable intake to lower disease risks and better weight management. 

Consumers may consider vegan food to taste bad or see it as a highly restrictive lifestyle choice.Away from negative connotations 
Sleboda, Bruine De Bruin and Árvai flag several reasons for the sometimes off-putting “vegan” label, for example, that consumers consider vegan food to taste bad. “Moreover, we think some people have a negative reaction to ‘vegan’ labels because it signals a set of values that are in line with extreme environmentalism.” 

“We also believe that people see veganism as a highly restrictive lifestyle choice. This is similar to food that is labeled as halal — people who are not Islamic are unlikely to eat these foods.”

The authors believe that healthy and sustainable labels shift people’s focus away from these negative connotations and restrictions in vegan food, instead focusing on the benefits of choosing foods without meat or dairy. 

“This is supported by the research in decision psychology and behavioral science, which suggests how food is described affects people’s food choices. Communications are more effective if they focus on people’s motivations, such as health benefits or sustainability,” they explain.

Study set-up
In the study published in The Journal of Environmental Psychology, 7,341 participants chose between a vegan gourmet gift basket and one that contained meat and cheese. When making the choice, the vegan basket was randomly labeled as “vegan,” “plant-based,” “healthy,” “sustainable” or “healthy and sustainable.” 

The plant-based label scored slightly better than the vegan label, with 27% and 20% of participants, respectively, selecting those baskets. 

However, when the same basket was labeled as healthy and sustainable, 44% of study participants opted for the products. When it was labeled as sustainable, 43% of participants chose the vegan basket, compared to 42% when labeled as healthy. 

According to the authors, this effect was consistent across socio-demographic groups but strongest among self-proclaimed red meat eaters. 

Effective communication 
Research in decision psychology and behavioral science suggests that how food is described affects people’s food choices, explain Sleboda, Bruine De Bruin and Árvai. 

“Communications are more effective if they focus on people’s motivations for making better food choices. Such information, presented either as a label or descriptor, can serve as a decision signpost — reminding consumers of their values and then guiding them to options most aligned with those values.” 

Simple reminders through labels that something is healthy can emphasize the direct benefits of the product, promoting healthier choices.“For example, take health or environmental benefits. People generally want to be and eat healthy, but they might not always act on it. However, simple reminders through labels that something is healthy or sustainable can reinforce these values and emphasize the direct benefits of the product, promoting healthier and more sustainable choices.” 

At the same time, the researchers note that more research is needed. “We focused on adding only positive labels, specifically those that emphasize benefits, but there are many other options to study. It would be great to examine the labeling effect in in-person shopping.” 

While the current research focused only on the US, the authors explain that scientific studies from other countries, including the UK, Switzerland and Germany, suggest similar effects on the popularity of plant-based foods by focusing on benefits such as health or sustainability. 

The value of labels 
The study authors suggest labels provide a low-cost intervention for promoting healthy and sustainable food choices. 

“Labeling vegan products or vegan food items on a menu as healthy or sustainable might increase their popularity. This should be easy to implement, especially regarding restaurant or cafeteria food options.” 

“We thought that having sections in supermarkets labeled as healthy or sustainable or even having checkout lines labeled as healthy or sustainable with healthy snacks, fruits or vegetables displayed while waiting to pay would help people purchase food that is not only better for their health but also better for the environment.” 

At the same time, they urge manufacturers to avoid misleading consumers by calling their products healthy or sustainable if they are not. 

“In our study, we used healthy and sustainable labels on a basket without meat and dairy that indeed was healthier in terms of containing fewer calories and carbs, more fiber, less fat, less saturated fat, less cholesterol and less sodium and was also more sustainable, in terms of having a lower carbon footprint.” 

Meanwhile, the Health Council of the Netherlands urges its government to push for a 60:40 plant-to-animal-based ratio diet, as this higher plant-based diet would expectedly result in a 25% reduction of environmental impact from food consumption. 

By Jolanda van Hal