Putting “healthy” on food labels may lower purchase appeal, US research finds

Food labels designed to nudge US consumers toward healthier food choices can sometimes have the opposite effect, suggests new University of Florida research. 

Since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently weighing whether to require front-of-package food labels, these results may indicate an unanticipated backlash to the proposed regulation. The newly proposed rule introduces labels that target saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar.

Each value on the labels, a percent of the recommended daily value, corresponds to one of three levels — low, medium, and high.

“This research highlights the importance of helping consumers understand what a label means,” says study author Jianhui “Jeffrey” Liu, a doctoral candidate in the UF/IFAS food and resource economics department.

“Simply putting ‘healthy’ on a product may not be enough — it can even backfire if consumers are left wondering what qualifies the food as healthy or if they associate the label with less desirable attributes, such as poor taste.”

Label literacy

The UF/IFAS study, published in the journal Food Policy, examined front-of-package labels professing the contents inside as “healthy.”

The researchers found the labels lowered consumer willingness to pay for yogurt unless the FDA backed the claim along with an explanation of the agency’s criteria.

The research found that an explanation of criteria backing FDA-issued “healthy” label helped boost its positive connotation.Liu and his team asked 308 subjects to review front-of-package label designs for strawberry Greek yogurt and indicate how much they would pay.

One package design included a “healthy” label, one included a “great taste” label, one included both labels, and the last design — the control — did not feature either label.

Compared to the control, respondents were willing to spend 18% less for the “healthy” yogurt and 25% less for the yogurt labeled both “healthy and “great taste.” “Great taste” labels presented alone, however, did not positively or negatively affect respondents’ willingness to pay.

The findings suggest health labels might evoke a perception of compromise on taste and indulgence.

Read the fine print

Notably, the negative impact associated with the “healthy” label was lower when accompanied by the following text: “The product you have just observed features a ‘healthy’ symbol. This label indicates that the product meets the FDA’s proposed criteria for being designated as ‘healthy,’ which specifically requires the product to be low in saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium.”

While consumers might be confused or skeptical about health claims, the study found that the perceived credibility of authoritative sources influences their behavior.

Liu hopes the study will prompt policymakers and food industry professionals to design effective package labels that empower consumers to make informed decisions about their food.

“This research supports a cultural shift toward healthier eating patterns, improving the health and well-being of the nation while reducing the burden of diet-related diseases,” he says.

“It has the potential to impact every consumer and food manufacturer in the country by setting the stage for more transparent, effective, and impactful public health interventions.”

Labeling impact

Calorie labels on supermarket foods or restaurants may have little impact on consumer choices, a review by the UK non-profit Cochrane recently discovered. A review of 25 studies conducted in high-income countries, with 15 in the US, six in the UK, one in Ireland, one in France, and one in Canada, indicated a minimal reduction (1.8%) in the number of calories people chose to consume as an impact of dietary information.

Another Cochrane review found the use of calorie labels on restaurant menus “negatively” impacts people who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder. The study led by the UK’s King’s College London revealed that such individuals can also feel that eating disorders are perceived as “less important” in light of obesity prevention policies.