In any industry, product labeling is of utmost significance because it directly impacts the product's attraction to customers, particularly in the food business.
Recently, research was carried out on labeling various food products. The results of this investigation revealed that customers regarded vegan or plant-based food labels to be less appealing than those of products that were labeled as beneficial to their health and environmentally friendly.
Plant-Based Labels Vs. Healthy and Sustainable
Dr. Patrycja Sleboda, who is affiliated with Baruch College in New York City, and her coworkers from the University of Southern California were the ones who were in charge of the research project. The purpose of the research was reportedly to find out how individuals react to labels such as vegan and plant-based in comparison to labels such as healthy, sustainable, or healthy and sustainable.
On Sunday, Dec. 11, the experiment results were presented at the Society for Risk Analysis 2023 Annual conference. As mentioned, it has been demonstrated through studies that reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products while increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of developing cardiovascular illnesses, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. As a result of having a smaller carbon footprint, diets that feature a reduced consumption of meat and dairy products are also more environmentally sustainable.
Participants in this study were given the option of selecting either a food gift basket that did not contain meat or dairy products or one with both items. The gourmet food gift basket with no meat or dairy was branded as 'vegan,' 'plant-based,' 'healthy,' 'sustainable,' or 'healthy and sustainable 'in each of the five conditions the participants were randomly allocated to.
According to the researchers' findings, only 20% of the participants selected the vegan gift basket containing no meat or dairy products. There was an increase in the number of participants who chose the basket when it was labeled as plant-based.
Moreover, the food basket that did not contain any meat or dairy was selected by 43% of the participants when it was classified as healthy, and 44% chose it when the product had been identified as healthy and sustainable.
Accordingly, aside from assisting diners in making decisions that are better for their health, labeling may also assist customers in making more environmentally friendly judgments. Therefore, altering labels is a low-cost intervention that may be scaled up to promote environmentally sustainable and healthful food choices.
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Significance of Labeling in Food Products
Food labels provide information designed to assist people in being more knowledgeable about the foods they consume. In today's market, shoppers depend on food labels to locate details that can help them make purchasing decisions. This information includes the list of ingredients, the expiration date, the nutrition, the country of origin, the serving size, and claims about the health advantages of the product.
Moreover, the front, the back, and the sides of a package are all complete with information that not only tells us what the product is made up of but also guides us in making healthier choices when it comes to processed foods.
Thus, food labels must be straightforward, simple to comprehend, and not intended to mislead consumers. Ensuring that consumers adhere to food safety instructions, specifically regarding transportation, storage, and cooking, is of the utmost importance in its capacity as the concluding link in the food safety chain to guarantee the safety of consumable foods.
Related Article: Health Effects of Vegan Diet: 10 Plant-Based Foods to Consider
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