Consumer confusion about wholegrain content and healthfulness in product labels

A discrete choice experiment and comprehension assessment

Bibliographic Data

ID15095690
AuthorsParke Wilde (0000-0002-9596-9230, Tufts University, corresponding author), Jennifer L Pomeranz (0009-0008-6949-763X, New York University), Lauren Lizewski (Tufts University), Lauren J Lizewski, Fang Fang Zhang (0000-0002-3130-0087, Tufts University)
Year2020
Volume23
Issue18
Pages3324-3331
Publication date2020-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980020001688
PMID32773004
OpenAlexW3048844394
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited15

Objective: Using a legal standard for scrutinising the regulation of food label claims, this study assessed whether consumers are misled about wholegrain (WG) content and product healthfulness based on common product labels. Design: First, a discrete choice experiment used pairs of hypothetical products with different amounts of WG, sugar and salt to measure effects on assessment of healthfulness; and second, a WG content comprehension assessment used actual product labels to assess respondent understanding. Setting: Online national panel survey. Participants: For a representative sample of US adults ( n 1030), survey responses were collected in 2018 and analysed in 2019. Results: First, 29–47 % of respondents incorrectly identified the healthier product from paired options, and respondents who self-identified as having difficulty in understanding labels were more likely to err. Second, for actual products composed primarily of refined grains, 43–51 % of respondents overstated the WG content, whereas for one product composed primarily of WG, 17 % of respondents understated the WG content. Conclusions: The frequency of consumer misunderstanding of grain product labels was high in both study components. Potential policies to address consumer confusion include requiring disclosure of WG content as a percentage of total grain content or requiring disclosure of the grams of WG v . refined grains per serving

Advertising · Business · Comprehension · Confusion · Food products · Political science · Product (mathematics · Respondent · Sample (material · Computer Science · Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling · Mathematics · Nutritional Studies and Diet · Psychology · Sensory Analysis and Statistical Methods · Food Science · Marketing

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