Labels May Hurt Sales Rather Than Help
“Low fat” labels on food products may be causing harm to both consumers and manufacturers, according to a new study conducted by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU).
The study, published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, found that many consumers incorrectly assume that low-fat products also contain less sugar.
However, the sugar content in many low-fat foods is similar to that of regular products, which led some participants to feel deceived and less likely to buy these products.
Testing Consumer Perception and Behavior
The research team conducted three experiments to examine how yogurt packaging information affected the perception and purchasing behavior.
In total, 760 U.S. participants took part in the online experiments, rating the calorie, sugar, and fat content of the yogurts and indicating whether they would purchase the product.
Study leader and economist Dr. Steffen Jahn from MLU aimed to determine whether information about reduced fat content altered the overall perception of a product.
Results Indicate Misinterpretation and Deception
Most participants correctly estimated the lower calorie content of the low-fat yogurt but also mistakenly believed it contained less sugar than regular yogurt.
When presented with the actual nutritional information, participants adjusted their views on sugar content, but their purchasing intent decreased, despite the lower calorie content of the low-fat yogurt.
Dr. Jahn noted that many consumers fail to eat healthily due to various reasons, including potentially misleading information on food packaging.
Manufacturers occasionally exploit this perception, as seen in an Australian case where a cake mix labeled as “97% fat free” actually contained 55% sugar.
Transparency Needed for Customer Retention
According to Dr. Jahn, although “low fat” claims are technically true, they can be deceiving by omitting part of the truth, leading to consumer mistrust.
He suggests that manufacturers reconsider this practice for long-term customer retention, possibly by placing nutritional values directly on the front of product packaging.
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The study was published in Food Quality and Preference.
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