In 2024 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated the definition of "healthy" on food packaging, replacing a 1992 rule to better match current nutrition science and federal dietary guidance. The agency also proposed an "FDA healthy" icon for packages; that icon is still under review.
Researchers at Oregon State University and Tufts University designed an experiment, published in Food Quality and Preference, to measure how such labels affect shopper choices. In 2023 they enrolled 267 shoppers at six grocery stores in the Boston area. Participants used tablets to view photos of 15 real products; nine met the new FDA "healthy" standards and six did not. Shoppers first viewed products without special labels and then viewed the same items again with either a generic healthy icon or the proposed FDA icon when the product qualified. The protocol included real economic incentives: participants received $5 in cash and a $10 store gift card and were told the $5 could be applied to a purchase.
The results showed that shoppers were more likely to select the healthy snacks and that preference increased when products displayed healthy icons. Both the generic and FDA icons were associated with higher selection, but only the FDA icon produced a statistically significant rise. Consumers were also willing to pay more for labeled healthy foods; adding the FDA label increased the premium, with shoppers on average prepared to pay about $0.59 more for a healthy product with the FDA-endorsed label. The stronger effect of the FDA label reflected perceived institutional credibility and matched earlier studies showing credible labels shape decisions. The label's impact varied with how much consumers trusted the government.
- Study published in Food Quality and Preference
- Sample: 267 shoppers, six Boston-area stores, 15 real products
- Only the FDA icon had a statistically significant effect
- Average premium for FDA-labeled healthy product: $0.59
Lead author Katherine Fuller said trust in government mattered and people were willing to pay more for that label. Senior author Sean Cash noted that credible labels and policy can influence eating patterns and purchasing habits. Coauthors are from Tufts and New York University. Source: Tufts University.
Difficult words
- definition — short statement of a word's meaning
- propose — formally put forward for considerationproposed
- enroll — officially register to take partenrolled
- protocol — detailed plan for a study or experiment
- incentive — money or reward that encourages actionincentives
- statistically significant — results unlikely to be caused by chance
- premium — extra amount paid for a product
- institutional credibility — belief that an institution is trustworthy
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How might an official FDA 'healthy' icon influence your own shopping choices? Give reasons.
- What are possible benefits and drawbacks of using a government-backed label for food products?
- How could differences in trust in government change the label's effect in different communities?
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