University study reveals mystery behind food labels
By reviewing over 90 academic studies on consumer response to process labels, the researchers found that while these labels satisfy consumer demand for quality assurances and can create value for both consumers and producers, misinterpretation is common and can stigmatize food produced by conventional processes even when there is no scientific evidence those foods cause harm.
When customers walk down aisles of grocery stores, they are inundated with labels such as organic, fair-trade and cage-free, just to name a few. While labels such as these may be eye-catching, they can also be free of any scientific basis, according to a study produced by the University of Delaware, Newark, Del.
The paper, which published in the journal Applied Economics Perspectives and Policy, examined the good, the bad and the ugly of food labeling to see how labels identifying the process in which food was produced positively and negatively influenced consumer behavior.