Consumers more likely to Purchase Food Products that Include Info on Harmful Ingredients

These days, many of us turn to nutrition labels to find out what's exactly in our favorite foods. Sometimes it can be rather shocking to read the amount of fat or carbohydrates found in a our favorite treats.

However, a new study by Cornell University shows that consumers are eager to learn more from exactly what they're putting in their mouths. For instance, nutritional labels might provide basic information regarding ingredients found in a product, as well as fat and protein content, but harmful compounds carried in some foods may not always be listed.

The researchers looked at 351 shoppers who found consumers that were willing to pay a premium when a product label said "free of" something, but only if the package also included "negative" information on whatever the product was "free of."

Researchers looked at foods labeled "free" of food dye that might compel health-conscious users to buy the product. However, their findings showed that people are even more likely to purchase a product that also includes information regarding the risks of ingesting food dyes or other harmful materials.

"What did surprise us was the effect of supplementary information," Harry M. Kaiser, a Cornell professor whose field of study includes labeling  said, via a press release. "Even seemingly negative information was valued over just the label itself."

Kaiser and colleagues believe that when the consumer is provided with more information regarding the value of the product, they're more likely to purchase an item and feel satisfied with doing so.

More information regarding the study can be found via the article "Consumer Response to 'Contains' and 'Free of' Labeling" in the journal Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy.