Category bias and front-of-package labelling

Front-of-package nutrition labels are commonly used to offer consumers more information about a food product's healthfulness. However, not much is known about how broader category perceptions influence consumers' interpretation of objective nutrition information or how individual characteristics might influence this.

We report the results of five experiments in which participants were presented with the same nutrition label, but told it was associated with a product from either a more or less healthy product category. They rated the product on its overall healthiness and the level of specific nutrients.

Across the five studies, we find that consumers evaluate the same nutrition information very differently across different categories. Even though they are able to adapt their evaluations based on the nutrient levels presented, the category effect remains. We further find initial evidence that the category bias is stronger among more health-conscious consumers. However, subjective or objective nutrition knowledge or one's confidence in their nutrition knowledge do not help overcome the bias.

All in all, the results suggest that nutrition information is interpreted in the broader context of food categories. Policy makers and consumers themselves need to find ways to increase their focus on individual products over broad categorizations.