Label Copresence for Healthier Choices: How sugar content per daily limit and sugar warning labels balance out the health halos of nutrient-content claim

05 Apr 2023
A research article by Sasin professor and her team published in Food Quality and Preference journal
Label copresence for healthier choices: How sugar content per daily limit and sugar warning labels balance out the health halos of nutrient-content claim by Assistant Professor Pavitra Jindahra and Dr. Panjarat Phumpradab Excessive sugar consumption is a major cause of obesity and many non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Overconsumption of sugar has been associated with a higher number of NCD deaths. To curb sugar consumption, this study examined the label copresence effect of sugar content per daily limit, sugar warning, and nutrient-content claim on consumer choices, using the mixed logit model on conjoint choice data of orange juice among 390 college students in Thailand, illustrating that food labels affect consumer food choice decision. Results showed that nutrient-content claims are the most influential label on choice selection, followed by sugar content per daily limit, and sugar warning. Consumer characteristics and unobserved heterogeneity on label importance affect intermediary steps on choice decisions. Additionally, sugar content per daily limit labels significantly induced healthy choices whereas nutrient-content claims significantly encouraged any choice selection. Sugar warning label were found to be significantly influential among overweight people. The health halo effects of nutrient-content claims were found, swaying consumers toward unhealthy choices. This health halo effect can be alleviated by sugar content per daily limit and sugar warning labels. Evidently, male consumers prefer sweeter choices compared to female consumers, whereas healthy eaters prefer low sugar content. Unobserved heterogeneity in sugar warning importance was found to be more dispersed than that of nutrients-content claim, explaining why sugar warning label cannot override the positive health halo effects of nutrient-content claim. The optimal copresence label design for healthier choices was discussed. Further behavioral validation is essential before the insights can be applied. The article can be downloaded here.
Assistant Professor Pavitra Jindahra’s research interests are in the area of quantitative analysis, big data, consumer decision making processes, marketing and public policy, and consumer well-being. Her recent work focuses on consumer healthy choices, consumer well-being in aging society, and consumer response to cultural globalization.
About the journal Food Quality and Preference is a journal devoted to sensory, consumer and behavioral research in food and non-food products. It publishes original research, critical reviews, and short communications in sensory and consumer science, and sensometrics.  
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