A study conducted at Cornell University tested the power of an organic label to influence consumers' perceptions of food. What they discovered is that the label means an awful lot.
Powerful Perception
A Cornell University study conducted an experiment where 144 randomly selected volunteers were given samples of chocolate sandwich cookies, yogurt, and potato chips. Although all of the foods were actually organic, some were labeled "regular" and some were labeled "organic."
After a volunteer consumed a sample, they rated the food on a scale of 1-9 in terms of taste and fat content, as well as an estimate of the calorie count in the food.
The Influence Of The Organic Label
The results show that participants consistently rated the organic-labeled food to be better tasting and lower in fat and calories than the regular-labeled food.
Even though both the regular and organic labeled food was made out of the same ingredients, the imagined benefit of foods marked as organic was so convincing that the foods were perceived as better tasting and healthier to the volunteers.
This phenomenon has been dubbed the "health halo."
Additionally, the participants said they would be willing to pay more for the organic-labeled food.
This study, endorsed by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, will be presented at the Experimental Biology annual meeting in Washington D.C. this weekend.
Read More:
- 'Organic' Label Seems to Make Food Taste Better (US News Health)
- Organic label makes food seem tastier, more healthful (Los Angeles Times)
