A new study has found that a U.S. Food and Drug Administration‑backed front‑of‑pack “healthy” label could influence both what foods shoppers choose and how much they’re willing to pay for them.
Researchers from Oregon State University and Tufts University tested how shoppers responded to snack foods labeled “healthy” under the FDA’s updated standards, comparing purchases when products carried no label, a generic “healthy” label, or an FDA “healthy” label.
What the Study Found in Stores
The study, published in Food Quality and Preference, was conducted between July and November 2023 with 417 real in-store shoppers at six grocery outlets across Boston. It used real-life choice experiments, an approach designed to better reflect actual shopping behavior, rather than hypothetical survey responses.
To make the choices financially meaningful, shoppers were given $5 in cash and a $10 store gift card, and were told the cash could be used toward the purchase of a product, selected in one of the study scenarios.
Participants were shown 15 real‑world snack products, nine classified as “healthy” and six as not healthy. The products were first presented without any special labeling and were later shown again, with qualifying items bearing either a generic “healthy” label or an FDA “healthy” label.
Across the experiment, consumers were more likely to choose healthier snacks over unhealthy ones, and their preference for healthy snacks increased when products carried healthy labels.
But the most striking result was that only the FDA‑backed “healthy” label produced a statistically significant increase in the selection of healthy snacks, while the generic “healthy” label did not, suggesting the credibility of FDA endorsement matters, not merely the presence of a health‑themed icon.
The price effect also stood out.
The study also found that shoppers were willing to pay more for products labeled “healthy,” and even more—about 59 cents extra—when the label was backed by the FDA.
The study’s lead author, Katherine Fuller, an assistant professor at Oregon State University, said that the “main finding is that trust in government was an important part for people and that they were willing to pay more for that label.”
Why Trust and the “FDA” Name Changes Behavior
In interviews and commentary accompanying the research, the authors emphasized that front-of-pack labels operate as signals—shortcuts for shoppers trying to make quick decisions in a noisy marketplace.
That signal becomes stronger when it is perceived as credible. The study found the label’s effect varied depending on participants’ trust in government, reinforcing the idea that FDA “approval” can change consumer interpretation of what healthy means.
“Our findings demonstrate that labels act as signals for consumers, and policy can shape how well those signals work,” said senior study author Sean Cash, chair of the Division of Agriculture, Food, and Environment at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. “When labels are viewed as credible, such as when they have the endorsement of a government agency, they are more likely to influence eating patterns and purchasing habits.”
Why People Pay Extra “Just Because of the Label”
At first glance, paying more just because a product carries a special label might seem slightly irrational. But consumer researchers often see the opposite: it can be a rational response to the information available at the point of purchase.
For example, per the study:
- A credible label reduces the mental effort required to compare ingredients and nutrients, especially when shoppers encounter confusing or inconsistent health claims.
- A label associated with a regulator can act as a stronger guarantee than a generic marketing label, which may be viewed skeptically.
- When shoppers trust the institution behind the claim, they may treat the label as reliable enough to justify paying more.
What This Could Mean for Brands
For food companies, the results hint at a practical incentive: If an FDA-backed “healthy” label increases demand and supports a premium price, brands could have stronger reasons to reformulate products to meet the FDA’s “healthy” standards.
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