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Consumers' Choice-Blindness to Ingredient Information.

Cheung, T ; Junghans, A F ; Dijksterhuis, G B ; Kroese, F ; Johansson, Petter LU ; Hall, Lars LU and De Ridder, D T D (2015) In Appetite
Abstract
Food manufacturers and policy makers have been tailoring food product ingredient information to consumers' self-reported preference for natural products and concerns over food additives. Yet, the influence of this ingredient information on consumers remains inconclusive. The current study aimed at examining the first step in such influence, which is consumers' attention to ingredient information on food product packaging. Employing the choice-blindness paradigm, the current study assessed whether participants would detect a covertly made change to the naturalness of ingredient list throughout a product evaluation procedure. Results revealed that only few consumers detected the change on the ingredient lists. Detection was improved when... (More)
Food manufacturers and policy makers have been tailoring food product ingredient information to consumers' self-reported preference for natural products and concerns over food additives. Yet, the influence of this ingredient information on consumers remains inconclusive. The current study aimed at examining the first step in such influence, which is consumers' attention to ingredient information on food product packaging. Employing the choice-blindness paradigm, the current study assessed whether participants would detect a covertly made change to the naturalness of ingredient list throughout a product evaluation procedure. Results revealed that only few consumers detected the change on the ingredient lists. Detection was improved when consumers were instructed to judge the naturalness of the product as compared to evaluating the product in general. These findings challenge consumers' self-reported use of ingredient lists as a source of information throughout product evaluations. While most consumers do not attend to ingredient information, this tendency can be slightly improved by prompting their consideration of naturalness. Future research should investigate the reasons for consumers' inattention to ingredient information and develop more effective strategies of conveying information to consumers. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Appetite
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:26407803
  • scopus:84945962792
  • pmid:26407803
  • wos:000383940400002
ISSN
1095-8304
DOI
10.1016/j.appet.2015.09.022
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e27c61fc-1cee-4e25-b982-49d6b4b23b19 (old id 8034936)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:07:04
date last changed
2022-04-20 17:11:33
@article{e27c61fc-1cee-4e25-b982-49d6b4b23b19,
  abstract     = {{Food manufacturers and policy makers have been tailoring food product ingredient information to consumers' self-reported preference for natural products and concerns over food additives. Yet, the influence of this ingredient information on consumers remains inconclusive. The current study aimed at examining the first step in such influence, which is consumers' attention to ingredient information on food product packaging. Employing the choice-blindness paradigm, the current study assessed whether participants would detect a covertly made change to the naturalness of ingredient list throughout a product evaluation procedure. Results revealed that only few consumers detected the change on the ingredient lists. Detection was improved when consumers were instructed to judge the naturalness of the product as compared to evaluating the product in general. These findings challenge consumers' self-reported use of ingredient lists as a source of information throughout product evaluations. While most consumers do not attend to ingredient information, this tendency can be slightly improved by prompting their consideration of naturalness. Future research should investigate the reasons for consumers' inattention to ingredient information and develop more effective strategies of conveying information to consumers.}},
  author       = {{Cheung, T and Junghans, A F and Dijksterhuis, G B and Kroese, F and Johansson, Petter and Hall, Lars and De Ridder, D T D}},
  issn         = {{1095-8304}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Appetite}},
  title        = {{Consumers' Choice-Blindness to Ingredient Information.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.09.022}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.appet.2015.09.022}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}