Plant-Based Foods Gain Traction When Not Labeled Vegan, Study Shows

Plant-based foods are much more appealing when not labeled as vegan, according to new research. PHOTO  BY THE LAZY ARTIST GALLERY/PEXELS 

Plant-based foods are much more appealing when not labeled as vegan, according to new research.

A new study has revealed that red meat lovers are much more likely to reach for meat and dairy free products when they don’t have the word vegan associated with them.

When a food gift basket was labeled “vegan” only 20 percent of people chose it but the same basket labeled “healthy and sustainable” had a 44 percent uptake.

Many people are turning to the vegan diet as research has shown that limiting meat and dairy intake and eating more fruit and vegetables reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

Diets with less meat and dairy are also more environmentally sustainable because they have a smaller carbon footprint.

A new study has revealed that red meat lovers are much more likely to reach for meat and dairy free products when they don’t have the word vegan associated with them. PHOTO  BY VEGAN LIFTZ/PEXELS 

Researchers have now found that more of the population might turn to this healthier diet if it was marketed differently.

To get their results the team, from the University of Southern California, conducted a national food choice experiment to determine how people respond to labels such as vegan and plant-based compared to healthy, sustainable, or healthy and sustainable.

In the study, presented at the Society for Risk Analysis 2023 Annual conference, all participants chose between a food gift basket without meat and dairy and another with meat and dairy.

Participants were randomly assigned one of the five labels above for their meat and dairy free choice.

A new study has revealed that red meat lovers are much more likely to reach for meat and dairy free products when they don’t have the word vegan associated with them. PHOTO  BY VEGAN LIFTZ/PEXELS 

They found that the food gift basket without meat and dairy was less likely to be chosen when its label focused on its content (stating vegan or plant-based) rather than its benefits (stating healthy, sustainable or both).

Only 20 percent of participants chose the food basket without meat and dairy when it was labeled vegan, while 27 percent chose it when it was labeled plant-based.

In contrast, 42 percent of participants chose the food basket without meat and dairy when it was labeled healthy, 43 percent chose it when it was labeled sustainable, and 44 percent chose it when it was labeled healthy and sustainable.

Dr. Patrycja Sleboda said: “This labeling effect was especially pronounced among individuals who identified as red-meat eaters and held across socio-demographic groups.

“Thus, changing labels is a low-cost scalable intervention for promoting healthy and environmentally sustainable food choices.”

 

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