K A S H R U T . C O M_©

Want more people to buy your vegan or vegetarian products? So don’t label them as such

July 21, 2023 from the DeleciousFood:

"Experts continue to believe that consumers should be encouraged to eat less meat to reduce climate emissions. The UK’s Climate Change Committee, for example, recently recommended a 20% reduction in meat consumption by 2030, rising to 35% by 2050.

"However, consumer appetite for meat and dairy is growing amid the consolidation of plant-based brands.

"Labeling meat-free foods as ‘vegan’ or ‘vegetarian’ does more harm than good, with meat eaters ‘significantly less likely’ to choose these meals when labeled as such, a new study has found. However, the removal of these labels did not lead to vegans/vegetarians accidentally choosing options with meat.

"The researchers conducted two experiments. In the first, nearly 160 students at an event could choose either a hummus wrap made with only vegan ingredients or a Greek salad containing dairy: feta cheese. For some participants these dishes were labeled as vegan or non-vegan options, for others they were not labeled.

"The results revealed that the first option was preferred by participants who saw the form without a label. In contrast, participants who saw the labeled form preferred option two instead.

"In a second online study, nearly 700 participants were asked to hypothetically choose from five menu options. These were vegetarian or meat-based; vegan or meat; vegan or vegetarian; or completely vegan or vegetarian.

"Similarly, for the first study, for some participants the options were explicitly labeled vegan and vegetarian, while others could only see the list of ingredients. Again, the results revealed a negative effect of labelling, with around 10% choosing a vegetarian or vegan meal in the absence of labelling."