Think twice before you grab that bag of organic cookies from the grocery store—a new study conducted by Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab found that foods labeled as organic are not only believed to be healthier, but also tastier and of greater value than the conventional variety. This “health halo effect” proves that organic labels bias consumer perceptions of a food’s qualities. Additionally, the study revealed that certain people seem to be more susceptible to this health halo than others. Are you one of them?
The study recruited 115 participants who were asked to taste and evaluate three pairs of products by rating their taste, estimating their calorie content, and determining how much they’d be willing to pay for them. Each of the two yogurts, two cookies, and two potato chip portions were labeled as either “organic” or “conventional”— when in truth, they were all organic, thus respectively identical! A questionnaire inquiring about his or her eating and shopping habits, as well as their “pro-environmental activities” was also assigned.
The results? The “organic”-labeled snacks were believed to be more nutritious and appetizing than their “conventional”-labeled counterparts. In addition, participants were also willing to pay up to 24.3 percent more for them. Interestingly, researchers also discovered that those who regularly read nutrition labels, purchased organic foods, and exhibited “pro-environmental” behaviors (such as hiking and recycling) were less susceptible to this ‘health halo-effect’.
“The effect is stronger among those who rarely buy organic foods or those who don’t pay attention to the nutrition labels,” said one of the researchers, Mitsuru Shimizu. “Organic foods are not necessarily as good and worthy as they think.”
Most importantly, the study demonstrated how a simple label could sway consumer perceptions and explains why they would be willing to pay more for organic products than regular. In other words, the growing demand for organic products is partly driven by the halo effect of the organic name. Additionally, the results reflect a wide consumer ignorance concerning what makes a food organic and whether labels are worth paying for.
So how do we avoid adopting the same biases? Let’s take a step back to address what makes a food organic and whether organic foods are as healthy as a majority of us assume.
The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) applies the term “organic” to crops produced without using most conventional pesticides and synthetic fertilizers; and poultry and dairy products that come from growth hormone and antibiotic-free animals. In addition, all organic products must meet specific standards that regulate how they’re handled and processed as well.
Also, don’t confuse the term “organic” as synonymous with “natural,” as real “natural” foods are not significantly altered from their original state, nor do they contain added nutrients and flavoring.
There’s little evidence out there supporting the health benefits of eating organic foods. Two recent and separate studies conducted by Stanford University Medical Center and the Food Standards Agency of Britain found that organic food surprisingly contains the same nutritional quality as food grown and produced using conventional methods. It’s also good to note that organic snacks such as potato chips and cookies typically contain just as many calories, salt, and sugar amounts as their conventional counterparts (again, think twice before buying those so-called “organic” cookies!).
Alan Dangour, a public-health nutritionist and lecturer at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine remarked, “You can buy organic for other things, but there’s no evidence you should be buying it because there’s enhanced nutrient content of organic food.”
True, just because organic food isn’t nutritionally superior to regular food doesn’t mean you should stop eating them. There are various other factors that come into mind when choosing organic, such as taste, and the fact that they’re produced using environmentally friendly and conscious methods. Also, you might want to take into consideration the possible risk of future health problems from having a long-term exposure to produce containing pesticides, hormones, and antibiotic residue should you opt to eat mostly conventional foods.
Point is, buying organic food should be a choice based on availability, price, taste, and personal values, not on nutritional benefits. Furthermore, to prevent yourself from being influenced by the health halo effect, learn how to read nutrition labels and do so often.
Sources:
Are shoppers being duped by the ‘health halo effect’?
Organic food isn’t anymore nutritious
Do organic labels make us think food is healthy?
Organic Labels Bias Consumer Perceptions Through the ‘Health Halo Effect’
How do you make a cookie taste better? Try labeling it ‘organic’