Effects of warning and information labels on consumption of full-fat, reduced-fat, and no-fat products

Abstract

Participants in a taste test study were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: warning label (e.g., "In this product, 90% of the calories come from fat. Warning: The U.S. Surgeon General has determined that eating high fat food increases your risk of heart disease."), information label (e.g., "In this product, 90% of the calories come from fat."), and no label. Participants rated how much they wanted to taste full-, reduced-, and no-fat cream cheeses, and they chose 1 type to eat. People in the warning- and no-label groups wanted to taste the full-fat product more than those in the information-label group. People in the warning- and information-label groups were less likely to eat the full-fat product than those in the no-label group. People reacted to the warning label but avoided the full-fat product. For products with credible and familiar risks, information labels may be more effective than warning labels because they don't arouse reactance.