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Nutritional Labeling and Consumer Choices

Author

Listed:
  • Kristin Kiesel

    (Economics Department, California State University, Sacramento, California 95819)

  • Jill J. McCluskey

    (School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6210)

  • Sofia B. Villas-Boas

    (Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-3310)

Abstract

In 1994, nutritional facts panels became mandatory for processed foods to improve consumer access to nutritional information and to promote healthy food choices. Recent applied work is reviewed here in terms of how consumers value and respond to nutritional labels. We first summarize the health and nutritional links found in the literature and frame this discussion in terms of the obesity policy debate. Second, we discuss several approaches that have been used to empirically investigate consumer responses to nutritional labels: (a) surveys, (b) nonexperimental approaches utilizing revealed preferences, and (c) experiment-based approaches. We conclude with a discussion and suggest avenues of future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristin Kiesel & Jill J. McCluskey & Sofia B. Villas-Boas, 2011. "Nutritional Labeling and Consumer Choices," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 3(1), pages 141-158, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:anr:reseco:v:3:y:2011:p:141-158
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    File URL: http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.resource.012809.103957
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Azzurra Annunziata & Angela Mariani, 2016. "The role of nutritional labeling in promoting healthier food choices: a review of the major issues in the EU," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(2), pages 107-119.
    2. Zhu, Chen & Huang, Rui, 2014. "Heterogeneity in Consumer Responses to Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels: Evidence from a Natural Experiment?," Working Paper series 170016, University of Connecticut, Charles J. Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy.
    3. Nugraha, Widya Satya & Chen, Dennis & Yang, Shang-Ho, 2022. "The effect of a Halal label and label size on purchasing intent for non-Muslim consumers," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    4. Sedef Akgungor & Andrea Groppel-Klein & Joerg Koenigstorfer & Yaprak Gulcan & Yesim Kustepeli, 2016. "The Impact of Nutrition Labels on Food Sales: An In-Store Experiment in a Turkish Supermarket," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 18(2), pages 207-228.
    5. Bimbo, Francesco & Bonanno, Alessandro & Viscecchia, Rosaria, 2019. "An empirical framework to study food labelling fraud: an application to the Italian extra-virgin olive oil market," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 63(4), October.
    6. Chen, Xuan & Liu, Yizao & Jaenicke, Edward C. & Rabinowitz, Adam N., 2018. "The Added Caffeine, Health Concerns and Potential Regulations: The Case of Energy Drinks," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 273853, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Chen, Xuan & Liu, Yizao & Jaenicke, Edward C. & Rabinowitz, Adam N., 2019. "New concerns on caffeine consumption and the impact of potential regulations: The case of energy drinks," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 1-1.
    8. Christopher B. Barrett, 2021. "Overcoming Global Food Security Challenges through Science and Solidarity," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(2), pages 422-447, March.
    9. Jayson L Lusk, 2019. "Consumer beliefs about healthy foods and diets," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(10), pages 1-15, October.
    10. Olivier Bonroy & Christos Constantatos, 2015. "On the Economics of Labels: How Their Introduction Affects the Functioning of Markets and the Welfare of All Participants," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 97(1), pages 239-259.
    11. Chen, Xuqi & Shen, Meng & Gao, Zhifeng, 2017. "Impact of Intra-respondent Variations in Attribute Attendance on Consumer Preference in Food Choice," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258509, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Zilberman, David & Kaplan, Scott, 2014. "What the Adoption Literature can teach us about Social Media and Network Effects on Food Choices," 2014 AAEA/EAAE/CAES Joint Symposium: Social Networks, Social Media and the Economics of Food, May 29-30, 2014, Montreal, Canada 173076, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. Zhu, Chen & Lopez, Rigoberto A. & Liu, Xiaoou, 2019. "Consumer responses to front-of-package labeling in the presence of information spillovers," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1-1.
    14. Liu, Xiaoou & Lopez, Rigoberto & Zhu, Chen, 2015. "Can Voluntary Nutrition Labeling Lead to a Healthier Food Market?," 2016 Allied Social Sciences Association (ASSA) Annual Meeting, January 3-5, 2016, San Francisco, California 212818, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    15. Wang, Emily Y. & Wei, Hongli & Caswell, Julie A., 2016. "The impact of mandatory trans fat labeling on product mix and consumer choice: A longitudinal analysis of the U.S. Market for margarine and spreads," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 63-81.
    16. Kim, Hyeyoung & House, Lisa, 2012. "Impact of Added Sugar Information of Front-of-Pack Labels on Consumers’ Beverage Health Perception Changes," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 124713, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    17. Wright, Melissa A. & Beatty, Timothy K.M. & Chouinard, Hayley H., 2020. "Do firms leverage the FDA nutrient label rounding rules to generate favorable nutrition fact panels or health claims?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    18. Carter, Colin Andre & Schaefer, K. Aleks, 2018. "GE Labeling Laws and Segmentation of the Sugar Market," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 273855, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    19. Georgiana-Raluca Lădaru & Marian Siminică & Maria Claudia Diaconeasa & Diana Maria Ilie & Carmen-Elena Dobrotă & Marian Motofeanu, 2021. "Influencing Factors and Social Media Reflections of Bakery Products Consumption in Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.
    20. repec:gbl:wpaper:2013-01 is not listed on IDEAS

    More about this item

    Keywords

    information; food demand; consumer behavior;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality
    • M38 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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