The meaning of colours in nutrition labelling in the context of expert and consumer criteria of evaluating food product healthfulness

Grażyna Wąsowicz; Małgorzata Styśko-Kunkowska; Klaus G Grunert

doi:10.1177/1359105315580251

The meaning of colours in nutrition labelling in the context of expert and consumer criteria of evaluating food product healthfulness

J Health Psychol. 2015 Jun;20(6):907-20. doi: 10.1177/1359105315580251.

Authors

Grażyna Wąsowicz¹, Małgorzata Styśko-Kunkowska², Klaus G Grunert³

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Poland grazyna.wasowicz@psych.uw.edu.pl.
² Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Poland.
³ MAPP Centre for Research on Customer Relations in the Food Sector, Aarhus University, Denmark.

PMID: 26032806
DOI: 10.1177/1359105315580251

Abstract

Qualitative and quantitative studies were conducted to explore the effect of front-of-pack nutrition labels on the perceived healthfulness of food products. Consumers were found to hold beliefs about colours and their fit to product categories that influence the assessment process. Consumers associate certain colours with product healthfulness. Yellow, blue, green and red were found to be evocative of health. Heather, pink and celadon suggested an artificial thus unhealthful product. The impact of labels on healthfulness assessment was observed only in the unhealthful category. The findings show the complexity of psychological processes in the perception of food healthfulness.

Keywords: beliefs; food; health promotion; qualitative methods; quantitative methods.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Color Perception*
Consumer Behavior*
Female
Food Labeling*
Food*
Health Promotion
Humans
Middle Aged
Qualitative Research