Is It Wise Highlighting the Vegan or Plant-Based Nature of Your Product?

The market for vegan or plant-based products has grown significantly in recent years. However, it may have surpassed the actual demand, disappointing investors. To understand consumer response to this trend and their perception of flavors, a recent study examined the role of labeling in shaping consumer choices for vegan food.

Researchers conducted a study involving nearly 1,000 meat eaters in Denmark. They presented different labels on the menu, including "neutral vegetarian" (no mention of meat), "vegetarian," "meat-free," "vegan," "plant-based," and labels referencing meat. The study also considered factors such as aversion to trying new foods, meat consumption habits, and concerns about ethical issues related to food (Hielkema, Lund, 2022 ).

The results were interesting. The label "neutral vegetarian" led to more people choosing vegetarian options, regardless of their usual meat consumption. Approximately 17% of participants selected the "neutral vegetarian" dish, while only 5% to 7% chose the other labels. Notably, even individuals who typically didn't reduce their meat intake (non-reducers) were more likely to choose the "neutral vegetarian" dish (10.2% vs. 3.4% with different labels). Similarly, those who cared about ethical issues and aimed to eat less meat (meat-reducers) preferred the "neutral vegetarian" dish more frequently (30.1% vs. 14.4%).

The study concluded that labels significantly influenced food choices, with "neutral vegetarian" labels proving more effective. This finding emphasizes the importance for restaurants and stores to consider their labeling strategy, as appealing labels can encourage a broader audience to choose vegetarian options, benefitting both health and the environment. Neutral labeling was found to encourage both meat reducers and non-reducers to choose vegetarian dishes, mitigating reactance and moral licensing effects.?

In the future, it would be intriguing to explore whether this labeling effect extends to food packaging and its impact on sales for products exclusively targeting vegan or vegetarian consumers. Personally, I strongly believe that neutral labeling would enhance the success of such products. There is a common belief that niche products are thought to perform well in the market, but this doesn't always apply to the fast-moving consumer goods sector.