Would you buy vegan meatballs? The policy issues around vegan and meat-sounding labelling of plant-based meat alternatives. (August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Demartini, Eugenio; Vecchiato, Daniel; Finos, Livio; Mattavelli, Simone; Gaviglio, Anna
• Is Part Of: Food policy. Volume 111(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-08
• Subjects: Plant-based food -- Cognitive bias -- Halo effect -- Vegan food -- Food labelling -- Meat-sounding labelling; Food supply -- Periodicals; Food security -- Periodicals; Food -- Quality -- Periodicals; Food Supply -- Periodicals; Alimentation -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 338.1905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2022.102310
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-9192

Abstract

Highlights: Two on-line experiments were used to evaluate the effect of vegan and meat-sounding labelling on plant-based products. In the first study the meat-sounding labelling influenced positively only the perception of the healthiness of the plant-based food. In the second study the vegan labelling negatively influenced the perception of the tastiness and healthiness and the willingness to buy of the plant-based foods. The more the people preferred meat-eating over veganism the more the vegan labelling exerted a negative effect on respondents' acceptance of the plant-based foods. Future policy design for plant-based foods labelling should be based on experimental evidence. Abstract: Plant-based meat alternatives have grown tremendously in recent years, with an unprecedented increase in vegan and meat-sounding labelled products appearing on European Union shelves. However, a regulation clarifying what the "vegan" label means and if "meat-sounding" names should be allowed when referring to plant-based foods is still lacking. Led by opposite reasons, both vegetarian and meat producers' associations are demanding to fill this legal void. Our paper contributes to this debate by providing the results of two online experiments that measures how consumers perceive plant-based meat substitutes based on vegan vs. meat-sounding labelling. The results of the first study showed that meat-sounding labels applied to plant-based food altered perceived healthiness, but not other characteristics of the product. The second study indicated that vegan labelling exerted a negative effect on the consumers' perception of tastiness and healthiness, and willingness to buy of plant-based foods. Importantly, these effects were moderated by the consumers' attitudes towards meat-eating and veganism. In line with these results, we propose that the explicit use of the "vegan" label might be counterproductive to increase the sales of plant-based foods, and that the biasing impact of meat-sounding labels on plant-based food's perception is weak.