Plain Food Packaging Might Encourage Consumption

Plain food packaging for snack foods decreases purchase intention
and brand perception but increases actual consumption among some
consumers, according to French and Belgian researchers. Carolina O.C.
Werle, et al., “Is plain food packaging plain wrong? Plain packaging
increases unhealthy snack intake among males,” Food Quality and
Preference, December 2015.

Billed as the first to examine “the impact of plain packaging on
consumers’ perceptions and actual consumption of unhealthy food
items,” the study used brand- and plain-packaged M&M’s® to explore
the effects of plain packaging on (i) product and brand attitudes as well
as the intention to consume an unhealthy snack, (ii) food intake once
consumers have sampled the product, and (iii) food intake when plain
packaging is combined with low-fat claims.

The results evidently indicate plain food packaging “negatively impacts
product and brand attitudes as well as intention to consume an unhealthy
snack when consumers only evaluate the packaging.” The researchers,
however, note the loss of this effect once consumers actually tasted the
product. In this scenario, plain packaging not only increased consumption
among male participants, but plain packaging combined with a
low-fat label increased consumption among both men and women.

“What is effective for preventing smoking may not necessarily be as effective
for reducing food consumption,” conclude the study authors. “Even
worse, the present findings suggest that, although plain food packaging
may adversely impact purchase intentions, it may actually increase
actual food consumption once the product [is] bought or offered (at least
among males). We deem it critical that future research advances our
understanding of whether plain food packaging represents a viable health
prevention strategy for fighting overweight and obesity.”

Issue 589