Study Claims Consumers Underestimate Calories of “Organic” Foods

A forthcoming Judgment and Decision Making study has reportedly suggested that consumers underestimate the calorie content of foods deemed “organic.” According to media reports, University of Michigan researchers found that students presented with identical food choices were more likely to describe the option labeled “organic” as having fewer calories than the “conventional” product. Participants also expressed greater leniency toward a fictional dieter if she selected an organic dessert over a non-organic one. “These findings suggest that ‘organic’ claims may not only foster lower calorie estimates and higher consumption intentions, but they may also convey that one has already made great progress toward one’s weight loss goal,” one researcher was quoted as saying. See LiveScience.com, June 24, 2010.