Food labels are more descriptive than ever. From gluten free to low fat, low sugar, vegan and everything in between, labels allow us to know more about the foods we buy. While we might have more information, that doesn’t necessarily mean we are using that information when choosing our food.
Researchers contend that food choices aren’t just about health, they’re made for a host of reasons that have to do with cost, habit and convenience. While in some cases, we do read and care about labels, that’s not the whole picture, says Eli Liebman, an assistant professor in the department of economics at the University of Georgia.
His findings, published in the Journal of Marketing Research, show that consumers have only a modest concern for health when making food choices. They’re also concerned with purchasing brands that they’ve purchased before and not surprisingly, price is another huge driver.
As part ...
