Organic, free-range, organic free-range, green, eco-friendly…if you think these terms mean the food is healthier, you’re not alone. New research reveals that organic labels on food can make us believe it’s healthier, tastier, and has fewer kilojoules.
Scientists at Cornell University in New York discovered that labeling food as organic can significantly influence people’s perceptions of taste, kilojoules, and value. As part of their research, 115 people were recruited from a local shopping center and asked to evaluate yogurts, cookies and potato chips.
Participants were offered two kinds of each food, one that was labeled organic, and one that was not, and were asked to rate the taste and kilojoule content of each item and how much they would be willing to pay for the food.
Despite the fact that each item was identical, the results, published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, revealed the organic label greatly influenced people’s perceptions.
Cookies and yogurt were thought to have fewer kilojoules when labeled organic with participants willing to pay up to 23 percent more for them. The organic cookies and yogurt were also deemed to taste lower in fat than the regular variety and the organic crisps were considered more nutritious. The organic label even affected people’s taste buds as chips and yogurt labeled organic were considered more appetizing.
According to researchers, some participants were more likely to be fooled by food labels than others. Their questionnaire revealed that people who read food labels regularly, practice environmentally friendly habits like recycling and regularly buy organic are less likely to think that organic food is tastier and healthier.
In Australia, food that is certified as organic is grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers, with a focus on environmentally sustainable practices. But whether organic food is in fact healthier is a hot topic. A review of studies by scientists at Stanford University found that most organically grown food is not more nutritious than non-organic food, and the only benefit to eating organic food is less exposure to antibiotics and pesticides.
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