Plant-Based Food Labels That Highlight Protein Could Increase Uptake By Over 100%, Says Study

A new study’s “promising results” indicate that emphasizing protein on plant-based food labels is the most effective way of improving consumer uptake. While animal welfare and the environment are popular reasons to go vegan, consumer-friendly information such as protein content is often the best way to encourage shoppers to try plant-based products over meat and dairy. The new study found that adjusting the labels improved uptake by more than 100 percent. Read more: Cambridge University Scrapped Plant-Based Menu Based On The Wrong Data The University of Cambridge researchers behind the study introduced and tested the “nudge by proxy” approach, which indirectly encouraged consumers to choose foods that were better for the planet by addressing their “internal motivations.” Instead of emphasizing the many other health, environmental, and ethical benefits of choosing plant-based options, the researchers instead focused on what consumers themselves said they wanted: clear information about protein content. The researchers first surveyed 1,500 UK students and identified protein as the most significant perceived barrier to a meat-free diet. Then, over the course of two experiments, they confirmed that foods with protein content labels increased people’s selection of plant-based options by more than 100 percent. The researchers noted that carbon footprint
Read More