Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Making well-informed, healthful food choices helps people maintain a high quality of life. This is especially true for consumers suffering from serious diseases and conditions, such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. Two studies examine how the provision of information on trans fat, a nutrient that provides no known beneficial health benefits, in the Nutrition Facts panel influences consumers’ product perceptions and purchase intentions. Using a sample of consumers suffering from diabetes, the authors show that trans fat knowledge and level (disclosed in a Nutrition Facts panel) interact to influence risk perceptions of cardiovascular disease. The results also indicate that responses of consumers who are at risk for heart disease are influenced by the interplay among consumer knowledge, trans fat level, and motivation to process nutrition information. Specifically, the authors find that motivation in the absence of knowledge can lead to a misinterpretation of the nutrient information. Overall, the results indicate that without appropriate consumer education programs, the addition of trans fat levels to the Nutrition Facts panel may have limited or even unintended consequences. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these results for public policy.

Keywords

trans fat nutrition labeling Nutrition Facts panels trans fat knowledge

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Aiken

Leona S.

, and Stephen

G. West

(1991), Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Ajzen

Icek

, and Fishbein

Martin

(1980), Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

American Diabetes Association (2006), “Make the Link! Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke,” (accessed January 18, 2008), [available at http://www.diabetes.org/heart-disease-stroke.jsp].

American Heart Association (2006), “Trans Fat Overview,” (accessed September 5, 2007), [available at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3045792].

Balasubramanian

Siva

, and Cole

Catherine

(2002), “Consumers’ Search and Use of Nutrition Information: The Challenge and the Promise of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act,” Journal of Marketing, 66 (July), 112–27.

Baron

Reuben M.

, and David

A. Kenny

(1986), “The Moderator-Mediator Variable Distinction in Social Psychological Research: Conceptual, Strategic, and Statistical Considerations,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51 (6), 1173–82.

Burton

Scot

, Biswas

Abhijit

, and Richard

G. Netemeyer

(1994), “Effects of Alternative Nutrition Label Formats and Nutrition Reference Information on Consumer Perceptions, Comprehension, and Product Evaluations,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 13 (Spring), 36–47.

Burton

Scot

, Elizabeth

H. Creyer

, Kees

Jeremy

, and Kyle

A. Huggins

(2006), “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic: The Potential Health Benefits of Providing Nutrition Information in Restaurants,” American Journal of Public Health, 96 (September), 1669–75.

Burton

Scot

, Garretson

Judith

, and Velliquette

Anne

(1999), “Implications of Consumers’ Utilization of Nutrition Facts Label Information on Food Product Evaluations and Purchase Intentions,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 27 (Fall), 470–78.

10.

Center for Science in the Public Interest (2006), “KFC Sued for Fouling Chicken with Partially Hydrogenated Oil,” (June 12), (accessed January 18, 2008), [available at http://www.cspinet.org/new/200606121.html].

11.

Chaiken

Shelly

(1980), “Heuristics Versus Systematic Information Processing in the Use of Source Versus Message Cues in Persuasion,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39 (5), 752–66.

12.

Chaiken

Shelly

, Liberman

Akiva

, and Alice

H. Eagly

(1989), “Heuristic and Systematic Information Processing Within and Beyond the Persuasion Context,” in Unintended Thought, Uleman

J.S.

, and Bargh

J.A.

, eds. New York: Guildford Press, 212–52.

13.

Collins

Allen M.

, and Elizabeth

F. Loftus

(1975), “A Spreading Activation Theory of Semantic Memory,” Psychological Review, 82 (November), 407–428.

14.

Consumer Reports (2003), “The Stealth Fat,” (accessed August 15, 2007), [available at http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22703399_ITM].

15.

Consumer Reports (2006), “Seeing Red: Spoiled Meat May Look Fresh,” (July), (accessed January 18, 2008), [available at http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/consumer-protection/consumer-interest/meat-treated-with-carbon-monoxide-spoiled-meat-may-look-fresh-7-06/overview/0607_spoiled-meat_ov.htm].

16.

FDA (2003), “Revealing Trans Fat,” FDA Consumer Magazine, (September–October), (accessed January 18, 2008), [available at http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2003/503_fats.html].

17.

FDA (2006), “Questions and Answers About Trans Fat Nutrition Labeling,” (January), (January 18, 2008), [available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/∼dms/qatrans2.html].

18.

Ford

Gary T.

, Hastak

Manoj

, Mitra

Anusree

, and Ringold

Debra Jones

(1996), “Can Consumers Interpret Nutrition Information in the Presence of a Health Claim? A Laboratory Investigation,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 15 (Spring), 16–27.

19.

Garretson

Judith

, and Burton

Scot

(2000), “Effects of Nutrition Facts Panel Values, Nutrition Claims, and Health Claims on Consumer Attitudes, Perceptions on Disease-Related Risks, and Trust,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 19 (Fall), 213–27.

20.

Harvard Women's Health Watch (2004), “Trans Fat: Watch Out, It Isn't So Transparent!” (accessed January 18, 2008), [available at http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/trans_fat.htm].

21.

Heimbach

James T.

, and Raymond

C. Stokes

(1982), “Nutrition Labeling and Public Health: Survey of American Institute of Nutrition Members, Food Industry, and Consumers,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 36 (4), 700–708.

22.

Hess

Sarah

, Yanes

Mayra

, Jourdan

Phara

, and Edelstein

Sari

(2005), “Trans Fat Knowledge Is Related to Education Level and Nutrition Facts Label Use in Health-Conscious Adults,” Topics in Clinical Nutrition, 20 (April-June), 109–117.

23.

Ippolito

Pauline

, and Alan

D. Mathios

(1991), “Health Claims in Food Marketing: Evidence on Knowledge and Behavior in the Cereal Market,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 10 (Spring), 15–32.

24.

Keller

Scott B.

, Olson

Jeanne

, Landry

Mike

, Anne

M. Velliquette

, Burton

Scot

, and Craig Andrews

(1997), “The Effects of Nutrition Package Claims, Nutrition Facts Labels, and Motivation to Process Nutrition Information on Consumer Product Evaluations,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 16 (Fall), 256–69.

25.

Kemp

Elyria

, Burton

Scot

, Elizabeth

H. Creyer

, and Tracy

A. Suter

(2007), “When Do Nutrient Content and Nutrient Content Claims Matter? Assessing Consumer Trade-Offs Between Carbohydrates and Fat,” Journal of Consumer Affairs, 41 (Summer), 47–73.

26.

Kenny

David A.

, Deborah

A. Kashay

, and Bolger

Niall

(1998), “Data Analysis in Social Psychology,” in Handbook of Social Psychology, 4th ed., Vol. 1, Gilbert

, Fiske

S.T.

, and Lindzey

, eds. New York: McGraw-Hill, 233–65.

27.

Keppel

Geofferey

(1991), Design and Analysis: A Researcher's Handbook, 3d ed. Englewood Cliffs: NJ: Prentice Hall.

28.

Kozup

John

, Burton

Scot

, and Elizabeth

H. Creyer

(2006), “The Provision of Trans Fat Information and Its Interaction with Consumer Knowledge,” Journal of Consumer Affairs, 40 (1), 163–76.

29.

Kozup

John

, Elizabeth

H. Creyer

, and Burton

Scot

(2003), “Making Healthful Food Choices: The Influence of Health Claims and Nutrition Information on Consumers’ Evaluations of Packaged Food Products and Restaurant Menu Items,” Journal of Marketing, 67 (April), 19–34.

30.

Lichtenstein

Alice H.

(1997), “Trans Fatty Acids, Plasma Lipid Levels, and Risk of Developing Cardiovascular Disease,” Circulation, 95 (11), 2588–90.

31.

Lin

Chung-Tung

, and Choiniere

Conrad

(2005), “Fats and Carbs: A Snapshot of Consumer Knowledge from a Recent FDA Survey,” (August), (accessed January 18, 2008), [available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/∼comm/crnutri2/crnut29.htm].

32.

Mason

Kevin

, Thomas

D. Jensen

, Burton

Scot

, and Roach

David

(2001), “The Accuracy of Brand and Attribute Judgments: The Role of Information Relevancy, Product Experience, and Attribute-Relationship Schemas,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 29 (Summer), 307–317.

33.

Mitra

Anu

, Hastak

Manoj

, Gary

T. Ford

, and Debra

J. Ringold

(1999), “Can the Educationally Disadvantaged Interpret the FDA-Mandated Nutrition Facts Panel in the Presence of an Implied Health Claim,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 18 (Spring), 106–117.

34.

Dariush

Mozaffarian

, Martijn

B. Katan

, Ascherio

Alberto

, Meir

J. Stampfer

, and Walter

C. Willett

(2006), “Trans Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease,” New England Journal of Medicine, 13 (15), 1601–1613.

35.

Muller

Dominique

, Charles

M. Judd

, and Vincent

Y. Yzerbyt

(2005), “When Moderation Is Mediated and Mediation Is Moderated,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89 (6), 852–63.

36.

Murphy

Dennis

, Pauline

M. Ippolito

, and Pappalardo

Janis

(2007), “Consumer Perceptions of Heart-Health Claims for Cooking Oils and Vegetable Oil Spreads,” (April), (accessed January 18, 2008), [available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=980968].

37.

New York City Board of Health (2006), “Board of Health Votes to Phase Out Artificial Trans Fat from New York City Restaurants,” (December 5), (accessed January 18, 2008), [available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2006/pr114-06.shtml].

38.

NLEA (1990), Public Law 101-535, 104 Stat. 2355.

39.

Pappalardo

Janis K.

(1996), “Evaluating the NLEA: Where's the Beef?” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 15 (Spring), 153–56.

40.

Petty

Richard E.

, and John

T. Cacioppo

(1983), “Central and Peripheral Routes to Advertising Effectiveness: The Moderating Role of Involvement,” Journal of Consumer Research, 10 (September), 135–46.

41.

Petty

Richard E.

, and John

T. Cacioppo

(1986), Communication and Persuasion: Central and Peripheral Routes to Attitude Change. New York: Springer-Verlag.

42.

Roe

Brian

, Alan

S. Levy

, and Brenda

M. Derby

(1999), “The Impact of Health Claims on Consumer Search and Product Evaluation Outcomes: Results from FDA Experimental Data,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 18 (Spring), 89–105.

43.

Stender

Steen

, and Dyerberg

Jørn

(2004), “The Influence of Trans Fatty Acids on Health,” Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism, 48 (2), 61–66.

44.

Szykman

Lisa

, Paul

N. Bloom

, and Alan

S. Levy

(1997), “A Proposed Model of the Use of Package Claims and Nutrition Labels,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 16 (Fall), 228–41.

45.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture (2005), Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, 6th ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

46.

Variyam

Jayachandran N.

, James

R. Blaylock

, and David

M. Smallwood

(1997), “Diet-Health Knowledge and Nutrition: The Intake of Dietary Fats and Cholesterol,” Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Technical Bulletin No. 1855.

47.

Viswanathan

Madhy

, and Hastak

Manoj

(2002), “The Role of Summary Information in Facilitating Consumers’ Comprehension of Nutrition Information,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 21 (Fall), 305–318.

How Modification of the Nutrition Facts Panel Influences Consumers at Risk for Heart Disease: The Case of Trans Fat

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References