Research from Dr Shahin Sharifi has uncovered how numbers on food packaging can subtly shape consumer perceptions.
“There are several numbers on food packaging, from ingredient quantities to nutritional information,” Dr Sharifi says. “And, they are often treated as meaningful by consumers, even when they have no reference point for what the number 'should’ be.”
His research introduces the ‘concentrated effect’, which is when consumers see a number on a single-ingredient food (e.g., the amount of olives used to make a bottle of olive oil) and interpret it as evidence of higher ingredient concentration, and, in turn, higher quality.
“I found that numbers can act as mental shortcuts, leading consumers to assume a product is healthier and better quality than it may actually be,” he says. “This happens regardless of how the number is expressed and whether it appears larger or smaller.”
However, when a Health Star Rating was displayed, the effect weakened, suggesting that external health cues can counter this effect.
“For an unhealthy product, like corn syrup, the number still boosted perceptions of ingredient concentration, but it did not make the product seem healthier or higher quality,” he adds.
Dr Sharifi says he hopes the findings will provide useful guidance to policymakers and marketers, and help consumers make “more informed, less biased decisions.”
