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Survey says redundant labels work
A recent study by Michigan State University finds consumers are more likely to purchase dairy products with redundant labels and pay a premium for them.
Graduate student Danielle Ufer tells Brownfield they surveyed consumers about organic, non-GMO, and animal welfare claims.
“We found that consumers were willing to pay a premium for all of these different labels over unlabeled or conventional milk,” she explains. “We also found that the redundant labels ended up having the highest premiums.”
She points says consumers were more likely to choose products labeled as organic and non-GMO and willing to pay more from them even though all organic products are required to be non-GMO for certification.
“There’s some consumers that find these labels valuable because they don’t know what is included in the USDA organic or comprehensive label on their own,” she says.
After providing more educational information to participants, consumers still valued products with multiple labels which Ufer says offered added reassurance.
The study was conducted in a grocery store in Okemos, Michigan in the summer of 2019.
