Deceptive packaging and missing ingredients: on the effect of qualifying packaging information - ernährungs umschau
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Copyright! Reproduction and dissemination – also partial – applicable to all media only Science & Research | Original Contribution with written permission of Umschau Zeitschriftenverlag GmbH, Wiesbaden. Peer-Reviewed | Manuscript received: September 11, 2017 | Revision accepted: April 05, 2018 Deceptive packaging and missing ingredients: on the effect of qualifying packaging information Ramona Weinrich, Christina Overbeck, Anke Zühlsdorf, Achim Spiller and to avoid disappointment over Abstract an unexpectedly low quantity. The experiences of consumer advice cen- In order to prevent false impressions given by visual packaging elements and to tres indicate that consumers do nev- provide legal protection, many manufacturers label food with qualifying verbal ertheless make false estimations [3]. information, e.g. serving suggestion (“Serviervorschlag”) or fill quantity techni- This article examines for the first cally limited (“Füllhöhe technisch bedingt”). The precise wording of these desig- time the influence of these two nations is not stipulated by law. Scientific research on how this information is common designations on consumer understood and whether it changes product perception has not been available perception and asks whether this to date. This article examines consumer expectations from the perspective of con- information provides meaningful sumer research on perception psychology, based on an approximately represent- guidance. In the subsequent section, ative consumer survey. The study results show that consumer perception is not the article provides a general classi- significantly influenced by either of these verbal qualifications. They are therefore fication of the relationship between rather empty phrases providing legal protection than meaningful guidance for visual and verbal presentation ele- consumers. In light of the plethora of information and labels on food packaging, ments from a market research per- the benefit of these designations is therefore open to question. spective. Finally, the article consid- Keywords: food labelling, ingredient illustrations, serving suggestion, fill ers the two designations – “serving quantity technically limited, consumer research suggestion” and “fill quantity tech- nically limited” – and illustrates our empirical findings. Introduction and objective Consumer understanding of packaging labels Consumers often make food pur- chasing decisions only in front of the Habitual purchasing behavior and supermarket shelf [1]. Verbal and spontaneous purchasing decisions visual packaging elements thereby are widespread in the food indus- deliver important information about try. In the context of an extremely the product [2]. To prevent false differentiated range of products, product expectations arising from with approx. 170,000 items [4], the Citation: visual impressions and to provide visual presentation of a product is a Weinrich R, Overbeck C, Zühls- legal protection, food packaging is core marketing tool to trigger im- dorf A, Spiller A (2018) Deceptive often presented with qualifying ver- pulse purchases. The design of the packaging and missing ingre- bal specifications. The phrase “serv- front-of-package is seen as decisive, dients: on the effect of qualifying ing suggestion” aims to e.g. indicate as it grabs attention in displays of packaging information. that an ingredient is not contained goods on the shelf [5]. However, Ernahrungs Umschau 65(7): in the form pictured. “Fill quantity perception times for packaging el- 120–125 technically limited” (UK close equiv- ements are extremely short. Con- The English version of this alent = “this product is packaged sumers focus on the information article is available online: to weight not volume”) aims to call on the product’s front-of-package DOI: 10.4455/eu.2018.028 attention to a high proportion of on average no longer than 29–351 empty space within the packaging msec [6]. 120 Ernaehrungs Umschau international | 7/2018
Copyright! Reproduction and dissemination – also partial – applicable to all media only with written permission of Umschau Zeitschriftenverlag GmbH, Wiesbaden. Images attract more attention, are In recent years, public criticism of sion is important for marketing retained in consumers’ memories for unrealistic product presentations purposes, alongside color and de- longer and convey more informa- has increased and food providers sign [24, 25]. A large packaging tion than text during the same pe- have faced accusations of deception surface is more readily perceived riod of observation [7]. They arouse [20, 21]. Not least in light of the by consumers, particularly if it is emotions and associations [8] and food law banning deception (Regu- surrounded by small product pack- thus make products appear more lation EU 1169/2011, art. 7, para. ages [23]. Even though fill quantity attractive [9]. Visual perception is 1, LFGB § 11 [1]), the question must information is included on the food dominant [10] and the influence of be asked as to what extent verbal packaging in kg, g, L or mL as part visual appeal on purchasing behav- clarifications restrict the interpretive of mandatory information, con- ior is amply documented by exist- possibilities of the visual appeal of sumers extrapolate the fill quantity ing research [11]. When asked about packaging and qualify any poten- from the packaging size [26], and the most important information on tial false impressions given by the less filled packaging is sometimes the display side of food packaging, visual perception of packaging. The criticized [27]. consumers rate the product image consumer survey discussed below According to the German Weights as crucial [12]. It is therefore to be delivers the first empirical findings and Measures Act, packaging must expected that images, as well as the in response to this question, based “be designed and filled in such a size of packaging, play an impor- on two relevant yet to date not re- way that it does not feign larger fill tant role in the purchasing process. searched case groups. quantities than is contained within Studies in the English-speaking it” (§7 para. 2 German Weights and world above all illustrated the rel- Measures Act). Packaging which is evance of attention-grabbing core “generally recognizably excessively Consumer perception of information placed on the front-of- elaborate in relation to content” is qualifying verbal informa- package, so consumers could grasp regarded as “deceptive packaging” the nature of a food in a short time. tion on food packaging [28]. A benchmark 30% limit is ap- This information should therefore Case studies plied to the empty proportion in be particularly reliable. Nutrition Consumers draw conclusions based accordance with an administrative information [13], health-related in- on product images, including those guideline [29]. However, this reg- formation [14], the food traffic light on processed ingredients, and are ulation does not affect packaging system [15] and the impact of im- thereby also liable to draw the which includes an empty proportion ages and brand names [9] should be wrong conclusions [22]. In order to as a result of technical necessity or highlighted in particular. clarify which food is contained in for reasons of product quality [28]. Although the prominent influence the packaging, the product is often Against this backdrop, this survey of visual packaging elements in shown in the context of use [23]. investigated the extent to which the attracting attention can be consid- Other foods which are usually as- “fill quantity technically limited” ered as established, the interaction sociated with consumption of the designation contributed to a realis- between visual and verbal elements product are often pictured alongside tic estimation of the packaging con- on food packaging is not much re- the product contained in the pack- tent in the event of a relatively high searched. Broadly speaking, it is aging. empty proportion. possible to narrow and direct the The “serving suggestion” desig- recipient’s analysis of the image nation aims to indicate that the by means of text [16]. In the field product/ingredient contained in the Study design and of product advertising, we often packaging is not in the form pic- methodology find dependencies between text and tured. In practice, this causes prob- image, which provide reciprocal lems when it is unclear which of the The survey was a standardized, substantiation, restriction, modi- pictured raw materials are included computer-assisted personal inter- fication and extension of meaning and which could be prepared or con- view (CAPI) carried out with the [17]. However, understanding the sumed alongside the food. help of a leading market research correlation between text and image This study gathered ingredient ex- company in April/May 2014. 750 always requires interpretation by pectations for three sample prod- German consumers aged 16 and consumers [18], which may differ ucts, on which the “serving sugges- above took part in the survey. Based from that of the manufacturer. It tion” information was varied. on quotas for age, gender, income, should be noted that the visual ap- The second product example focused place of residence and education, the peal of text largely attracts the pri- on the designation “fill quantity sample approximately corresponded mary attention of the observer [19]. technically limited”. The dimen- to the composition of the German Ernaehrungs Umschau international | 7/2018 121
Copyright! Reproduction and dissemination – also partial – applicable to all media only Science & Research | Original Contribution with written permission of Umschau Zeitschriftenverlag GmbH, Wiesbaden. population. Fictional examples were tested. However, the dummy packaging with conspicuous illustrated was inspired by real ex- information amples, about which consumers had complained on the internet portal www.lebensmittelklarheit.de. “Serving suggestion”: influence on ingredient expectation The test subjects were asked to in- dicate which of the illustrated in- with inconspicuous information gredients they expected to find in Serviervorschlag the product (list template) for three sample products (pork stew, tofu fricassee, fresh cheese with herbs), Serviervorschlag based on a five-level Likert scale (+2 = “yes, definitely” to -2 = “no, defi- nitely not”). The characteristics of the “serving suggestion” designation were varied in all examples (see • Figure 1 for pork stew as an example). To this end, the sample group was divided without serving suggestion information into three similar-sized subgroups and each was faced with experi- mentally modified dummy prod- ucts (front-of-package); the “serv- ing suggestion” designation was displayed on the product packaging either as clearly visible information or as inconspicuous information. A third variant presented packaging Fig. 1: Dummy products for the pork stew example product without this information (• Fig- [study illustration] Illustrations smaller than in original ure 1). These modified characteristics were randomized, so that each subgroup I think that the following ingredients are contained in this product: was faced with three different va- Ich denke, dass folgende Zutaten in dem Produkt enthalten sind: (yes, defijeden (ja, auf nitely/yes) Fall/ja) riants. The series of examples were also randomly questioned. withauffälligem mit conspicuous information Hinweis 22,2 Kartoffelpüree mashed potatoes 19,6 mit withunauffälligem inconspicuousHinweis information 19,8 ohne Hinweis without Serviervorschlag serving suggestion “Fill quantity technically 38,2 information Dem hier anonymisiert dargestellten parsley Petersilie 38,8 limited”: influence on consumer 36,1 The liegt Fall ein konkretes anonymized case Produkt zu- illustrated grunde, bei dem Pfifferlinge nicht acceptance of voluminous here is based on an actual product enthalten waren. 49,6 which did not include chanterelles. packaging Pfifferlinge chanterelles 50,2 55,4 The test subjects were shown an 63,5 image featuring a biscuit packet, as Champignons white mushrooms 68,0 69,4 found on the supermarket shelf, and 98,8 adjacent to this the barely half-filled Schweinefleisch pork in sauce 99,2 in Soße 99,2 inner bag. A split sample design was 0% 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 100 % also selected in this instance. Half of the test subjects were presented with Fig. 2: Ingredient expectations for the pork stew example product the “fill quantity technically limited” [study survey] Data in % of all valid answers; five-level scale from “yes, definitely” to “no, definitely not”. 122 Ernaehrungs Umschau international | 7/2018
Copyright! Reproduction and dissemination – also partial – applicable to all media only with written permission of Umschau Zeitschriftenverlag GmbH, Wiesbaden. information on the packaging (var- iant A). The information was miss- I think product content in relation to packaging size is inappropriate/ entirely inappropriate ing (variant B) for the second group. All test subjects were asked to indi- cate the extent to which the rela- Variante A tionship between product content with “fill quantity technically limited” and packaging size seemed appro- information priate according to a five-level scale (+2 = “entirely appropriate” to -2 83,6% = “entirely inappropriate”). Study results 20 40 60 80 100 “Serving suggestion”: influence on ingredient expectation 85,2% The results for “Hunter’s Pork Stew” are illustrated below as an example (• Figure 2). This sample is based on Variante B a real product which did not con- without “fill quantity technically limited” tain chanterelles, mashed potatoes information or parsley. As a result of inspection of the front-of-package alone, be- Fig. 3: C omparison of consumer perception of fill quantity with and tween 49.6% and 55.4% (• Figure 2; without the “fill quantity technically limited” information [study survey] μ1 = 0.5, μ2 = 0.6, μ3 = 0.7)1 falsely Data in % of all valid answers, five-level scale from “entirely appropriate” to estimated that chanterelles were an “entirely inappropriate” ingredient contained in the product; the “serving suggestion” informa- tion corrected this false estimation enced by the “serving suggestion” Discussion only slightly and not significantly. information, and expectations of In the case of parsley, many re- the presence of the food pictured Although there are many studies on spondents were “unsure” whether were not significantly altered. The labels and health information, other parsley was included (μ1 = 0.1, μ2 = prominence of the placing of the in- food packaging designations are 0.2, μ3 = 0.1). Most assumed that formation did not significantly alter much less researched. The “serving mashed potatoes were not included the test subjects’ estimation. suggestion” and “fill quantity tech- (μ1 = -0.8, μ2 = -0.7, μ3 = -0.7). nically limited” references are not In these cases, the ingredient expec- regulated by food legislation, but “Fill quantity technically tations of the subgroups did not are widely implemented in practice, limited”: influence on consumer significantly differentiate (post-hoc in order to comply with the fraud acceptance of voluminous tests). prevention inscribed in food legis- packaging lation. There has been no investiga- Overall, the three sample products The dummy products and results are tion to date on whether the potential used show that side dishes (mashed shown in • Figure 3. The respondents for deception in food packaging can potatoes, rice, bread) tend not to be felt that the large empty space in the be lessened through the inclusion of expected in products. In contrast, if biscuit packaging was inappropriate. such information. This representa- ingredients are pictured whose use The “fill quantity technically limited” tive consumer survey has found no is commonly associated with the information did not significantly alter significant differences in perception product, a significant proportion consumer acceptance. In comparison, among consumers. The proportion of consumers expect these to be in- both groups made an almost identi- of false expectations relating to in- cluded. cal estimation of the relationship be- gredients included and the percep- The results barely differ between tween the packaging size and content tion of a gap between packaging the sample subgroups in all the ex- (A: μ = -1.2; B: μ = -1.3). Mean com- amples. The perception of product parisons (t-tests) show no significant images was not significantly influ- differences between the groups. µ = mean value 1 Ernaehrungs Umschau international | 7/2018 123
Copyright! Reproduction and dissemination – also partial – applicable to all media only Science & Research | Original Contribution with written permission of Umschau Zeitschriftenverlag GmbH, Wiesbaden. size and content remained almost tions relating to included ingredi- References constant for the tested variants with ents or fill quantity, hold conflict and without printed information. potential. The customer satisfaction 1. W artella EA, Lichtenstein AY, Nathan R. These results indicate that the over- survey stresses fairness as a core Front-of-package nutrition rating systems all impression of packaging is dom- factor [32]. In this respect, it is in and symbols: promoting healthier choices. inated by visually prominent design the interests of manufacturers to be Washington (2011) features, such as product images or careful not to give rise to unfulfilled 2. B rassington F, Pettitt S. Principles of mar- dimensions. 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