# The Organic Halo Effect: Perceived Caloric Disparities in High‐ and Low‐Calorie Foods and the Role of Nutrition Label Reading Frequency

## TL;DR

This study finds that organic labels can mislead people about the calorie content of foods, especially high-calorie ones, and that frequent readers of nutrition labels are more influenced by these labels.

## Contribution

The study reveals that the organic halo effect varies with food calorie content and is stronger among frequent nutrition label readers.

## Key findings

- Organic labels lead to underestimation of calories in high-calorie foods and overestimation in low-calorie foods.
- Frequent nutrition label readers show a stronger organic halo effect.
- Consumption frequency recommendations are influenced by organic labels only for low-calorie foods.

## Abstract

This study examines the organic halo effect, specifically how organic labels influence perceptions of caloric content and consumption recommendations for high and low calorie food items. Previous research suggests that organic labels can create a perception of healthiness, but it is unclear how these perceptions vary with food calorie content.

An online experiment was conducted with 198 participants, who were randomly assigned to evaluate 20 food items (10 high‐calorie and 10 low‐calorie) labelled as either organic or conventional. Participants rated the calorie content and recommended consumption frequency of each item using Likert scales. The analysis included multilevel regression models to account for nested data and interactions between labels, calorie content, and participants' propensity to read nutrition information.

The organic label led to a significant underestimation of calorie content for high‐calorie items and an overestimation for low‐calorie items. Participants who frequently read nutritional information were more sensitive to the organic label, showing a stronger organic halo effect. Consumption frequency recommendations were influenced by the label only for low‐calorie items, with conventional items being recommended more frequently.

The study shows that the organic halo effect is more pronounced for high‐calorie foods, leading to an underestimation of their calorie content, which may result in occasional overconsumption. Frequent readers of nutritional information are more susceptible to the organic halo effect, contradicting previous findings. The dissociation between calorie perception and consumption frequency highlights the need for clearer nutritional labelling to mitigate misperceptions and support healthier consumer choices. Further research with larger samples and real‐world settings is recommended to validate these findings.

Organic halo effect on calorie perception: The study shows that foods labelled as organic are perceived as lower in calories when they are high‐calorie.Impact on consumption recommendations: The organic label only influences consumption recommendations for low‐calorie foods, which are perceived as less frequently consumable than their conventional counterparts.Role of nutritional label reading: Individuals who frequently read nutritional labels are more susceptible to the organic halo effect.

Organic halo effect on calorie perception: The study shows that foods labelled as organic are perceived as lower in calories when they are high‐calorie.

Impact on consumption recommendations: The organic label only influences consumption recommendations for low‐calorie foods, which are perceived as less frequently consumable than their conventional counterparts.

Role of nutritional label reading: Individuals who frequently read nutritional labels are more susceptible to the organic halo effect.