{"title":"Unveiling the impact of health star ratings: Subjective nutrition knowledge as a moderator of consumer responses to unhealthy foods","authors":"Eunjoo Han , Euejung Hwang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105627","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present research demonstrates that a Health Star Rating (HSR), one type of interpretive label, can enhance consumer responses among individuals with low subjective nutrition knowledge (SNK). Across three experiments, including a qualitative follow-up, we show that voluntarily adopted HSRs increase preference and purchase intention—even for products with low health ratings—by fostering favorable brand inferences rooted in perceived transparency, particularly among individuals with lower SNK. This work contributes to the food labeling literature by identifying which consumers are most likely to benefit from HSRs on unhealthy items and extends attribution theory by illustrating how voluntary disclosure can enhance brand evaluations. Practically, our findings suggest that, when paired with consumer education, voluntary interpretive labeling—such as the HSR—can support informed decision-making, guide policymakers in promoting non-mandatory labeling systems, and enhance brand perceptions for food companies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105627"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Food Quality and Preference","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329325002022","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The present research demonstrates that a Health Star Rating (HSR), one type of interpretive label, can enhance consumer responses among individuals with low subjective nutrition knowledge (SNK). Across three experiments, including a qualitative follow-up, we show that voluntarily adopted HSRs increase preference and purchase intention—even for products with low health ratings—by fostering favorable brand inferences rooted in perceived transparency, particularly among individuals with lower SNK. This work contributes to the food labeling literature by identifying which consumers are most likely to benefit from HSRs on unhealthy items and extends attribution theory by illustrating how voluntary disclosure can enhance brand evaluations. Practically, our findings suggest that, when paired with consumer education, voluntary interpretive labeling—such as the HSR—can support informed decision-making, guide policymakers in promoting non-mandatory labeling systems, and enhance brand perceptions for food companies.
期刊介绍:
Food Quality and Preference is a journal devoted to sensory, consumer and behavioural research in food and non-food products. It publishes original research, critical reviews, and short communications in sensory and consumer science, and sensometrics. In addition, the journal publishes special invited issues on important timely topics and from relevant conferences. These are aimed at bridging the gap between research and application, bringing together authors and readers in consumer and market research, sensory science, sensometrics and sensory evaluation, nutrition and food choice, as well as food research, product development and sensory quality assurance. Submissions to Food Quality and Preference are limited to papers that include some form of human measurement; papers that are limited to physical/chemical measures or the routine application of sensory, consumer or econometric analysis will not be considered unless they specifically make a novel scientific contribution in line with the journal''s coverage as outlined below.