IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/jriskr/v15y2012i5p533-545.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The effects of label design characteristics on perceptions of genetically modified food

Author

Listed:
  • E. Hellier
  • M. Tucker
  • L. Newbold
  • J. Edworthy
  • J. Griffin
  • N. Coulson

Abstract

Objective . To explore the effects on perceptions of labelling food for genetically modified content. Background: there is increasing public pressure for the compulsory labelling of genetically modified food content on all food products, and yet little is known about how the design and content of such food labels will influence product perceptions. The current research draws upon warning label research -- a field in which the effect of label design manipulations on perceptions of, and responses to, potential or perceived risks is well documented. Method . Two experiments are reported that investigate how label design features influence the perception of genetically modified foods. The effects of label colour (red, blue and green), wording style (definitive vs. probabilistic and explicit vs. non-explicit) and information source (government agency, consumer group and manufacturer) on hazard perceptions and purchase intentions were measured. Results . Hazard perceptions and purchase intentions were both influenced by label design characteristics in predictable ways. Any reference to genetic modification, even if the label is stating that the product is free of genetically modified ingredients, increased hazard perception, and decreased purchase intentions, relative to a no-label condition. Conclusion . Label design effects generalise from warning label research to influence the perception of genetically modified foods in predictable ways. Application . The design of genetically modified food labels.

Suggested Citation

  • E. Hellier & M. Tucker & L. Newbold & J. Edworthy & J. Griffin & N. Coulson, 2012. "The effects of label design characteristics on perceptions of genetically modified food," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(5), pages 533-545, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jriskr:v:15:y:2012:i:5:p:533-545
    DOI: 10.1080/13669877.2011.646288
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/13669877.2011.646288
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/13669877.2011.646288?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hallman, William K. & Adelaja, Adesoji O. & Schilling, Brian J. & Lang, John T., 2002. "Public Perceptions Of Genetically Modified Foods: Americans Know Not What They Eat," Research Reports 18176, Rutgers University, Food Policy Institute.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Onyango, Benjamin M. & Govindasamy, Ramu & Nayga, Rodolfo M., Jr., 2004. "Measuring U.S. Consumer Preferences For Genetically Modified Foods Using Choice Modeling Experiments: The Role Of Price, Product Benefits And Technology," Research Reports 18181, Rutgers University, Food Policy Institute.
    2. Hallman, William K. & Onyango, Benjamin M. & Govindasamy, Ramu & Jang, Ho-Min & Puduri, Venkata S., 2004. "Public Approval Of Plant And Animal Biotechnology In Korea: An Ordered Probit Analysis," Research Reports 18180, Rutgers University, Food Policy Institute.
    3. Maurizio Canavari & Rodolfo Nayga, 2009. "On consumers' willingness to purchase nutritionally enhanced genetically modified food," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(1), pages 125-137.
    4. Schilling, Brian J. & Hallman, William K. & Hossain, Ferdaus & Adelaja, Adesoji O., 2003. "Consumer Perceptions Of Food Biotechnology: Evidence From A Survey Of U.S. Consumers," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 34(1), pages 1-6, March.
    5. Kubitzki, S. & Henseleit, M. & Herrmann, R., 2010. "Informationsgewinn und Markttransparenz durch Labeling? – Eine kritische Würdigung der neuen Lebensmittelkennzeichnung „Ohne Gentechnik“," Proceedings “Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaues e.V.”, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA), vol. 45, March.
    6. Onyango, Benjamin M. & Govindasamy, Ramu & Nayga, Rodolfo M., Jr., 2004. "An Application Of Choice Modeling To Measure U.S. Consumer Preferences For Genetically Modified Foods," 2004 Annual meeting, August 1-4, Denver, CO 19964, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    7. Onyango, Benjamin M. & Hossain, Ferdaus & Hallman, William K. & Schilling, Brian J. & Adelaja, Adesoji O., 2003. "Public Perception Of Food Biotechnology: Uncovering Factors Driving Consumer Acceptance Of Genetically Modified Food," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 34(1), pages 1-7, March.
    8. Schilling, Brian J. & Hallman, William K. & Adelaja, Adesoji O. & Marxen, Lucas J., 2002. "Consumer Knowledge Of Food Biotechnology: A Descriptive Study Of U.S. Residents," Research Reports 18183, Rutgers University, Food Policy Institute.
    9. Hallman, William K. & Aquino, Helen L., 2003. "Consumer Perceptions of Genetically Modified Food," 2003 Annual meeting, July 27-30, Montreal, Canada 22058, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    10. Onyango, Benjamin M. & Nayga, Rodolfo M., Jr., 2004. "Consumer Acceptance of Nutritionally Enhanced Genetically Modified Food: Relevance of Gene Transfer Technology," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 29(3), pages 1-17, December.
    11. Henseleit, Meike & Kubitzki, Sabine, 2009. "‘GMO-Free’ Labels – Enhancing Transparency or Deceiving Consumers?," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51029, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    12. Ramu Govindasamy & Benjamin Onyango & William K. Hallman & Ho-Min Jang & Venkata Puduri, 2008. "Public approval of plant and animal biotechnology in South Korea: an ordered probit analysis," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(1), pages 102-118.
    13. Onyango, Benjamin M. & Govindasamy, Ramu & Hallman, William K., 2006. "U.S. Public Awareness and Knowledge of and Interest in Biotechnology: A Principal Component Factor Analysis," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 37(1), pages 1-7, March.
    14. Onyango, Benjamin M. & Govindasamy, Ramu, 2005. "South Korean Public Preferences for Genetically Modified Foods: A Random-Parameter Model," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 36(1), pages 1-9, March.
    15. John T. Lang & William K. Hallman, 2005. "Who Does the Public Trust? The Case of Genetically Modified Food in the United States," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(5), pages 1241-1252, October.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:jriskr:v:15:y:2012:i:5:p:533-545. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/RJRR20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.