The Influence of Sugar-Free Label Formats and Colors on Consumers’ Acceptance of Sugar-Free Foods

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of sugar-free label design on consumers’ acceptance of sugar-free foods. The sugar-free food labels of 2 products (caramel treats and herbal tea) were analyzed using a factorial design with 2 3-level variables: sugar-free label format (direct, sweetener and indirect) and color (red, green and black). A total of 436 participants (48.9% males) from a Chinese university participated in the study. A general linear model and a level of significance of 0.05 were used to analyze the data. The results suggested that when the sugar-free label was in the direct format, the color green was the best fit. However, when the sugar-free label was in the sweetener format, the participants’ acceptance of the red label was higher. Similarly, the color red was also the best fit for the indirect format. These conclusions can provide theoretical references for food enterprises to promote the effects of sugar-free food information communications, the design of sugar-free labels, and the consumption of sugar-free foods.