Graphic Communications Commons^™

Misleading Or Informing? Examining The Effects Of Labeling Design On Consumers’ Perception Of Gluten-Free Products And Wheat Safety, Kimberly Cantrell, Nan Li, Courtney Meyers, Cindy Akers

Journal of Applied Communications

As food products marketed as “gluten-free” become increasingly popular, many consumers start to exclude sources of gluten (e.g., wheat, barley, and rye) from their diets for both medical and non-medical purposes. The grain industry is facing a growing challenge to (re)boost consumers’ confidence in the healthiness and safety of its commodities. Using 561 participants recruited from the Amazon Mechanical Turk workers’ panel, this study implemented a 2 (pretzels vs. potato chips) * 2 (positive- vs. negative- frame) * 2 (wheat image vs. no wheat image) experiment to examine the effects of gluten-free labels on consumers’ perceived healthiness and safety of …