title: The Influence of a Factitious Free-From Food Product Label on Consumer Perceptions of Healthfulness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Given the rapid rise of free-from products available in the marketplace (especially gluten-free), more research is needed to understand how these products influence consumer perceptions of healthfulness.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether perceptions of healthfulness can be generated about free-from products in the absence of risk information.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was administered to 256 adults. Two picture-based food product questions evaluated which products consumers perceived to be healthier. One free-from designation was fabricated (MUI-free), whereas gluten-free was used as the comparison designation. For each question, participants chose which product they thought was healthier (free-from, conventional, or equally healthy).
  
  
  METHODS
  A χ(2) test was run to assess the difference between responses to picture-based food product questions. Multinomial regression assessed variance in responses attributable to participant demographic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the respondents, 21.9% selected the MUI-free product as healthier, whereas 25.5% selected the gluten-free product as healthier. Frequency data showed that a significant number of participants chose both free-from products as healthier than the conventional products (P<0.001). Regression analysis found that individuals who identified as gluten intolerant or unsure of a gluten intolerance were significantly more likely than other participants to choose the free-from product as healthier compared with choosing "equally healthy" (P=0.040). Hispanics and those with an associate's degree or vocational training were significantly more likely than their referent groups (whites and those with a doctoral degree, respectively) to choose the free-from product as healthier compared with choosing "equally healthy" (P=0.022 and 0.034, respectively). Finally, African Americans were more likely than whites to choose the conventional product as healthier compared with choosing "equally healthy" (P=0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frequency data demonstrated that free-from products can generate perceptions of healthfulness in the absence of risk information. Self-reported intolerance data suggest that individuals with a heightened concern about the risks associated with gluten may perceive the larger category of free-from products as more healthful. In addition, ethnicity and education level appear to play a role in free-from product perception.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Priven
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Nancie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Herbold
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D005515:Food Labeling; D005518:Food Preferences; D058870:Food, Organic; D005983:Glutens; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005983:Glutens
keywords: Consumer perception; Food labeling; Free-from; Gluten-free; Healthfulness