Do you think wine is a virtue, not a vice? The nutritional information on the label surprised many U.S. consumers

When you reach for that bottle of wine on Valentine’s Day, do you understand how healthy it is? My co-author’s research shows that many people have a too rosy view of this drink and are surprised once they encounter the facts about it given on the label. Natalia Velikova and I recently published in Journal of Consumer Marketing.

Our findings can have major implications for the wine industry particularly some groups in the US insist for wine to have mandatory nutrition labels.

Nowadays, people normally think of wine as wine “virtue”, not “vice”, because of popular beliefs on the subject Health advantages and press reports on its antioxidant effects. However, requiring nutrition labeling, which is currently voluntary, could change these views.

In our experimental study of nearly 800 participants, we found that American consumers are not accustomed to seeing nutrition information on wine labels, and most are surprised by what they read because they do not associate wine with calories. carbohydrates and sugar. People who were encouraged to read labels perceived wine as less healthy than before and were less more likely to buy it.

We also found that individuals are more surprised by the sugar content of sweeter wines like Moscato than by the calorie count. Sweet wines, particularly, may contain more sugar than consumers realize.

Why is it essential?

Most recently, the European Union mandatory labeling of the nutritional value of winesometimes in shape QR codesas expected by industry analysts The United States will eventually follow suit. The Treasury Department’s Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade, which regulates wine production, has already done so agreed to issue some preliminary rules regarding mandatory labeling of ingredients.

Nutrition labels haven’t got to be bad news for the wine industry. Wine sales have he recently refused amongst people aged 60 and under, and greater labeling transparency could help rekindle the interest of young consumers.

Millennial and Gen Z consumers may particularly appreciate clearer labels because it could help them perceive the wine as less mysterious and more accessible. It might also allow them to tailor the occasional glass of wine to suit their personal health goals. Younger consumers might also be more interested eliminating as many highly processed ingredients as possible from their diets.

Moreover, there was a recent trend towards packaging wine with labels corresponding to “organic”, “biodynamic” and “sustainable”, which can appeal to consumers’ preferences for sustainability. These labels have less to do with nutrition facts than with producers trying to look environmentally friendly – but natural wine producers would probably profit most from offering nutritional information to support their claims on the front of the label.

What other research is being conducted

German researchers have found that almost all consumers often overestimate the calories in wine before reading the nutrition labels I do not think this information is useful. Scientists have found that consumers often feel uncertain and confused after reading information about wine ingredients. Looking at ingredient lists also made consumers less more likely to view wine as a natural product.

Producer-side research shows that mandatory nutrition labeling would impact the wine industry in several ways, particularly through: rising overhead costs related to compliance, laboratory evaluation and more demanding labeling processes. This could disproportionately harm smaller vineyards with fewer resources.

What is still unknown

We still do not know who is most probably to read and use nutrition labels on wine, but younger customers do they appear to be more interested on food labels normally. Millennials say yes eat healthier AND exercise more than previous generations.

There is still much to study the impact of nutrition labels on behavior. Studies have shown mixed results, but overall, labeling shapes people reduce calorie intake little. Despite this, nutrition labels were placed on food in the US in the Nineteen Nineties, but this did not stop the phenomenon. obesity rate will increase.