Assessing the Role of Shape and Label in the Misleading Packaging of Food Imitating Products: From Empirical Evidence to Policy Recommendation

Abstract

Food imitating products are chemical consumer items used frequently in the household for cleaning and personal hygiene (e.g., bleach, soap, and shampoo), which resemble food products. Their containers replicate elements of food package design such as possessing a shape close in style to drinking product containers or bearing labels that depict colorful fruits. In marketing, these incongruent forms are designed to increase the appeal of functional products, leading to chemical consumer product embellishment. However, due to the resulting visual ambiguity, food imitating products may expose consumers to the risk of being poisoned from ingestion. Thus, from a public health perspective, food imitating products are considered dangerous chemical products that should not be sold, and may merit being recalled for the safety of consumers. To help policymakers address the hazardous presence of food imitating products, the purpose of this article is to identify the specific design features that generate most ambiguity for the consumer, and therefore increase the likelihood of confusion with foodstuffs. Among the visual elements of food packaging, the two most important features (shape and label) are manipulated in a series of three lab studies combining six Implicit Association Tests (IATs) and two explicit measures on products' drinkability and safety. IATs were administered to assess consumers' implicit association of liquid products with tastiness in a within-subject design in which the participants (N = 122) were presented with two kinds of food imitating products with a drink shape or drink label compared with drinks (experiential products with congruent form) and classic chemical products (hygiene products) (functional products with congruent form). Results show that chemical consumer products with incongruent drink shapes (but not drink labels) as an element of food package design are both implicitly associated with tastiness and explicitly judged as safe and drinkable. These results require confirmation in other studies involving different shapes and labels. Notwithstanding, due to the misleading effect of this ambiguity, public health authorities are thus well advised to focus their market surveillance on chemical products emulating a food or drink shape.

The exploration of size and toddler interaction with liquid laundry detergent capsules

“…The general pattern of results suggests toddlers do not demonstrate a strong preference to interact with smaller or with larger capsules; across all studies and trials, we found a consistent pattern of no differences in their preferences or selections. Previous research on child poisoning risk suggests young children interact with different household products at different rates, depending on factors such as the shape, labelling, and transparency of those products and the containers holding them [17][18][19][20][21][22]. Research focused on laundry detergent capsules in an ecologically valid setting similar to that used in the present study offers indication that toddlers do not show preference in grasping choice between an assortment of coloured and multi-coloured capsules [25].…”

“…Previous research on child poisoning risk suggests young children interact with different household products at different rates, depending on factors such as the shape, labelling, and transparency of those products and the containers holding them [ 17 – 22 ]. Research focused on laundry detergent capsules in an ecologically valid setting similar to that used in the present study offers indication that toddlers do not show preference in grasping choice between an assortment of coloured and multi-coloured capsules [ 25 ].…”

“…There also are risk factors that emerge at the individual level in Bronfenbrenner's ecological model; these are factors that emerge from the children's own decisions and behaviours. Research in related domains suggests children may interact with different household products at different rates based on products' appearance-including their shape, colour and transparency; these factors could therefore influence children's risk of unintentional poisoning [17][18][19][20][21][22]. Research suggests the shape and colour of the product may be especially salient in young children's categorization of edible and non-edible products [17,21,22].…”

Neuromarketing Applied to Educational Toy Packaging

“…The main objective of this study was to determine the degree of effectiveness of the packaging of an educational toy with the target audience and the sensations and emotions caused by the consumer (target) in the purchasing process ( Fugate, 2008 ). This study has revealed the suggested buying and consumption habits ( Calvert and Brammer, 2012 ) of educational toys, the most valued aspects in the consumption of educational toys, levels of brand and product recall, perception of brand and product value through packaging ( Underwood and Ozanne, 1998 ), projection on the entertainment of toys from packaging ( Basso et al, 2016 ) (design, size, shape, color, touch, etc.). It has also allowed the authors to compare the perception/coding of each container by men and women, identify the level of visual attraction (dedicated times) toward the product and the brand for the two packaging shown (average exposure times in the areas of interest, route, etc.)…”

Seeing household chemicals through the eyes of children—Investigating influential factors of preschoolers’ perception and behavior

“…However, children will encounter household chemicals eventually and interact with them (Schwebel et al, 2014). Parents do not always adapt their safety measures to their child's increasing mobility or behavior (Gibbs et al, 2005;Schwebel et al, 2006), or their storage decision of household chemicals is misguided by unfamiliarity with safety labels or misinterpretation of other packaging attributes (Basso et al, 2016;Bearth et al, 2017;Bearth & Siegrist, 2019;Buchmüller et al, 2020). Prior studies have specifically addressed the issue of product attributes and their effects on children's perception and behavior (e.g., Schneider, 1977;Schwebel et al, 2014).…”