Consumer attitudes and understanding of cholesterol-lowering claims on food: randomize mock-package experiments with plant sterol and oat fibre claims

Background/Objectives: Few studies have examined consumer acceptability or comprehension of cholesterol-lowering claims on food labels. Our objective was to assess consumer attitudes and understanding of cholesterol-lowering claims regarding plant sterols (PS) and oat fibre (OF). Subjects/Methods: We conducted two studies on: (1) PS claims and (2) OF claims. Both studies involved a randomized mock-packaged experiment within an online survey administered to Canadian consumers. In the PS study ( n =721), we tested three PS-related claims (disease risk reduction claim, function claim and nutrient content claim) and a ‘tastes great’ claim (control) on identical margarine containers. Similarly, in the OF study ( n =710), we tested three claims related to OF and a ‘taste great’ claim on identical cereal boxes. In both studies, participants answered the same set of questions on attitudes and understanding of claims after seeing each mock package. Results: All claims that mentioned either PS or OF resulted in more positive attitudes than the taste control claim ( P