Fifty shades of food: The influence of package color saturation on health and taste in consumer judgments
Kunz, Haasova and Florack tested whether the saturation of package colour works as a cue to a food's healthiness and taste. Across three studies, ratings of healthiness and tastiness were positively related, and the link was weaker when product pictures were shown in grey, although that difference was no longer reliable once the attractiveness of the products was controlled for. In the third study, participants rated the same drinks in versions made more and less saturated by the same amount with other colour dimensions held constant. The more saturated versions were rated healthier and tastier. Perceived freshness explained the health effect fully and the taste effect in part. The health difference was very small. The result runs against a 2018 study that found vivid packaging rated less healthy.
Kunz, Haasova and Florack tested whether the saturation of package colour works as a cue to a food's healthiness and taste. Across three studies, ratings of healthiness and tastiness were positively related, and the link was weaker when product pictures were shown in grey, although that difference was no longer reliable once the attractiveness of the products was controlled for. In the third study, participants rated the same drinks in versions made more and less saturated by the same amount with other colour dimensions held constant. The more saturated versions were rated healthier and tastier. Perceived freshness explained the health effect fully and the taste effect in part. The health difference was very small. The result runs against a 2018 study that found vivid packaging rated less healthy.
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Kunz, S., Haasova, S., & Florack, A. (2020). Fifty shades of food: The influence of package color saturation on health and taste in consumer judgments. Psychology & Marketing, 37(7), 900-912. doi:10.1002/mar.21317