Eating out of paper versus plastic: The effect of packaging material on consumption

This research investigates how packaging materials bias perceived packaging healthiness and real food consumption. Across five studies and two different food product categories (healthy vs. unhealthy), the authors demonstrate that paper packaging, compared with plastic packaging, decreases consumption amounts of food products. We demonstrate that health goal activations explains this effect as paper packaging can be considered a health-related cue. The notion that packaging materials affect consumption of (un)healthy products is substantially relevant to food manufacturers, public policy makers, and consumers, especially in their efforts to enhance healthy consumer behavior.