Natural Claims on Sugary Fruit Drinks: A Randomized Experiment With US Parents

Introduction: Natural claims on food are largely unregulated in the U.S. This study examined the effects of natural claims on a fruit-flavored drink with added sugar (i.e., fruit drink). Methods: In 2019, U.S. parents of children aged 2-12 years (N=1,078) recruited from an online survey panel were randomized to one of three arms: natural claim on a fruit drink, 100% all-natural claim, or a no-claim control. Parents reported their intentions and perceptions regarding fruit drinks using 1-5 response scales. Analysis occurred in 2022-2023. Results: Both natural claims led parents to have higher intentions to purchase a fruit drink for their child than the control (average differential effect=0.20-0.24, both p<0.05). The natural claim (but not the 100% all-natural claim) also led parents to think that the fruit drink was healthier for their children (average differential effect=0.22, p=0.024). Claims made parents less likely to think that the drink contained added sugar (average differential effect= -0.08 to -0.12, both p<0.05) and led to lower estimated amounts of added sugar in teaspoons (average differential effect= -1.77 to -2.09, both p<0.05). Mediation analyses revealed that the claims led to higher intentions to pur-chase the fruit drink by increasing perceived healthfulness of the fruit drink and by leading parents to believe that there was no added sugar in the fruit drink. Conclusions: Natural claims could increase interest in and perceived healthfulness of fruit drinks. Misperceptions about the nutritional content caused by claims appear to be driving greater pur-chase intentions. These findings suggest a need for stronger regulation around natural claims to prevent consumer misunderstanding.Am J Prev Med 2023;65(5):876-885. (c) 2023 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.