Has the ‘Plant-Based’ Label Lost All Its Meaning?

What comes to mind when someone tries to sell you food that’s labeled “plant-based”? 

Foods labeled “plant-based” seem to be everywhere these days. Strictly speaking, the label means what it says: foods made from plants that do not contain animal products. 

Many advocates argue that plant-based foods are better than their animal-based alternatives. They’re healthier according to many. And more ethical from the standpoint of rearing animals. Better for the environment too. But it’s hard to say if claims like these are really true. 

What is true is that the “plant-based” label is a marketer’s dream, creating an enormous opportunity to capitalize on the perceived virtuousness and healthiness of eating plant-based food. Brands use the label to draw people’s attention to the aggregate goodness of a particular product and simultaneously deflect attention from any less appealing attributes.

And now, some consumers are outright skeptical of the label. A study from 2023 co-authored by Patrycja Sleboda, Wändi Bruine de Bruin, Tania Gutsche, and I suggested that people are less likely to go for foods described as “plant-based” (or “vegan”) compared with those labeled “healthy” or “sustainable.” One reason may be negative associations with plant-based meat alternatives, which are seen as “artificial” because of their ultra-processed nature. Another reason might be the intuitive perception that they taste bad. 

Read more about how marketers use the “plant-based” label, and what consumers think about it, in a terrific Atlantic article by Yasmin Tayag here. 

And read the study by Payrycja, Wändi, Tania, and me here.