Watch out for the healthy trap! How food flavor influences healthiness evaluations and consumption

Flavors are extensively used in food products to attract consumers, driving purchases successfully. But how do these flavors influence consumers' calorie estimation and healthiness evaluation? In a series of four behavioral experiments, we formally examine the effect of flavor information on consumer food healthiness evaluations and behavioral responses. We find that when a base food contains a healthy flavor (vs. unhealthy flavor), consumers perceive the food to be lower (vs. higher) in calories and healthier and are more likely to purchase such flavored food. In addition, such flavor-healthiness evaluation effect as a heuristic is attenuated when consumers are aware of this effect, and the indirect effect of calorie estimation on purchase intention is magnified among consumers with high dieting tendency. These findings shed light on how flavor information shapes consumers' responses to flavored food, contribute to food consumption-related literature, and provide practical implications for consumers and policymakers.