Currently, the organic food industry is worth around $30 billion-a-year, according to The Atlantic.
However, reasearchers are still unsure as to whether or not people are buying organic foods simply because of health reasons or because of a good marketing strategy.
In response to the high demand of organic foods and overall ambiguous answer as to why people are supporting the huge industry, Cornell researchers decided to test out consumer preference in the middle of a shopping mall.
They gathered up 115 consumers in the mall, according to The Atlantic, and put their eyes and taste buds to the test.
The participants were given two samples of food, one labeled organic and the other labeled as non-organic. They tested out cookies, potato chips and yogurt.
In reality though, the two samples of each food were both the same and organic.
Researchers wanted to find out if uninformed eaters thought organic foods were healthier and tastier, simply because of the labels.
Researchers then asked the contestants questions like: Was it appetizing? Flavorful? Did it taste artificial?
They also asked the participants to guess how many calories were in the food item they were eating and how much they would pay for it. After tasting the foods, participants answered that the "organic" cookies, chips and yogurt were 20 to 24 percent lower in calories compared to the "regular" version and tasted lower in fat.
Participants said they're willing to pay an additional 16 to 23 percent more for the "organic" food.
When it came to the taste of food, as opposed to health benefits, the participants answered a bit differently.
"The organic chips were apparently a little more appetizing, and the organic yogurt was more flavorful, but the participants preferred the regular cookies," The Atlantic said.
The study, although small sample size, has proven that the "organic" label can mislead consumers and can lead to ambiguous results depending on the eater and type of food.
The research initially appeared on ScienceDirect.com.
