Grocery shoppers may be relying on a 'misleading' clue when choosing healthy foods

A shorter shelf life may make food seem fresher and healthier, but new research suggests that may be more perception than reality.A study from the University of British Columbia (UBC) Sauder School of Business in Canada found that many shoppers use a food's shelf life as a shortcut for judging how natural it is, even though longer shelf lives can reflect factors beyond heavy processing.The team, which included researchers from China, conducted a series of experiments in which participants compared foods with different shelf lives, including potato chips, pasta sauce, mayonnaise and granola bars.YOUR BRAIN MAY BE TRICKING YOU INTO LIKING ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, STUDY FINDSShoppers consistently viewed foods with shorter shelf lives as more natural and healthier, even when the ingredients and nutritional facts were nearly identical or the difference in shelf life was solely due to better packaging.Packaged foods with longer shelf lives may be perceived as less natural, even when the difference is simply better packaging, new research found.(iStock)In the case of the mayonnaise, the only difference between the two products was that one had a better seal, allowing it to stay fresh longer — it was no more processed than the other.

Yet participants still viewed the shorter-shelf-life option as more natural.Even when they were given clear indications that a longer-lasting product just had better packaging, shoppers still used shelf life as a gauge, the researchers found.JUST ONE SMALL SERVING OF ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD A DAY LINKED TO HIGHER DISEASE RISK, MAJOR STUDY FINDSIn other experiments, participants rated potato chips with a five-month shelf life as more natural and healthier than nearly identical chips with a nine-month shelf life.Products such as mayonnaise might last longer simply because of improved packaging, not because they contain more preservatives.(iStock)Nearly 70% of participants selected a pasta sauce with a one-year shelf life when they were encouraged ...