Impact of Product Labeling on Vegan Yogurt Acceptance

Food labels shape expectations and can steer acceptance. In yogurt‐like products, dairy‐anchored terms may trigger mismatched expectations among non‐vegans. We tested how naming affects sensory acceptance of plant‐based yogurt. One hundred adults (18–60 years) were randomly assigned to two cohorts: 50 evaluated strawberry/coconut samples labeled as “yogurt,” and 50 evaluated the same products labeled as “non‐dairy creamy beverage” (between‐subjects). Participants provided free‐listing descriptors and rated overall liking on a nine‐point hedonic scale. The “non‐dairy creamy beverage” label elicited more positive descriptors (e.g., attractive appearance, consistent texture) and higher overall acceptance than the “yogurt” label. Liking reached 69.2% (strawberry) and 48.8% (coconut) when named non‐dairy creamy beverage, versus 41.2% and 21.5% as yogurt. Naming therefore substantially shapes perception and acceptance of plant‐based yogurt analogs among non‐vegans, suggesting that avoiding the term “yogurt” may reduce negative carryover from dairy expectations and improve market appeal.