Beyond Cleanliness: When Soil Signals Value in Produce Consumption

Consumers generally associate dirt with contamination, risk, and avoidance. Yet soil, the most common form of dirt, frequently appears on produce in retail displays and marketing communications. This research examines whether and why visible soil can positively influence consumer responses. Across five studies, including a field study, the findings demonstrate that consumers prefer produce with visible soil over otherwise identical cleaned alternatives (Study 1). This research proposes that soil functions as a symbolic cue that signals greater nutritional completeness. Consistent with this account, visible soil increases perceived nutritional completeness, which in turn enhances willingness to pay (Study 2). Further supporting the proposed mechanism, the effect diminishes when nutritional intactness is explicitly framed as either preserved or reduced (Study 3) and when produce is packaged, thereby disrupting contagion‐based inferences (Study 4). A field experiment replicates the effect in an actual choice context (Study 5). By identifying soil as a positive contagion cue, this research extends understanding of how physical traces shape consumer judgments and demonstrates that dirt can, under certain conditions, enhance rather than diminish product appeal. The findings also offer practical implications for retailers seeking to balance consumer appeal, sustainability, and packaging decisions.