Effects of red meat taxes and warning labels on food groups selected in a naturalistic online grocery store: Data from a randomized controlled trial

This dataset is from a study that aimed to test the impact of taxes and warning labels on red meat purchases in a naturalistic online grocery store. The dataset contains observations from n=3,518 US red meat consumers, sampled from a national panel. Eligibility criteria included: aged 18 years or older and self-reported consumption of red meat at least 1 or more times per week in the past 30 days. Participants were randomized to one of four conditions: control, warning labels, tax, or combined (warning labels and tax). Participants then completed a hypothetical shopping task in a naturalistic online grocery store. Participants in the experimental conditions (warning labels, tax, or combined) saw red meat products with health and environmental warning labels about red meat, a 30% tax, or both, according to the assigned condition. Participants in the control condition saw no additional taxes or labels on red meat products. This secondary analysis categorized the foods participants selected into food groups based on the presence of animal- and plant-source ingredients (e.g., beef, eggs, pulses), meat processing level (e.g., processed pork versus unprocessed pork), and meat species (e.g., beef versus pork). The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institutional Review Board approved this study (protocol #: 19-3349). This work was funded through a grant from the Wellcome Trust, grant id #216042/Z/19/Z.