"We would like this study to offer a suggestion to improve retail vegetable sales." Researchers have also worked with a professional designer to identify the best background colours.
The study was conducted with five different vegetables, each of a different colour - tomato (red), carrot (orange), pepper (yellow), cucumber (green) and aubergine (blue/purple). These vegetables were chosen as prototypes of vegetables in the various colour categories. In addition, the consistency of their skin is similar and their colour is rather homogeneous.
"Even though we found no effects on the perceived vegetable colour, there were significant differences for what concerns their attractiveness. Each vegetable seems to have its own ideal background colour, which generally involves a contrast in tone, light and/or colour."
It emerged that the ideal colours for the five vegetables are: light orange for cucumbers, light blue for aubergines, blue for yellow peppers, orange for carrot and dark blue or dark orange for tomatoes.
These results suggest that it is difficult to find non-neutral background colours that can work for a wide range of vegetables.
Source: Schifferstein Hendrik N.J., Howell Bryan F., Pont, Sylvia C., 'Colored backgrounds affect the attractiveness of fresh produce, but not it's perceived color', 2017, Food Quality and Preference, Vol. 56 Part A, pag. 173-180. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2016.10.011