Conveying level of science: Tests of iconic and comparative formats Karen Russo France & Paula Fitzgerald Bone Published online: 31 July 2009 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009 Abstract Supplement and food manufacturers are permitted to make certain health claims from emerging science on package labels, provided that a qualifier which indicates the strength of science supporting the claim is used. The Food and Drug Administration has proposed four levels of strength of science; however, the research to date has demonstrated that consumers cannot distinguish between these four levels. The current study tests whether iconic and comparative representations are effective at conveying strength of science. We find that both displays are effective and that consumers' perceptions of level of science are significantly influenced by industry trust and processing involvement. Keywords Dietary supplements . Package labeling . Health claims . Qualifiers . Qualified health claims The year 1999 is one that made regulatory history as the Pearson v. Shalala (1999) decision was handed down. For the first time, judges questioned the Food and Drug Administration's authority to control speech. Specifically, the Circuit Court reprimanded the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) reluctance to allow health claims (i.e., claims that a particular food component may reduce the risk of a particular disease, such as “Lycopene reduces the risk of certain cancers”) on dietary supplements. The Court decided that FDA stifles free speech when it disallows health claims that fail to meet the significant scientific agreement regarding the relationship between a particular supplement (e.g., selenium) and a particular disease (e.g., cancer), since firms have a right to provide information from emerging science. The judges believed that qualified health claims from emerging science would not Market Lett (2009) 20:385–397 DOI 10.1007/s11002-009-9081-6 K. R. France (*) : P. F. Bone College of Business and Economics, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6025, Morgantown, WV 26506-6025, USA e-mail: Karen.France@mail.wvu.edu P. F. Bone e-mail: PBone@wvu.edu