In a structured trial, a Consumer Panel was requested to evaluate beef patties with respect to tenderness, juiciness, flavor and texture assigning a grade of acceptability or rejection.  All patties were derived from a common batch of 80 percent lean ground beef produced from the same lot.  Patties were assigned Labels indicating  ‘All Natural’, ‘Raised Without Antibiotics’, ‘Raised Without Added Hormones’, ‘Fresh Never Frozen’, ‘Grass Fed’, ‘Locally Sourced’ or ‘Organic’.

Despite the fact that all patties were identical, the panel demonstrated a preference for product labeled with premium attributes compared to generic packaged patties.  This was especially evident with regard to perceived palatability among the patties with label claims including ‘Locally Sourced’ and ‘Grass Fed’. 

The authors of the report noted the apparent "halo of quality" associated with the claim of ‘Local Production’.