By Andi Anderson
Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural Economics has welcomed Dr. Ellen Van Loo as an associate professor, adding new strength to its research in consumer food behavior.
Her work focuses on how policy, marketing, retail environments, and digital platforms influence the way consumers make food choices.
By using behavioral and experimental economics, she examines the factors that guide everyday decisions about healthy and sustainable eating.
Dr. Van Loo joins Purdue through the Moveable Dream Hires program, which supports bringing top researchers to the university.
Leaders at Purdue note that her expertise will expand ongoing research in food systems, consumer preferences, and the growing role of digital marketplaces.
Her experience as both a collaborator and mentor will support graduate students and early-career researchers in developing impactful research.
Originally from Belgium, Van Loo earned a master’s degree in bioscience engineering from Ghent University and later pursued a Fulbright scholarship to study food science at the University of Arkansas.
Her interest in global research led her to doctoral studies in agricultural economics at Ghent University, with additional research experience at Korea University.
During her early research, she explored how food packaging, labeling, and product information influence consumer acceptance of new and healthier foods. She also used biometric tools such as eye-tracking to better understand how shoppers process information in grocery stores.
Her more recent work focuses on digital food environments, such as online grocery platforms and meal delivery services. She emphasizes that providing information alone is often not enough to change behavior.
Instead, strategies that combine information with targeted interventions—such as healthy food swaps—can guide consumers toward better choices. For example, suggesting a lower-sodium item when a shopper selects a product online can support healthier decision-making when paired with a personalized explanation.
Van Loo is excited to contribute her international perspective at Purdue. She looks forward to collaborating across the College of Agriculture, where researchers study food systems from production to consumer behavior.
By integrating insights from both European and U.S. food markets, she hopes to support new ideas that promote healthier, more sustainable eating habits worldwide.
Photo Credit: purdue-university
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