The 2018 retraction notice said Cornell University could not access the original data and therefore could not assure the scientific validity of the 2013 results. The retraction means that readers should no longer use that paper as reliable evidence for the calorie claim. It does not prove that hunger has no effect on shopping.
Two studies asked different questions
The retracted paper measured calories. The 2026 study measured unplanned purchases.
What the 2026 study measured
Across 323 shoppers’ full baskets, hunger did not predict unplanned purchases.
Researchers coded 3,819 receipt items from 323 shoppers. Hunger was not significantly associated with unplanned purchasing across the full basket (OR 1.019, p=.434). Shoppers who said they were browsing had about 8.6 times the odds of an unplanned purchase compared with routine shoppers.
The details were not uniform. Hunger was associated with unplanned purchases in snacks and confectionery, and the relationship also differed by age. These findings make the study more informative, but they do not turn it into a direct retest of the 2013 calorie claim.
How to read a retraction
A retraction removes evidence; it does not automatically establish the opposite result.
Readers should stop citing the retracted 2013 paper as support for the claim that hungry shoppers buy more calories. Readers should not replace that claim with “hunger never affects shopping,” because neither the retraction nor the 2026 study supports that statement.
Before repeating a food claim, check three things: whether the paper is still active, what outcome the researchers measured, and whether the population and setting match the claim. If a later study measures a different outcome, treat it as related evidence rather than a replacement verdict.
How MorselFlow fits
MorselFlow articles keep the source and limitation close to the claim.
This is an editorial principle, not an app feature. We put sources near the figures and separate what the evidence can say from what it cannot.
Meal photos deserve the same honesty: they produce candidates to review and correct, not unquestionable facts.
This article explains how research evidence can change. It does not determine how hunger affects any individual shopper and is not grocery, medical, or nutrition advice.