Consumer valuation of carbon labeled protein-enriched burgers in European older adults

Considering population aging and the adverse health consequences older adults face due to protein malnutrition, older adults’ protein intake is receiving increasing attention. Meanwhile, growing concern around the world’s environmental challenges has elucidated the crucial role of dietary choices. This study gives insight into more sustainable ways of increasing older adults’ (≥65) protein intake in the European Union (EU) to prevent protein malnutrition. A choice experiment (n = 2159) was conducted in five EU countries (the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Poland, Finland, and Spain). Multinomial choice modeling shows that the majority of older adults accept protein-enriched burgers. Overall they prefer red meat and poultry above plant-based burgers. For red meat and poultry burgers, older adults prefer products with carbon labels indicating lower environmental impact. Latent class modeling identified four consumer segments. The largest segment (41%), “Meatlovers”, are not likely to change their red meat and poultry consumption. However, carbon labeling entails some opportunity. “Eco-friendly” consumers (28%) are willing to consume protein from more sustainable sources and herewith constitute the primary target group. “Poultry lovers” (12%) are most likely to shift their protein consumption based on health-related motives. Further research is recommended to identify sustainable protein-rich products for older adults who dislike burgers (19%). Subsequent consumer profiling indicates that intentions to consume sustainable protein-enriched burgers are associated with gender, country, importance attached to health, sustainability and familiarity, knowledge on protein and their environmental impact. In contrast, financial situation, importance attached to price, convenience, and sensory appeal are not associated with older adults’ preferences.     

Consumer preferences for new fermented food products that mix animal and plant protein sources

Consumers are being encouraged to increase the proportion of plant protein in their diets to enhance the sustainability of food systems. One approach is to develop plant-protein-rich foods that are acceptable to consumers. This study examined French people’s reactions to cheese alternatives—new fermented products that mixed animal and plant protein sources. We conducted experimental sessions with 240 French participants to assess their responses to three fermented products containing different percentages of yellow pea and cow’s milk. First, we asked the participants to blind-taste the three products and solicited hedonic scores of products. We then provided the participants with simple information about the products’ composition and asked them to taste and score the liking of the products a second time. We also asked consumers to estimate their willingness to pay (WTP) for each product before and after revealing additional information about the nutritional or environmental benefits of consuming pea-based foods. The product with the lowest percentage of pea and the highest percentage of milk received the highest hedonic scores, and WTP was correlated with the hedonic scores. The additional information about the nutritional and environmental benefits of pea-based foods led to significant increases in WTP for two of the fermented products, but not for the least preferred product, namely the one with the highest percentage of pea. This finding suggests that participant reactions to information depended on hedonic preferences.     

Different shades of grey: Compromise products to encourage animal friendly consumption

Contemporary production and consumption are often characterised by negative externalities, for example regarding animal welfare. Despite consumer concerns about animal welfare standards in livestock production systems, the market share of organic meat is still low. The current paper investigates to what extent a more differentiated product assortment including “compromise alternatives”, providing consumers with more options to trade-off animal welfare against other attributes, increases the choice share of meat produced at beyond-regulatory standards for animal welfare. Results from a choice experiment in The Netherlands reveal considerable heterogeneity in consumer preferences regarding the trade-off between animal welfare level and price level. Two out of six segments, typically consumers with a lower education level and shoppers at discount supermarkets, are not or hardly prepared to pay a price premium for welfare enhanced meat. Two other segments show a preference for small increases in animal welfare level and associated costs. The remaining two other segments seem to reflect “protestors” against mainstream meat production in that they hold negative attitudes, beliefs and feelings regarding the consumption of conventionally-produced meat, either by turning to meat produced at high animal welfare standards (including meat replacement products) or by reducing meat consumption. It is concluded that an assortment that better caters for this heterogeneity in consumer preference by including “compromise meat products” is of the benefit to both the individual consumer (preferences), the animal (animal welfare levels) and the meat sector (clientele).     

生鲜农产品营养标签认知及消费意愿调查

目的 探讨消费者对生鲜农产品营养标签的认知和消费意愿,为推动生鲜农产品营养标签发展提供参考。方法 通过线上调查收集682份有效问卷,运用描述性统计和logistic回归分析消费者对生鲜农产品营养标签的认知、消费意愿及其影响因素。结果 电商平台是生鲜农产品销售的重要渠道,预包装和精美包装生鲜农产品需求正逐渐增长,超过75%的消费者购买食品时经常查看营养标签。88.9%的消费者期望生鲜农产品标识营养标签,并关注营养功能声称、糖含量、维生素和矿物质、植物化学物等内容,消费者偏好营养成分的定量标注方式和营养成分表的标示形式。不同身份和月收入的消费者对生鲜农产品营养标签消费意愿及溢价支付意愿存在显著差异（P<0.05）。整体上,有88.56%和91.94%的消费者对生鲜农产品营养标签具有不同程度的消费意愿和溢价支付意愿。结论 消费者对生鲜农产品营养信息有较强了解需求,期望生鲜农产品标示营养标签并愿意支付溢价,对推动生鲜农产品营养标签发展具有现实意义和市场潜力。     

Consumer perceptions,preferences, and behavior regarding pasture-raised livestock products: A review

Intensive cattle production is one of the primary causes of biodiversity loss. Pasture-based animal husbandry has the potential to reverse this negative trend. Pasture-raised livestock products represent a premium niche with an extra value through a cleaner environmental footprint and care for animal welfare, including wildlife. This review focuses on recent scientific findings in consumer behavior regarding pasture-raised products. A systematic literature search was conducted in online databases using a fixed search term. Thirty-nine relevant consumer studies published between 2000 and 2019 in the English language were selected for the review. The Alphabet Theory was applied as a theoretical framework to analyze the findings.Consumer behavior regarding pasture-raised products is largely defined through health and environmental attitudes and depends substantially on the context of a purchase decision. There are a variety of consumer groups willing to pay a premium for a pasture-raised attribute even on top of an organic price premium. Consumer knowledge of the subject is rather low and confusion exists regarding the terminology: consumers often mistake the production system behind pasture-raised products for organic or conventional. This calls for communication of the environmental and social benefits of pasture-based production and the importance of individual food choices. This article is the first to review scientific consumer studies on perceptions, preferences, behavior regarding and willingness to pay for pasture-raised products. Further research, especially research based on real market data, is recommended to explore the effect of specific environmental attributes, social and personal norms, informational content, and product types on consumer preferences and willingness to pay for pasture-raised products.     

Consumers’ willingness to pay for upcycled foods

Research on food waste reduction suggests that solutions aimed at reducing waste early in the consumption cycle are the most impactful. Based on this premise, food research labs and food manufacturers have started creating and selling foods made from food ingredients that are generally discarded. Such foods, termed upcycled foods, are safe for human consumption and provide a promising solution to reduce food waste. However, the commercial success of this new category of foods will depend on consumers’ acceptance. This research examines a key indicator of acceptance – consumers’ willingness to pay. We find that although consumers are willing to pay less for upcycled foods compared to conventional alternatives, messaging increases consumers’ willingness to pay. Specifically, we find that rational messaging is more effective than emotional messaging. Overall, our findings suggest that upcycled foods may command good acceptance among consumers.     

消费者对HACCP认证的支付意愿:基于北京市乳制品市场的调查

调查了北京地区消费者对HACCP认证的认知程度、支付意愿(WTP)以及相关问题,并采用算术平均法和计量方法分别估算了消费者对奶制品的HACCP认证的WTP。调查发现消费者对HACCP认证的认知和信任不足。另外,通过对信息强化前后的比较可知,经过信息强化后,使用算术平均法测算出消费者对HACCP认证的平均WTP为0.13元(占市场价格的8.46%),比信息强化前提高了0.04元。计量结果显示,消费者对该认证的平均WTP为0.11元(占市场价格的7.15%)。可见,加强HACCP认证的宣传能提高消费者对HACCP的认知和接受度。     

The wine headache: Consumer perceptions of sulfites and willingness to pay for non-sulfited wines

A panel of 223 alcohol consumers recruited in a liquor store participated in a survey/best–worst experiment investigating perceptions on sulfites and willingness to pay for non-sulfited wines. We find that 34% of our sample experiences headaches after consuming moderate amounts of wine, and sulfites are the most frequently attributed cause. Based on a rank ordered logit estimation of best–worst choices, headache syndrome sufferers are willing to pay a ceteris paribus premium of $1.23 per bottle to avoid added sulfites. However, results from a (logit) model of purchase intentions suggest that quality and price are most important, with differentiating labels (no sulfite added, organic) playing only a marginal role. Marketing implications for the wine industry are offered, and negative perceptions toward sulfites are contextualized within the hypothesis of a “lightning rod” effect induced by the “contains sulfites” warning label.     

Risk perception and consumer willingness to pay for certified beef in Spain

Food scares have increased consumer food safety concern, particularly for beef. Traceability and food quality labels have been put in place to communicate to consumers the safety characteristics of the specially labelled beef in hopes of recovering confidence and consumption. As a consequence, production costs have increased, and thereby consumer prices as well. In this paper, we develop a conceptual model capable of analyzing the main factors influencing consumers’ willingness to pay for certified beef. A three-equation recursive model is jointly estimated which accounts for the main steps in the consumer decision process. Results indicate that income, level of beef consumption, the average price consumers pay for beef and the perception of beef safety are the main determinants of Spanish consumers’ willingness to pay for certified beef.     

The attitudes of Italian consumers towards jellyfish as novel food

The globalization of food markets and the recent upgrade of the European regulation on novel foods open up new possibilities for the introduction of edible jellyfish in the diet of Europeans. In spite of no tradition of eating jellyfish in Italy and, more generally, in Western countries, several Mediterranean jellyfish species have biological and nutritional features with a large potential as innovative, sustainable novel food and source of bioactive compounds. To evaluate the Italians’ attitude of considering jellyfish as food source, a survey has been carried out on a group of 1445 individuals. A questionnaire was designed to assess the jellyfish consumption attitude (JCA) of respondents and explore the effect of their individual traits (socio-demography, personality, behavior habits, neophobia, disgust sensitivity) on JCA. Gender, age, and travelling habits differently affected JCA. Possible culinary uses and food pairing of jellyfish were also significantly influenced by JCA. Individuals with the highest propensity to accept jellyfish as food are young people, familiar with the sea environment, with high education level or students, and frequent travelers. Food neophobia and sensitivity to disgust are confirmed as personality traits able to strongly impair the acceptability of a novel food. Finally, this work provides insights into the acceptance and rejection variables that should be taken into account when an unfamiliar new food product, such as jellyfish, is planned to be introduced in a new dietary culture and new markets.     

Consumer perceptions of traceability: A cross-national comparison of the associated benefits

Consumer perceptions regarding traceability were investigated by means-end-chain laddering. Consumers in four European countries were questioned about the benefits they associate with traceability related attributes. The benefits consumers associate with traceability are in terms of health, quality, safety and control, of which the latter was associated with trust and confidence. These benefits were similarly important in the countries investigated. Cross-national differences were also observed. Importantly, both quality and safety were shown to be related to traceability in the consumers′ minds with quality implying safety. The results show that traceability may contribute to improving consumer confidence. The most important aspects of traceability which should be incorporated into communication with consumers are discussed.     

Effect of tasting and information on consumer opinion about pig castration

Our research explored the relative importance of pig castration amongst other aspects of animal welfare, and the potential impact of information and sensory experiences on European Union (EU) consumers' preferences. The EU is considering a future ban on surgical pig castration by 2018 which may affect markets and consumers' preferences. We carried out an empirical study using consumer-level data obtained from questionnaires completed in a controlled environment by a total of 825 consumers. The experiment was carried out in six EU countries (Spain, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, France, Italy and Germany) which account for 66.0% of the EU-27's and 76.3% of the EU-15's meat production. Results show that consumers do not perceive pig castration to be a relevant aspect of animal welfare nor its relationship with meat quality. Consumers with healthy life styles, concerned about animal welfare and who have had a negative sensory experience with boar meat are willing to accept paying more to avoid boar taint.     

The role of beliefs in purchasing process of functional foods

This study utilizes food values in conjunction with willingness to pay (WTP) measures to identify consumers’ subjective beliefs about functional foods. We conducted a non-hypothetical, second price experimental auction (i.e., a Vickrey auction) to estimate WTP for a new functional snack made with white lupine and citrus fiber. A sample of 156 consumers was surveyed in Catania, Sicily (Italy) in July 2015. The findings of the economic experiment reveal a WTP premium for the new functional snack, a premium which depends on functional components but also on other characteristics that go beyond intrinsic healthy properties. Consumers’ WTP for functional foods significantly varies with food values related to origin, safety, naturalness, price, etc., which implies consumers have different subjective beliefs about functional and non-functional foods. These findings have implications for the food sector attempting to design and promote consumption of functional foods, and suggest health is not the only factor motivating functional food purchases.     

Willingness of Iranian young adults to eat organic foods: Application of the Health Belief Model

This study investigates the determinants of organic foods consumer behavior in Iran. This will further understanding of consumer decision-making regarding organically produced foods and help identify strategies for promoting their consumption. The focus of the study was to explore the influence of constructs of the Health Beliefs Model on willingness to use organic foods using a multistage, stratified random sample of young adults (n = 389) in a survey conducted in Iran. Structural equation modeling showed that perceived benefits, general health orientation regarding pesticides and organic foods, self-efficacy and perceived barriers are significant predictors of willingness regarding the use of organic foods. These variables can predict nearly 42% variance of young adults’ willingness to use organic food. The findings yield public policy and marketing recommendations for stimulating organic food consumption among young adults.     

The impact of fat content,production methods and carbon footprint information on consumer preferences for minced meat

Growing concern over the environmental impacts and other credence characteristics of food has resulted in increasing interest in the quality attributes of meat products in Finland. The aim of this study was to provide information on the relative preferences of consumers for minced meat attributes. Using a choice experiment, we examined whether the meat type, method of production, fat content, price and presence of carbon footprint information have an impact on consumer choice. A low fat content was found to have a particularly positive effect on the choice of a minced meat product. The carbon footprint information had a significant impact on the meat type-specific consumer preferences: the popularity of beef products decreased and of pork products increased when the footprint information was presented to the consumers. Six heterogeneous consumer classes were identified with latent class analysis: price-conscious (23% of the respondents), fat content-conscious (23%), ideological but passive (17%), content with conventional (14%), beef-preferring (12%) and method of production -conscious consumers (11%). Consumers were generally willing to pay more for a low fat content, but the relative willingness to pay estimates were largely dependent on the consumer groups: premiums for organic and animal welfare-oriented production methods also existed. These attributes could thus represent good means for differentiating minced meat products. The impact of carbon footprint information on the willingness to pay estimates was relatively low.     

S-shape relationship between customer satisfaction and willingness to pay premium prices for high quality cured pork products in Spain

This paper explores 2 different probabilistic models explaining willingness to pay premium prices for high-quality cured products from the swine industry. Seven cured pork products (sausage, fuet, ham, loin, shoulder, salami and pepperoni) were studied in 9 food-stores in Valladolid, Spain. Consumers of the products were interviewed (686 completed surveys). It was found by using mixed effect statistical models that the relationship between willingness to pay a premium price and customer satisfaction had nonlinear behavior, following an S-shape with inverted slope which was the first empirical evidence of this type of behavior in meat products in real market conditions. It was also established that the interaction between satisfaction and current expenditure on the product was significant and indispensable for explaining consumers' willingness to pay premium price for cured pork products.     

How useful is acceptability to explain economic value? An application on the introduction of innovative saffron products into commercial markets

We initiate consumer acceptability experiments to examine how sensorial, in concert with non-sensorial attributes, interact and influence hedonic scores and willingness to pay (WTP). Food neophobia scales are also incorporated as a precursor for WTP. Employing a sample of consumers from the Northern Spanish town of Zaragoza, we examine two varietal innovations incorporating saffron which are already produced ‘small scale’ in the nearby rural locality.We find that consumer expectations are a strong precursor of WTP. Positive disconfirmation (i.e. the product is better than expected) negatively impacts on WTP for one product innovation, although no such relation is found for contrast and assimilation effects. Notwithstanding, our model’s predictive capacity of WTP for either product innovation strongly converges with their actual prices paid in small rural markets. Finally, for one product innovation, greater neophobia is statistically correlated with lower WTP. Consequently, effective labelling and marketing strategies targeted at food neophiles, offer local saffron producers a potentially lucrative market segment.     

Consumer perception of boar meat as affected by labelling information,malodorous compounds and sensitivity to androstenone

This study aimed to assess the influence of two label conditions on the acceptance of boar meat. A central location test was conducted with 145 consumers each assessing 4 pieces of pork loin.