Tiziana de-Magistris, Azucena Gracia and Jesus Barreiro-Hurle
The purpose of this paper is to investigate Spanish consumer preferences for several food-labelling schemes on semi-cured, pasteurised sheep milk cheese. In particular, the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate Spanish consumer preferences for several food-labelling schemes on semi-cured, pasteurised sheep milk cheese. In particular, the authors used three labels regulated by the European Union regulation (European organic logo, protected denomination of origin (PDO) and nutritional fat content), and the remaining four have been introduced to the European food market by private initiatives (local, carbon footprint, food miles and animal welfare).
Design/methodology/approach
A Best-Worst Discrete Choice approach was applied in Spain during Fall 2011 by administrating a survey to 549 consumers.
Findings
The results suggest that the most valued labels are the PDO, followed by the organic logo and the nutritional panel. The least valued are food-miles labelling and carbon foodprint labels, while local-origin labels and animal welfare are in the middle position.
Originality/value
This study is the first to value consumer preferences for cheese products bearing several public and private European food-labelling schemes since literature on consumer preferences for food labels has only dealt with a comparison of a few (two or at most three) food-labelling schemes. In addition, the added value of this paper is also the use of the BWC approach that has the advantage of providing the best way to discriminate the degree of importance given by respondents to each food labels by overcoming the problem of bias caused by differences in the use of rating scales.
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Tiziana de-Magistris and Azucena Gracia
The purpose of this paper is to assess consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for three different food claims on semi-cured, pasteurized sheep milk cheese. In particular, the authors…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for three different food claims on semi-cured, pasteurized sheep milk cheese. In particular, the authors used a health-related claim (the nutritional claim indicating a reduced fat content: “light”), a regional claim (“designation of origin – PDO”) and an organic claim (the European organic logo). Moreover, the authors investigated whether consumers’ personal characteristics could influence their WTP for those types of cheese.
Design/methodology/approach
A home-grown experimental auction was applied in Spain during Spring 2012. The authors opted to use the nth random price with repeated rounds and without price feedback.
Findings
The results show that consumers were willing to pay more for PDO cheese, followed by organic and light cheese. Moreover, respondents who were female, older and with a university-level education showed some environmental concerns, influencing their WTP for different cheeses.
Originality/value
Empirical evidence on consumers’ preferences for PDO, organic and nutritional claims, evaluated jointly, is lacking in Spain. Moreover, the home-grown auction has several merits in terms of real market simulation and consumer preference application.
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Tiziana de-Magistris, Stefano Pascucci and Dimitrios Mitsopoulos
The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the European Novel Food Regulation (ENFR) on consumers’ acceptance of and willingness to pay (WTP) for radical food…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the European Novel Food Regulation (ENFR) on consumers’ acceptance of and willingness to pay (WTP) for radical food innovations. The research question is focussed on determining whether the ENFR is hampering the market potential of insect-based food products in the European Union (EU). The authors position this question within the domain of regulatory barriers related to food innovations.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a choice experiment, the authors assess the presence and relevance of these failures through the analysis of consumers’ acceptance and WTP for insect-based food products with different product attributes directly imposed by the ENFR. Namely, the authors assess the effect of the visualization of insects in the product, the use of logo, and nutritional information.
Findings
The results show that consumers prefer and are willing to pay a premium price for insect-based products with a nutritional health claim and logo, but they are not willing to pay for a product with a visualized insect.
Originality/value
This paper highlights the risk of regulatory failures for novel foods in the EU, such as insect-based food products due to the ENFR.
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Tiziana de Magistris, Etiénne Groot, Azucena Gracia and Luis Miguel Albisu
The aim of this study is to analyse Millennial generation's preferences for wine attributes in two countries, one from the “New World” (USA) and the other from the “Old World”…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to analyse Millennial generation's preferences for wine attributes in two countries, one from the “New World” (USA) and the other from the “Old World” (Spain), in order to see whether they are different. Heterogeneity in attribute importance is investigated, with wine consumers classified into different segments according to attribute importance.
Design/methodology/approach
The Best‐Worst choice method was used with information obtained from a survey conducted in two cities of Spain and the USA (Zaragoza and Fayetteville), respectively. Then, attribute importance heterogeneity was modelled and consumers were classified with a latent class model.
Findings
The results indicate that American and Spanish Millennial consumers present some similarities but also some differences in wine preferences. While Millennial consumers in the USA attributed more importance to “I tasted the wine previously”, Spanish Millennials ascribed more importance to the “designation of origin”. Moreover, heterogeneity in attribute importance in both countries was detected and five consumer segments were identified showing clear differences in terms of the importance attached to different wine attributes: “Traditionalists”, “Wine seekers”, “Label fans”, “Insecure” and “Price conscious”. These wine consumer segments could be characterized by traditional socio‐demographic profiles and only differed in wine consumer preferences.
Originality/value
The Best‐Worst method, used to compare wine consumers from the “New World” and the “Old World”, asks them to choose among hypothetical wines defined by a mix of traditional and novel attributes, according to previous studies.
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Tiziana de Magistris and Azucena Gracia
The aim of the paper is to investigate the consumers' decision‐making process for organically produced foods in Italy.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the paper is to investigate the consumers' decision‐making process for organically produced foods in Italy.
Design/methodology/approach
A structural equation modelling approach has been used with information provided by a survey conducted in Italy (Naples).
Findings
Results indicate that consumer' attitudes towards organic food, in particular towards the health attribute and towards the environment are the most important factors that explain consumers' decision‐making process for organic food products. Moreover, it has been found that larger information on the organic food market, which drives to a higher consumers' organic food knowledge, is important because it positively influences consumers' attitudes towards organic food products. Finally, consumers who try to follow a healthy diet and balanced life are likely to have more positive attitudes towards organic food products and towards the environment, inducing a more likely intention to purchase organic foods.
Originality/value
Findings provide more evidence on consumers' underlying motivations to buy organic food to the already existing evidence in Europe to evaluate the future implementation of the recently approved Regulation (EC) no. 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products. In addition, empirical results would help local policy makers to establish appropriate market strategies to develop the future demand for these products.
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Opeyemi Femi-Oladunni, Pablo Ruiz-Palomino and Israel Roberto Pérez Jiménez
This study aims to identify how Spanish consumers’ extrinsic preferences for food have evolved by examining the extant literature on food preferences in Spain, focusing on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify how Spanish consumers’ extrinsic preferences for food have evolved by examining the extant literature on food preferences in Spain, focusing on food-related attributes and food-related values.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on a synthetic review of the extant academic literature on Spanish consumer preferences for food-related attributes and food-related values from the mid-20th to the 21st century. This study uses key economic and social milestones that are most likely to influence food value chain actors to show how consumer preferences have evolved over the study period.
Findings
Spanish consumer food attribute preferences expanded as the food sector of the nation continued to grow, and value preferences showed a similar pattern from the mid-20th to the 21st century. The drivers of these preferences were trust, lifestyle, education (campaigns), sociodemographic factors and purchasing power.
Originality/value
Evaluating the extant literature’s contribution to consumer preferences for food-related attributes and values is important because it can aid in understanding the hierarchy and variety of consumers’ food preferences as well as the factors that drive these preferences. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore how Spanish consumer preferences evolved between the mid-20th and 21st centuries.