Consumer preferences for visually sub-optimal food: Role of information framing and personal goals

Abstract

This study investigates how framing in relation to environmental consequences directs consumers to prioritize among gain, hedonic, and normative goals when accepting suboptimal food to reduce food waste. A random sample of 1,704 United States consumers completed a three-wave survey instrument, including repeated discrete choice experiments. Goals related to gains deteriorated substantially over time. Goals for reducing environmental impact by purchasing sub-optimal food were stronger and more time-invariant. There was no increase in goal strength for reduce environmental impact due to the type information provided. Furthermore, there was no support for a lower decrease across time in normative goal strength due to exposure to positive framing. There were combined effects of information and time, respectively. Five latent groups were identified. These results are relevant for actions to increase the acceptance of suboptimal food, finding that differences in consumer preferences are attributable to goal type and goal strength.