Not just the motives – The mediating role of perceived health-related value when predicting likelihood of buying plant-based drinkable snacks

Abstract

A conceptual model on predicting consumers’ likelihood of buying plant-based drinkable snacks through food choice motives and consumers’ perceived health-related value of drinkable snacks was developed and tested with a total of 3078 consumers from the Netherlands, Germany, and France through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). In addition, the mediating role of perceived health-related value between the food choice motives and the likelihood of buying was evaluated. The results show that perceived health-related value positively predicts the likelihood of buying plant-based drinkable snacks. In turn, perceived health-related value in drinkable snacks is positively associated with the food choice motives of healthiness, naturalness, and 'free from', while such association does not hold with the motives to choose environmentally sustainable or traditional foods. Due to the identified mediating effects of perceived health-related value with certain food choice motives, it is noted that the evaluation of the product's health-related value might be an essential step between the corresponding general motives and intentions to buy plant-based drinkable snacks. Implications of the results are discussed in light of research and the food industry.