Nutrition and health claims: Who is interested? An empirical analysis of consumer preferences in Italy

Abstract

This paper focuses on nutrition and health claims with the aim of verifying if these claims are of interest to different types of consumers, analysing the key variables that characterise their profiles. We performed a face-to-face survey on 240 consumers in charge of grocery shopping for their household in the Milan area (Italy). The analysis is based on two OLS estimation models. Our results suggest two different profiles for consumers interested in products presenting nutrition or health-related claims. Concerning nutrition claims, the analysis outlined a consumer profile particularly focused on household wellbeing. Females, family with young children, and consumers with a higher nutritional knowledge pay particular attention to such claims. Health-related claims, instead, seem to be of interest for those consumers that are older, with limited income, and with a health condition, namely, the most vulnerable segments of population.