Abstract
Several studies have demonstrated the usefulness of nutritional claims (NCs) to help consumers make more informed food decisions. However, fewer studies have investigated the effect of personal and psychological consumer characteristics on their food purchase decision. Hence, the main aim of this study is to examine the impact of body image, emotional eating style, anxiety traits, and body mass index on consumer preferences for multiple NCs on the front of the package (FOP) of hedonic (potato chips) and utilitarian (toasted bread) products carrying the same NCs. Therefore, a real choice experiment (RCE) has been used and the willingness-to-pay-space model was estimated to analyse the interaction between personal and psychological characteristics and consumer preferences. The main finding suggests differences in purchase behaviour between potato chips and toasted bread. In particular, consumers are willing to pay more for toasted bread with one NC than potato chips with one NC. Moreover, personal and psychological consumer characteristics influence the purchase behaviour regarding food products with nutritional claims. However, only the anxiety trait appears to explain the differences between the selection of both types of food products. In line with this new evidence, we proposed some behavioural, political, and managerial implications.
Highlights
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the primary cause of death in high-income countries [1], where empirical evidence confirms that these illnesses are related to high consumption of ultra-processed foods that are rich in low-quality fats, salt, and sugar [2,3]
The results of our study can be considered representative of the Spanish population since the final sample represents the population according to sociodemographic profiles
The results of our study are in accordance with López-Galán and de-Magistris [36] and Barreiro-Hurlé et al [63], who reported that consumers showed a positive preference for products with one nutritional claim compared to those with two nutritional claims presented jointly on front of the package (FOP)
Summary
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the primary cause of death in high-income countries [1], where empirical evidence confirms that these illnesses are related to high consumption of ultra-processed foods that are rich in low-quality fats, salt, and sugar [2,3]. The increase of NCDs has macroeconomic negative impacts on public health expenditure, reduction of life expectancy, and reduced productive capacities [4,5,6]. In this context, policymakers advise consumers to increase their consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables and to reduce their intake of sugar, saturated fats, and salt [7]. While a nutritional claim (NC) is a statement that informs consumers of the quantity of one or more nutrients modified during the production process (e.g., reduction in fat, salt, sugar, etc.) and of their perceived benefits to human health, the health claims approved by
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