Pre-Launch Exploration of Consumer Willingness to Purchase Selenium- and Iodine-Biofortified Apples-A Discrete Choice Analysis of Possible Market Settings.

Ruth Kleine-Kalmer,Adriano Profeta,Diemo Daum,Ulrich Enneking

doi:10.3390/nu13051625

Ruth Kleine-Kalmer, Adriano Profeta + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051625

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Abstract

Selenium and iodine are essential micronutrients for humans. They are often deficient in food supply due to low phytoavailable concentrations in soil. Agronomic biofortification of food crops is one approach to overcome micronutrient malnutrition. This study focused on a pre-launch exploration of German consumers’ willingness to purchase selenium- and/or iodine-biofortified apples. For this purpose, an online survey was carried out. In this context, consumers were asked to choose their most preferred apple product from a set card of product alternatives in a discrete choice experiment (DCE). The multinomial logit model results demonstrated that German consumers’ have a particular preference for iodine-biofortified apples. Furthermore, apple choice was mainly influenced by price, health claims, and plastic-free packaging material. Viewed individually, selenium did not exert an effect on product choice whereas positive interactions between both micronutrients exist.

Highlights

Selenium and iodine are essential micronutrients for human health
The findings showed that selenium did not have a significant effect on the willingness to purchase apples
Considering the isolated effect of the micronutrient selenium, it was assumed that the benefits derived from the supply of selenium were not sufficiently communicated yet

Summary

Introduction

Selenium and iodine are essential micronutrients for human health. They are responsible for the proper functioning of the thyroid and the immune system as well as for the prevention of cancer [1,2,3]. In large parts of Europe and other regions of the world, the selenium and iodine content in soils of agricultural land is relatively low [4,5,6,7]. The population exhibits deficiencies of the micronutrient due to the likewise low selenium content in agricultural products [2]. Examples include the supplementation of feed for livestock with the micronutrients selenium and iodine, resulting in increased levels of these micronutrients in meat and milk, respectively [12]

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