The impact of chemophobia on wine consumer preferences explored through the case of sulphites

Abstract

Chemophobia refers to the fear of chemicals and the belief they are harmful or toxic. This phobia can influence people's attitudes and behaviours towards the use of chemicals in food products and other consumer goods. Focusing on the wine sector, there is a growing interest in understanding how consumer perceptions of wine-related health issues affect wine purchasing. In this regard, the presence of sulphites in wine production has become a key topic in the wine industry, as their use is crucial in traditional wine production. The aim of this research was to assess the relationship between the degree of neophobia (wine neophobia and food technology neophobia) and chemophobia in wine consumers and to determine how the presence of sulphites in wine affects their purchasing preferences. The research also aimed to identify consumer segments that exhibit greater acceptance of wines without added sulphites. By using data of 562 surveys to Spanish wine consumers, the results obtained suggest that wine consumers have a relatively high level of chemophobia and show a strong preference for wines without added sulphites. The results of the consumer segmentation showed that higher levels of education and income were generally associated with lower levels of chemophobia. Our results reveal the real perceptions of consumer risk towards the presence of sulphites in wine and show how education and information play a key role in the perception of chemical-related risks in foods.