TY - JOUR
T1 - Functional food, uncertainty and consumers' choices
T2 - A lab experiment with enriched yoghurts for lowering cholesterol
AU - Marette, Stéphan
AU - Roosen, Jutta
AU - Blanchemanche, Sandrine
AU - Feinblatt-Mélèze, Eve
PY - 2010/10
Y1 - 2010/10
N2 - A lab experiment was conducted in France to evaluate the impact of health information on consumers' choices for functional food. Successive messages revealing benefits and uncertainties of consuming yoghurts with added plant sterols for reducing cholesterol were delivered. Results show a significant and positive influence of the message linked to the cholesterol reduction on willingness to pay, even for participants without cholesterol. However participants expressed little interest in information about potential risks and scientific uncertainties, since their impacts on willingness to pay are not always statistically significant. An econometric estimation shows a significant link between the change in willingness to pay and the perception by participants regarding the scientific validity linked to the sterols.
AB - A lab experiment was conducted in France to evaluate the impact of health information on consumers' choices for functional food. Successive messages revealing benefits and uncertainties of consuming yoghurts with added plant sterols for reducing cholesterol were delivered. Results show a significant and positive influence of the message linked to the cholesterol reduction on willingness to pay, even for participants without cholesterol. However participants expressed little interest in information about potential risks and scientific uncertainties, since their impacts on willingness to pay are not always statistically significant. An econometric estimation shows a significant link between the change in willingness to pay and the perception by participants regarding the scientific validity linked to the sterols.
KW - Experimental economics
KW - Food
KW - Health information
KW - Nutrition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77953486968&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.foodpol.2010.04.009
DO - 10.1016/j.foodpol.2010.04.009
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77953486968
SN - 0306-9192
VL - 35
SP - 419
EP - 428
JO - Food Policy
JF - Food Policy
IS - 5
ER -