Explaining consumer purchase behavior for organic milk: Including trust and green self-identity within the theory of planned behavior

Organic Foods Purchase Behavior among Generation Y of Bangladesh: The Moderation Effect of Trust and Price Consciousness

This study aims to identify the factors influencing the purchase behavior of organic foods among young generation customers in Bangladesh. The study adopted the theory of planned behavior as a base and developed 11 hypotheses based on the extant empirical literature. Adopting the purposive sampling method, the primary data were obtained from a cross-sectional sample of 464 young Bangladeshi consumers using a survey method. In order to identify the key relationship among the study variables, the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was employed using AMOS software, version 25. The study employed a purposive sampling method to pick young respondents through online media. The study revealed that health consciousness, environmental consciousness, food safety consciousness, price consciousness, novelty consciousness, and trust are factors that significantly affect purchase intention and subsequently, the actual purchase of organic foods. The novelty consciousness factor got the highest predicting power, followed by food safety concerns among Generation Y. The research also found that trust and price consciousness exhibit positive and negative moderating effects, respectively, on the relationship between purchase intention and actual purchase. However, the study did not find any moderating role of price consciousness on the association between environmental consciousness and purchase intention. As policy recommendations, informing and educating young consumers about organic products, their novelty, and other benefits of consuming is critical for fostering their purchase.

From Identity to Enaction: Identity Behavior Theory

The article deals with the meaning of identity in action regulation. A strengths-based action model, Identity Behavior Theory (IBT), is concerned with the role that identity plays in the prediction of behavioral enaction, and implications for education, science, and clinical practice. With this respect the article explores and discusses how enacted behavior, including intention and action, depends on level of subscription to identity as well as on resilience and attitudes that are related to such a behavior. The article also illustrates fields of application of IBT, use of IBT with underrepresented and marginalized groups, and as an instrument for assessing and testing possible effects of resilience, attitudes, and identity on the enacted behavior. IBT is now used to examine behavior in a variety of educational contexts in the United States, and more studies are needed to satisfactorily validate application of the model empirically.

Intention to Purchase Milk Packaged in Biodegradable Packaging: Evidence from Italian Consumers

The dairy industry generates large volumes of liquid waste that can be used to produce biopolymers, potentially employable for the creation of milk biodegradable bottles. In that regard, this paper aims to explore the consumers' intention to purchase sustainable packages, as well as to assess the willingness to pay for it considering renewable packages made using organic waste feedstocks from the dairy industry (e.g., whey) and plant-based material (e.g., corn, sugarcane, etc.). To reach the stated objectives, we collected individual-level information (e.g., age, gender, education, income) from a convenient sample of 260 Italian consumers and a modified version of the Theory of Planned Behavior estimated using a structural equation model. Findings show that attitudes and perceived behavioral control are the most important drivers of the consumers' intention to purchase sustainable packages. Finally, statistics show that respondents slightly prefer to purchase products packaged using plant-based biodegradable material, as well as most of the respondents show a low willingness to pay for milk offered in biodegradable packaging, regardless of the raw material used. Then, policymakers and companies should invest in educational/informational campaigns pointing out the beneficial effects on the environment from the purchase of foods in sustainable packaging. This may potentially increase the consumers' intention to purchase, as well as their willingness to pay for plant-based and dairy whey-based packages by increasing the sustainability of the dairy supply chain.

The Influence of Environmental Self-Identity on the Relationship between Consumer Identities and Frugal Behavior

The need to reduce consumption is evident, and a way of achieving this is through austerity and frugal practices. The aim of this research was to advance the understanding of frugal behavior and its relation to consumer identities, and to analyze any possible mediating effects of environmental self-identity. In Study 1 (n = 492), the factor structure of the consumer identities scale was tested and three distinct identities were defined: moral, wasteful, and thrifty consumer identities. In Study 2 (n = 500), the influence of consumer identities on frugal behavior was studied and the possible mediating effect of environmental self-identity was analyzed. Environmental self-identity completely mediated the relationship between moral identity and frugal behavior and partially mediated the relationships of both wasteful and thrifty identities with frugal behavior. The model was able to predict 27.6% of the variance of environmental self-identity and 47.9% of the variance of frugal behavior, with a strong influence by the thrifty consumer identity. This emphasizes the economic dimension of frugal consumption patterns and the importance of considering how people view themselves, both as individuals and as consumers, in order to more effectively engage and maintain long-term sustainable frugal actions.

Food Consumption Behavior of Pakistani Students Living in China: The Role of Food Safety and Health Consciousness in the Wake of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has considerably changed global food production, processing, and consumption at different levels. Sojourners are among those who have experienced a higher level of food insecurity during the crisis of the COVID-19 outbreak. The current research aimed to investigate the immediate consumption behavioral intentions of the Pakistani international students in the People's Republic of China (PRC) during the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. This study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and background factors of food safety and health consciousness that influence the consumption behavioral intention of Pakistani students toward unfamiliar local food in China. A relational model was analyzed where food safety and health consciousness were hypothesized to serve as background variables associated with TPB components. Moreover, the indirect effects of food safety and health consciousness on behavioral intentions were assessed. The data were collected through convenience samples from 462 Pakistani international students and were analyzed through partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results confirmed that food safety and health consciousness were positively associated with attitude (ATT), subjective norm (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC). However, food safety and health consciousness were indirectly associated with the behavioral intention only through ATT and SN. The results highlighted the role of food safety and health consciousness as important antecedents of classical TPB components that affect intentions and behaviors to avoid unfamiliar local food in a migrated context. The present study provides enlightenment to those who aim to investigate the consumption behavioral intentions of sojourners in the wake of the pandemic situation based on food safety and health consciousness. The findings of the current study are also applicable to general consumption patterns in the food sector.

Influence of Altruistic Motives on Organic Food Purchase: Theory of Planned Behavior

Marketing campaigns of organic food emphasize utilitarian benefits and psychological benefits as well as consumer culture to enhance environmental sustainability. In order to study the purchase intention of organic food, the authors developed a model using antecedents like warm glow, subjective norm, attitude and perceived behavioral control. This study examines the model for the Indian and the USA samples and thus integrated using three theories: Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Pro-Social Behavior (PSB) Theory with the interaction of Consumer Culture Theory. The model is estimated using the multi-group Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique using R software with samples from India (n = 692) and the USA (n = 640). Results differ for Indian and USA samples. The expectation of the “warm glow” resulted from an environmentally friendly purchase as having a higher influence on Indian samples than that of the USA. Further, the attitude towards organic food purchase intention is stronger for US samples than the Indian, and the group difference is significant, while all the relationships that take warm glow as an antecedent have higher β for Indian samples. Moreover, the study found that attitude towards organic food is a major element for US subsamples, whereas subjective norm plays a major role in Indian samples to adopt organic food. Managerially, the present study suggests that a firm marketing its organic food must concentrate more on “warm glow” for Indian consumers in order to improve their market share.

Explaining Chinese Consumers' Green Food Purchase Intentions during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has strongly influenced consumers' habits and behaviours, creating a more sustainable and healthier era of consumption. Hence, there is a potential for further expanding the green food sector in China. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is one widely used framework to explain consumers' food choices. Considering consumers' internal norms, their perceptions of green food attributes, and the shifting consumer behaviour, our study has extended the TPB framework (E-TPB) by adding constructs of moral attitude, health consciousness, and the impact of COVID-19 (IOC). The results of structural equation modelling among 360 functional samples revealed that the E-TPB model has a superior explanatory and predictive power, compared with the original TPB model regarding Chinese consumers' green food buying intentions in the current and post-pandemic periods. The path analysis demonstrated that attitude, perceived behavioural control, moral attitude, health consciousness, and IOC have significant positive effects on green food purchase intentions. However, the association between subjective norm and purchase intention varies within the TPB and E-TPB models, which showed a non-significant impact in E-TPB. These findings can generate more suitable managerial implications to promote green food consumption in China during the current and post-pandemic periods.

Purchasing Behavior of Organic Food among Chinese University Students

The consumption of organically produced food is gaining ground around the world due to growing consumers’ concerns for personal health. Nevertheless, researchersaddressed the intention-behavior gap pertaining to buying organic food and called for more studies on consumers’ actual purchasing behavior. In order to understand this disparity, the current study examined the relationship among health consciousness, pricing policy, consumer trust, personal attitude, and purchasing behavior of organic food among university students. In addition, this research examined the moderating impact of word of mouth (WOM). This research adopted a quantitative method and employed convenience sampling to administer survey questionnaires to buyers of organic food in five Chinese universities between November 2020 and February 2021. A total of 335 questionnaires were collected and used for data analysis. Structural equation modeling results revealed that purchasing behavior is positively related to health consciousness and negatively influenced by pricing policy, while personal attitude and consumer trust had an insignificant association with students’ buying behavior of organic food. Further, WOM had a positive moderating impact on the relationship between health consciousness and purchasing behavior; and was found to strengthen the negative relationship between pricing policy and organic food purchasing behavior. This study presents some critical implications for researchers and organic food retailers and marketers.

A Cognitive-Emotional Model to Explain Message Framing Effects: Reducing Meat Consumption

We tested the plausibility of a cognitive-emotional model to understand the effects of messages framed in terms of gain, non-loss, non-gain, and loss, and related to the health consequences of red/processed meat consumption. A total of 544 Italian participants reported their attitude toward reduced red/processed meat consumption and intention to eat red/processed meat (time 1 questionnaire). One week later, participants were randomly assigned to four different message conditions: (a) gain messages focused on the positive health outcomes associated with low meat consumption; (b) non-loss messages focused on the avoided negative health outcomes associated with low meat consumption; (c) non-gain messages focused on the missed positive health outcomes associated with high meat consumption; (d) loss messages focused on the negative health outcomes associated with high meat consumption (message sending). After reading the messages, participants answered a series of questions regarding their emotional and cognitive reactions to the messages, their evaluation of the messages, and again their attitude and intention toward red/processed meat consumption (time 2 questionnaire). Comparing different multivariate linear models under the Bayesian approach, we selected the model with the highest plausibility conditioned to observed data. In this model, message-induced fear influenced systematic processing, which in turn positively influenced message evaluation and attitude, leading to reduced intention to consume red/processed meat. Vice versa, message-induced anger reduced systematic processing, which in turn negatively influenced message evaluation, and led to no effect on attitude and intention. The comparison among message conditions showed that gain and non-loss messages activated integrated emotional and cognitive processing of the health recommendation, while loss and non-gain messages mainly activated emotional shortcuts toward attitude and intention. Overall, these results advance our comprehension of the effects of message framing on receivers' attitudes and intentions.

Market Opportunities for Hay Milk: Factors Influencing Perceptions among Italian Consumers

Central and South Italy are characterized by small-scale dairy farms and growing abandonment by farmers for other, better-paid, off-farm jobs. New marketing concepts for milk can be one solution to remunerate mountain farmers for their efforts. This study investigates the potential market for hay milk in Italy. In particular, we want to understand which variables drive the people's willingness to consume hay milk, and if the European food quality certification schemes impact on people's willingness to consume milk from hay-fed cows. Data were collected from a sample of consumers from Central and South Italy (n = 331) using a web-based survey. Later, a discrete choice probit model was applied. The main results indicate that aspects as curiosity, the production place of food, the local culinary traditions, label, and environmental issues play an important role in the people's consumption intentions for milk from hay-fed cows. Moreover, the survey highlights that the respondents had positive opinion towards hay milk and highlighted some important marketing implications for the Italian milk sector. The study findings could encourage discussion about a niche market to boost local growth, initiating a process of improving livelihoods, certification of products, and use of the marketing tools addressed towards a specific milk consumer's profile. In other words, the study could provide useful implications for food manufacturers and facilitate the design of marketing strategies for hay milk produced in Central and South Italy.

Consumers' Intention to Adopt Blockchain Food Traceability Technology towards Organic Food Products

Establishing a blockchain food traceability system (BFTS) is increasingly important and urgent to resolve the contradiction between consumers’ intention regarding safe food selections and the spread of polluted foods. Using the advantages of blockchain, such as immutability, decentralization, openness, and anonymity, we can build trusted food traceability systems based on these important characteristics. With reliable information, traceability from production to sales can effectively improve food safety. In this research, multiple models, namely, the information success model (ISS) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) are formed into a conceptual integrated framework to study the intentions’ influenced factors of BFTS technology for Chinese consumers to help ensure food safety and the quality of Chinese organic food products. A face-to-face questionnaire survey with 300 valid responses was analyzed by Partial Least Square from the Chinese consumers focusing on the organic food products. This study found that the attitude and perceived behavioral control qualities significantly and positively affect the usage intention in adopting BFTS, while the subjective norms are positively but not significantly correlation with the usage intention in using BFTS. The above results will inform suggestions for productors and academics along with implications to promote BFTS’ usage intention.

Understanding Students' and Science Educators' Eco-Labeled Food Purchase Behaviors: Extension of Theory of Planned Behavior with Self-Identity, Personal Norm, Willingness to Pay, and Eco-Label Knowledge

This study aims to understand antecedents of students' and science educators' purchasing behaviors for eco-labeled foods with the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model including self-identity, personal norm, willingness to pay, and eco-label knowledge in the Turkish context. A web-based survey was used to collect data from 3,393 people including middle school students, high school students, pre-service science teachers, science teachers, and academic staff. The results revealed that both the original (32%) and extended (37%) TPB models successfully explained intentions to purchase eco-labeled foods. In addition, personal norm, eco-label knowledge, and intention explained 25% of the variance in purchase behaviors indicating an acceptable explanatory power. In the original TPB model, attitude and perceived behavioral control had positive influence on intention, and in addition to those factors, willingness to pay and self-identity had a positive effect on intention in the extended TPB model. However, subjective norm had no significant influence on intention for both models. As a result, the study has important practical implications for policy and curriculum makers, education stakeholders, and science educators.

Sustainability in the Beverage Industry: A Research Agenda from the Demand Side

Sustainability has become one of the most important challenges for the beverage industry over the last few decades. In fact, many producers have implemented environmental, social, or economic aspects of sustainability at several stages of their production process. One of the reasons that might explain this interest in sustainability is that consumers are changing their behavior to integrate sustainable and environmental considerations into their purchase behavior. Accordingly, some consumers’ purchasing decisions are based not only on how well products satisfy their needs but also on how these products affect the environment or society at large. Within this context, designing appropriate interventions to fostering sustainable consumption requires deeper knowledge about its underlying determinants. In this paper, we focus on some of the most important challenges that might drive future research within this area.

Resilience effects in food consumption behaviour at the time of Covid-19: perspectives from Italy

The Covid-19 pandemic lead Italy to undertake a severe lockdown for almost two months. All of a sudden, the lives of Italians were forced to shift in accordance with the regulations issued by government. This change in the lives of Italians can be mirrored by an adjustment in food consumer behaviour that, consequently, brought about a transition in the whole supply chain. This paper gives an overview of the recent changes in consumption patterns that occurred due to the Italian lockdown, and how evolutions in behaviour are intertwined with the evolution of the main food supply chains. Many of the events here depicted are likely to last far beyond the crisis and affect the subsequent evolution of food consumption in Italy. The Italian retail supply chain successfully adapted to the big shift in consumption. Despite purchases for essential items having increased, no stockout harmed the food security of Italians. Out-of-home consumption moved inside houses giving space to home meal preparation and comfort food. Home delivery has been the most important element in this context, as it boomed during this period, helping laggard consumers fill the digital divide, as it was mostly mediated by e-commerce platforms and instant messaging. It was also the leverage that allowed small retailers and small producers regain their space. This crisis calls for a more sustainable food system that will be increasingly oriented to moving goods rather than people, which will also have relevance in the coming years.

Buying Organic Food Products: The Role of Trust in the Theory of Planned Behavior

When someone decides to buy organic food products trust plays a role. Consumers, in fact, are neither supposed to have the appropriate knowledge to evaluate the characteristics of these products, nor can they control that the food was actually manufactured following the procedures prescribed by organic production. Therefore, trust may contribute to the explanation of both purchasing intention and behavior since it represents a heuristic or shortcut that people adopt in order to reduce the large amount of information that consumers need to take into account. The present research aimed to analyze the role of trust in organic products on buying behavior adopting the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as theoretical framework. A relational model was tested in which this variable was supposed to act as a background factor associated with all the classical constructs foreseen by the theory and the buying behavior. Also, indirect effects of trust on both intention and behavior were assessed. Two studies were conducted targeting the purchase of organic food products in general (Study 1) and of fresh organic fruit and vegetables (Study 2). In both studies, the data collection was organized in two waves, with a time lag of 1 month. At Time 1, the questionnaires included measures of intention, its antecedents and trust, while at Time 2 self-reported buying behavior was collected. Data were supplied by two convenience samples of Italian adults (237 and 227 participants) and analyzed via structural equation modeling. Results turned out to be overlapping in both studies, since trust was positively associated with attitude and subjective norm, and it was indirectly associated with intention and behavior, thanks to the mediation of the TPB constructs. The outcomes highlighted the importance of people’s trust in organic products as a meaningful antecedent that boosts the TPB-based psychosocial processes that are supposed to stand behind both purchasing intentions and behaviors.

Why Do Consumers Make Green Purchase Decisions? Insights from a Systematic Review

In order to achieve sustainable development to protect the environment and society, an increasing number of scholars have conducted in-depth research on green marketing and green purchases. Although great achievements have been made in this field, there still is room for further progress. This study reviews 97 papers providing empirical research on green purchase behavior from 2015 to 2020. First, we review the widely used consumer theory and its extended application in recent years. Second, we divide the influencing factors of green purchase behavior into the following three categories and discuss them in detail: individual factors, product attributes and marketing, and social factors. Finally, we put forward the following possible directions for future research. (1) The authors can consider adjustment to the survey objects to weaken the subjectivity of the data. (2) Longitudinal research can be used to assess the impact of education and policies with a lagging effect on consumers. (3) The authors can broaden the research direction towards a cross-cultural background. (4) The behavior of various green products (such as recyclable tires, recycled glass containers, recycled paper) could be explored to enrich the research content. (5) It will be beneficial to combine a variety of consumer theories to explore the green purchase behavior of consumers and break through the existing linear hypothesis path to explore new research methods.

Eliciting Egg Consumer Preferences for Organic Labels and Omega 3 Claims in Italy and Hungary

This paper investigates consumers' preferences for egg purchase in two European countries, Hungary and Italy. We utilize random parameter logit models to interpret the results of discrete choice experiments (DCE) for the elicitation of preference of the egg consumers. A sample of 403 in the Hungarian survey and 404 in the Italian survey were recruited in summer 2018. The DCE questionnaire includes the following product and process characteristics: organic labels, nutrition and health claims, and price. Our results show that for Hungarian and Italian consumers, the price is the most important attribute, followed by the nutrition and health claim and the organic production labelling. Three egg consumer segments can be identified via latent class models for each country. In both countries, we found similar consumer groups, the Price Sensitive and Quality Optimizing Opportunist Consumers and Health Conscious Buyers, respectively. Particularly, compared to the other segments the Health Conscious Buyers (46% in Hungary and 49% in Italy) exhibited stronger preference for and are willing to pay a higher price premium for eggs with organic label and nutrition claims. In Italy, we identified a third segment with consumers preferring simpler labelling approach, whilst in Hungary we found a consumer segment distrusting the EU organic logo.

Is There a Promising Market for the A2 Milk? Analysis of Italian Consumer Preferences

Milk consumption has been on the decline for decades. Part of the cause for this is due to changes in consumer behavior and interest in healthy eating. The aim of this study was to estimate the premium price that consumers are willing to pay for A2 milk. A2 milk is a newcomer type of product containing only A2 beta-casein that is spreading in many countries of the world as a functional food. In addition, it is produced by traditional breeds of cattle that are adapted to the marginal areas and could be a virtuous model of the sustainable management system to which the consumer lately seems to turn in an increasingly conscious way. To accomplish this aim, contingent valuation has been used, which permits using a survey and a direct estimation of the premium price that consumers are willing to pay (WTP). The question format used is a dichotomous choice valuation based on a double-bound model. Statistical analysis was carried out using descriptive statistical analysis. The empirical results reveal that consumers are willing to pay a premium for A2 milk. In addition, individuals interested in product quality and already buying functional products are attracted to this type of product.

A Comprehensive Model of Consumers’ Perceptions, Attitudes and Behavioral Intention toward Organic Tea: Evidence from an Emerging Economy

This study investigates factors that predict consumers’ perceptions of healthiness of organic tea. Furthermore, this study also examines the relationship between perceived healthiness and purchase intention with the mediating role of consumers’ attitudes toward organic tea. Because China has been the largest producer and the largest market of the global tea market, this study collects sample data from consumers at different tea stores in China. Using structural equation modelling to analyze data, results indicate that product quality, consumer service, in-store experience, store prestige, and store innovativeness are important predictors of consumers’ perceptions of healthiness of organic tea. Furthermore, results show that perceived healthiness has a positive influence on purchase intention toward organic tea. Consumers’ attitudes toward organic tea also has a positive mediating effect into this relationship.

Behavioral intention of environmentally friendly agricultural food: the role of policy, perceived value, subjective norm

This study explores the determinants of intention and behavior towards environmentally friendly agricultural (EFA) food in China. We conduct the influencing factor model on behavioral intention and behavior toward EFA food by extending TPB model with the theory of public environmental policy and perceived value and trust. The empirical analysis revealed that public environmental policy and subjective norm positively affect behavioral intention and behavior for purchasing EFA food. However, trust and attitude have no significant effect on the intention of purchasing EFA food. Subjective norm and perceived behavioral control have a significant effect on intentions toward purchasing EFA food. And the effect of intentions on behavior towards purchasing environmentally friendly agricultural food is significant and positive. Moreover, we have found that female consumers may consume more of environmentally friendly agricultural food compared with males, and the consumption of EFA food was significantly different across different level of income.

Key Factors Influencing Italian Mothers’ Intention to Vaccinate Sons against HPV: The Influence of Trust in Health Authorities, Anticipated Regret and Past Behaviour

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world, is associated with different types of cancer, especially cervical cancer. In Italy in 2017 the Italian Ministry of Health introduced a free HPV vaccination programme for 12-years-old boys. In this study we tested an integrated theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model to explain Italian mothers’ intention to vaccinate their sons against HPV. TPB variables plus past behaviour, trust in healthy authorities and anticipated regret were measured by a questionnaire in a sample of 333 Italian mothers of 6–11 years old boys, who were not yet vaccinated against HPV. Results showed that subjective norm was the strongest predictor of mothers’ intention followed by anticipated regret, trust in health authorities, perceived behavioural control and attitude. Mediation analysis found that past behaviour influenced intention via attitude. The discussion considers the relevance of these factors in promoting mothers’ adherence.

The psychological perspective on the adoption of approved genetically modified crops in the presence of acceptability constraint: the contingent role of passion

This study contributes to the literature on genetically modified crops by examining the impact of psychological distance on farmer adoption. The existing body of literature suggests that some farmers have the conservative perception to adopt genetically modified crops because of controversies regarding the side effects and profitability. To understand these social problems, we have relied upon construal-level theory which argues farmer passion about dynamics like here and now, likely or unlikely and the near or far from self are vital for the adoption of approved genetically modified crops. The data for the present study collected from three Asian countries through questionnaire, for China 300, India 350, Philippines 300 valid responses collected. The study founds a positive relation of psychological distance based on passion with farmer trust behavior to adopt genetically modified crops over time. The findings of the present study provide new insights into the development of farmer acceptability and encourage the use of novel crop technologies.Abbreviations: GM, genetically modified; TD, temporal distance; SPD, Spatial distance; SD, Social distance; TB, trust behavior; AGMC, Approved Genetically modified crops; CLT, Construal Level Theory.

Consumers' Perceptions and Preferences for Bitterness in Vegetable Foods: The Case of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Brassicaceae-A Narrative Review

The presence of some healthy phytochemicals in food can be paired with high bitterness, and consumers have a widespread avoidance toward bitter-tasting food. This causes a gap between preferences and healthy needs of consumers. Therefore, this review collected insights from literature belonging to different discipline domains in order to have a broad view of the current state-of-the-art about biochemical aspects and consumers’ perceptions and preferences toward foods with an enhanced bitter taste. In detail, we focused on two core products of the Mediterranean diet: Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) and Brassicaceae, both characterized by specific phytochemicals having strong healthy properties and bitter-pungent taste. Results suggested that, although bitter taste is a general driver of dislike, some exceptions can be represented by: niches of consumers (e.g., innovators and organic buyers), foods consumed with specific purposes (e.g., coffee, chocolate, and alcoholic beverages). The level of bitterness perceived by the consumers can be modulated through exposure, information on benefits, and elements within the environment (e.g., music). Thus, these insights can be used to develop specific campaigns aimed at promoting bitter (healthy) food, considering also the key role that could be played by food pairings.