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Rombach M, Dean DL, Bitsch V. “Got Milk Alternatives?” Understanding Key Factors Determining U.S. Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Plant-Based Milk Alternatives. Foods 2023; 12:foods12061277. [PMID: 36981203 PMCID: PMC10048559 DOI: 10.3390/foods12061277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Milk is an important dairy product in U.S. food retail. Lifestyle changes toward climate-conscious consumption, animal welfare, and food safety concerns have increased the popularity of plant-based milk alternatives. This study is focused on such beverages and provides insights and best practice recommendations for marketing managers in the U.S. food retail sector. An online survey was distributed to explore factors explaining the intentions of U.S. consumers to purchase and pay a premium for plant-based milk alternatives. Food curiosity and food price inflation were identified as relevant for both willingness to buy and willingness to pay a price premium. In addition, animal welfare concerns and the green and clean product image of plant-based alternatives were relevant to the willingness to pay a premium for plant-based milk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Rombach
- Department of Land Management and Systems, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
- Correspondence:
| | - David L. Dean
- Department of Agribusiness and Markets, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
| | - Vera Bitsch
- School of Management and School of Life Sciences, Chair of Economics of Horticulture and Landscaping, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
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2
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Schell RC, Bulut E, Padda H, Safi AG, Moroni P, Ivanek R. Responsible antibiotic use labeling and consumers' willingness to buy and pay for fluid milk. J Dairy Sci 2022; 106:132-150. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-21791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Merlino VM, Massaglia S, Borra D, Mimosi A, Cornale P. Which Factors Drive Consumer Decisions during Milk Purchase? New Individuals' Profiles Considering Fresh Pasteurized and UHT Treated Milk. Foods 2021; 11:foods11010077. [PMID: 35010206 PMCID: PMC8750682 DOI: 10.3390/foods11010077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The cow’s milk market is going through a critical period characterised by a continuous contraction in consumption as a consequence of the lack of competitiveness on the market of the conventional product (commodity) versus numerous specialties. This paper aimed to define the profiles of milk consumers in terms of individual preferences (assessed using the best-worst scaling methodology) and socio-demographic features. A survey was conducted in several stores of large-scale retail, convenience stores, and open-air markets distributed in north-west Italy to collect data from 1216 respondents. For milk shopper purchasing habits, two consumer groups were defined and compared in terms of preferences: the fresh pasteurized milk consumer (FPc) (56% of the total sample) and the ultra-high temperature treated milk consumer (UHTc) (35%). A series of two-ways multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were conducted to assess the effect of individuals’ socio-demographic characteristics and the type of milk chosen on the consumer preferences, simultaneously. Significant differences in milk purchasing habits and preferences emerged when comparing the two consumer groups (UHTc and FPc). Empirical evidence of the study supported the starting hypothesis, suggesting the significance or relevance of the consumer socio-demographic characteristic, as well as their interaction effect with the type of milk on the level of importance given to the considered milk quality attributes. On the contrary, the gender results were not significant for the milk preferences definition. The assessment of consumer preferences, associated with the individuals’ socio-demographic characteristics could have important implications for outlining more effective marketing strategies based on a more targeted communication (i.e., related to the sustainability dimension of the local product, nutritional value and brand), leading the consumer back to the commodity rediscovery concerning individuals’ features and habits.
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Schiano AN, Drake MA. Invited review: Sustainability: Different perspectives, inherent conflict. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:11386-11400. [PMID: 34454747 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Consumer definitions of sustainability are largely uninformed by scientific research and may not align with industry definitions. Furthermore, consumers themselves have varied perceptions, definitions, and opinions of sustainability that vary between categories and products within the dairy category. Understanding these differences and developing marketing messaging aligned with consumer sustainability definitions offer an advantage to dairy product producers when strategically positioning their products in a changing marketplace. This review outlines the factors that may affect consumer sustainability perceptions to provide a basis for future marketing and scientific work. Consumer trends and desires for sustainability are explored, including how they are reflected in the rapid growth of plant-based alternatives. Factors that may influence consumer perception of dairy as sustainable are covered in detail, including packaging, labeling, animal welfare, organic status, grass-fed or pasture-raised feeding systems, and local and clean label perceptions. Finally, a discussion of the challenges of marketing dairy foods with sustainability messages is addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- A N Schiano
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695
| | - M A Drake
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695.
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Sullivan VK, Petersen KS, Fulgoni VL, Eren F, Cassens ME, Bunczek MT, Kris-Etherton PM. Greater Scores for Dietary Fat and Grain Quality Components Underlie Higher Total Healthy Eating Index-2015 Scores, While Whole Fruits, Seafood, and Plant Proteins Are Most Favorably Associated with Cardiometabolic Health in US Adults. Curr Dev Nutr 2021; 5:nzab015. [PMID: 33834158 PMCID: PMC8015867 DOI: 10.1093/cdn/nzab015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-quality diets reduce the risk of cardiometabolic and other chronic diseases. The dietary components that distinguish higher from lower quality diets, and their associations with health, have not been fully investigated. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to assess the component scores that underlie differences in total Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 scores, quantify fatty acid (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated) intakes that comprise Fatty Acids component scores, and assess associations between component scores and cardiometabolic risk factors. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis of data from the NHANES (2001-2016) was conducted. Total and component HEI-2015 scores were assessed in adult (≥19 y) participants who provided one 24-h dietary recall (n = 39,799). Survey-weighted mean component scores by quartile of total HEI-2015 score were determined. Regression analyses were conducted to assess fatty acid intakes across quartiles of Fatty Acids component scores. Separate regression analyses were conducted to assess associations between component scores and cardiometabolic risk factors, after adjusting for demographic characteristics and health behaviors. RESULTS Scores for components related to dietary fat (Fatty Acids, Saturated Fats) and grain quality (Whole Grains, Refined Grains) accounted for the greatest differences in HEI-2015 scores. Higher Fatty Acids scores were primarily composed of lower saturated and greater polyunsaturated fat intakes. Whole Fruits, and Seafood and Plant Proteins, were most favorably associated with cardiometabolic risk factors including anthropometric measures (P < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (P < 0.01), glycemic markers (Whole Fruits only, P < 0.01), and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides (Seafood and Plant Proteins only, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Average diet quality in US adults is suboptimal. Higher quality diets are primarily distinguished by the types of fats and grain-based foods that are consumed. Interventions targeting dietary components that are most favorably associated with cardiometabolic risk factors-whole fruits, seafood, and plant proteins-may have the greatest impact on disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie K Sullivan
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kristina S Petersen
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Fulya Eren
- ACH Food Companies, Inc., Oakbrook Terrace, IL, USA
| | | | | | - Penny M Kris-Etherton
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Wolf CA, Malone T, McFadden BR. Beverage milk consumption patterns in the United States: Who is substituting from dairy to plant-based beverages? J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:11209-11217. [PMID: 33222851 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-18741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This research used a survey of 995 US households to explore how dairy milk and plant-based beverage substitutes were consumed. Long-term trends of declining beverage milk consumption have been exacerbated in recent years by increasing consumption of plant-based beverages. Although beverage milk consumption has been declining, total dairy consumption in the United States continues to increase, driven by growth in sales of cheese, butter, and yogurt. Using k-means cluster analysis, 3 consumption clusters for US households were identified. The largest cluster, consisting of 61.6% of households, consumed dairy milk with some regularity and consumed little or no plant-based beverages. A second cluster, flexitarian households, consisting of 15.6% of respondent households, frequently consumed both dairy milk and plant-based beverages. The third cluster, plant-based consumers, consisting of 22.8% of households, consumed almost exclusively plant-based beverages. Examining differences in demographics between clusters, flexitarian households were larger, more likely to include young children, more likely to include a vegetarian or vegan, and more liberal than traditional dairy-consuming households. Plant-based households had many similarities to flexitarian households. The flexitarian and plant-based clusters were willing to substitute plant-based beverages for dairy milk for almost all consumption uses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Wolf
- Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
| | - Trey Malone
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824
| | - Brandon R McFadden
- Department of Applied Economics and Statistics, University of Delaware, Newark 19716
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Bir CL, Olynk Widmar NJ, Davis MK, Erasmus MA, Zuelly S. Willingness to pay for whole turkey attributes during Thanksgiving holiday shopping in the United States. Poult Sci 2020; 99:2798-2810. [PMID: 32359617 PMCID: PMC7597454 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2019.12.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Although whole turkeys served at Thanksgiving are the ubiquitous kickoffs to the US winter holiday season, much remains unknown about shopping behaviors for holiday food items. Given the once-a-year purchase of the whole turkey for most households, collecting data about demand and preferences necessitated the collection of data during the week before Thanksgiving, while turkey shopping was at the forefront of consumers' minds. Despite a self-reported confidence in cooking turkeys, many respondents indicated they thawed frozen meat using improper methods. Ninety-five percent of respondents indicated that they consumed meat; 89% of respondents who consumed meat or had someone in the household who did, indicated they had purchased turkey products. Positive willingness to pay (WTP) was found for all attributes of whole turkeys studied: free range, fed a vegetarian diet, hormone use not permitted, and antibiotic use not permitted. Mean estimated WTP for free range ranged from $0.37/lb for industry verified free range to $0.74/lb for USDA verified free range; although those 2 estimates were not statistically different from each other, they were both statistically different from zero. The statistically significant estimated mean WTP for hormone use not permitted ranged from $0.85/lb for industry verification to $1.35 for USDA verification but were again not statistically different from each other. Mean WTP estimates, which were statistically significant but not different from one another for antibiotic use not permitted, ranged from $0.62/lb for industry certification to $0.72 for retailer certified. Turkeys certified to be fed a vegetarian diet had a mean WTP estimate of $0.39/lb for retailer verification to $0.60/lb for USDA verification; those mean WTP estimates were not statistically different from each other but were each statistically different from zero. Social desirability bias, which can be defined as the relative over-reporting of one's own goodness, was detected with respect to self-reported holiday eating and healthfulness statements. Relationships were found between social desirability bias, gender, and age for holiday eating statements using a seemingly unrelated regression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L Bir
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47909.
| | | | - Melissa K Davis
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Marisa A Erasmus
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Stacy Zuelly
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
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Perceptions of Prominent Animal Welfare and Veterinary Care Organizations in the United States. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10030472. [PMID: 32178242 PMCID: PMC7143340 DOI: 10.3390/ani10030472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Public perception of animal well-being, and pet animal well-being in particular, remains a significant point of contention. This study ranks prominent animal welfare and veterinary care organizations’ perceived impact on pet animal well-being and health care based on U.S. residents’ perceptions, while explicitly accounting for variation between pet-owning and non-pet-owning households. Results suggest that the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is perceived as the most impactful organization followed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Humane Association (AHA) were tied for third most impactful. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the American Pet Products Association (APPA) were tied for fourth most impactful while Banfield was perceived as the least impactful. Abstract U.S. residents’ perceptions of the impact of prominent animal welfare and veterinary care organizations on pet animal well-being and health care may not be linked to the organization’s stated mission and effectiveness in advancing it, but to the level of recognition people have for the groups. An online survey of 1000 U.S. residents was used to understand the perceived impact of organizations with self-stated dedication to pet animal well-being. Using a Likert-scale, respondents ranked 13 prominent organizations as having a low to high impact on pet animal well-being and health care. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) had the highest perceived average impact, while People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had the lowest. A best–worst scaling (BWS) choice experiment was conducted with 7 of the initial 13 organizations to elicit relative rankings by forcing tradeoffs by respondents. Consistent with the Likert-scale results, the ASPCA was ranked as the most impactful organization. The ASPCA’s perceived impact on pet animal well-being and health care may be linked to their high level of recognition among respondents, as this was the organization that respondents most frequently reported having seen/heard stories related to animal well-being and health care.
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Bir C, Davis M, Widmar N, Zuelly S, Erasmus M. Perceptions of Animal Welfare With a Special Focus on Turkeys. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:413. [PMID: 31824971 PMCID: PMC6881301 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Meat consumption and public concern for farm animal welfare are increasing, despite limited public understanding of agriculture and animal welfare. Turkey is important in U.S. holiday meal traditions and turkey meat is a frequently consumed processed product (i.e., lunchmeat). However, little is known about public perceptions and knowledge of commercial turkeys. An online survey was administered to 1,695 respondents in November 2018 to examine U.S. (1) demographic factors affecting meat consumption, selection of labeled meat products, and concern for animal welfare, (2) public knowledge of turkeys, and (3) concerns regarding the welfare of turkeys and other species. A total of 95% of respondents consumed meat and 10% hunted for some of the meat they consumed. Meat consumption frequency depended on region of residence, income level, gender, age, and whether respondents hunted. Of the meat consumers, 86% purchased turkey products. More meat consumers looked for the USDA organic label (39%) and the Non Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) project label (38%) than animal-welfare food labels (14%) when buying meat products. More pet owners (39%) than non-pet owners (25%) looked for animal welfare food labels. Being a pet owner increased the probability of being concerned about farm animal welfare. Concern for the commercial turkey was similar to concern for other farm animal species; self-reported knowledge of turkey production was low (mean score 2.64; scale of 1 to 7, 7 = highest). Turkey welfare concerns (mean score; rank from 1 to 5; 5 = least concerning) included poor nutrition (2.471) and illness (2.508), followed by housing (2.732), hot or cold weather (3.308) and transportation (3.981). Turkey welfare attributes that respondents cared the most about (mean score; scale of 1–5, 5 = cared the least) included space to move around (2.366), followed by veterinary health and wellness (2.680), ability to perform natural behavior (2.812), no feather loss or visible injuries (3.304), and decreased aggression (3.837). Demographic factors are important determinants of meat consumption and animal welfare concern. Public knowledge of turkey production is limited, despite a large percentage of the population purchasing turkey products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Bir
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Melissa Davis
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Nicole Widmar
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Stacy Zuelly
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Marisa Erasmus
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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