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Tasty or Sustainable? The Effect of Product Sensory Experience on a Sustainable New Food Product: An Application of Discrete Choice Experiments on Chianina Tinned Beef

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  • Biancamaria Torquati

    (Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy)

  • Tiziano Tempesta

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy)

  • Daniel Vecchiato

    (Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy)

  • Sonia Venanzi

    (Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy)

Abstract

This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by verifying whether the degree of liking of a new food product influences people’s preferences and willingness to pay from a discrete choice experiment when dealing with sustainable food products. To this purpose, we considered the case study of the introduction into the Italian market of a new food product: tinned Chianina meat. Among the attributes considered for this new product, two in particular were related to sustainability: organic breeding and the preservation of a traditional rural landscape. Half of the respondents underwent a sensory test before taking part in the hypothetical market (discrete choice experiment), while the remaining were administered the tests in reverse order. Tasting the product before the discrete choice experiment did not produce different willingness to pay (WTP) parameters as estimated by a taste factor interaction. However, separating the respondents into those who liked or disliked the product in the tasting condition revealed differences in willingness to pay results. The preferences are different for more than 50% of the attributes considered, and the magnitude of this difference is quite relevant. The WTP for one well known and certified sustainability related attribute—organic breeding—was not affected by the liking, while, for the other—the preservation of a traditional rural landscape—the effect of liking decreases the WTP. As a consequence, we suggest that tasting and liking studies should be routinely coupled with discrete choice studies when analyzing the introduction of new food products, especially when considering sustainable attributes in the experimental design. In the case of organic products where the expectations about taste are higher, neglecting to consider their sensory perception, along with the other discrete choice experiment attributes, could seriously undermine their long lasting success on the market.

Suggested Citation

  • Biancamaria Torquati & Tiziano Tempesta & Daniel Vecchiato & Sonia Venanzi, 2018. "Tasty or Sustainable? The Effect of Product Sensory Experience on a Sustainable New Food Product: An Application of Discrete Choice Experiments on Chianina Tinned Beef," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-24, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:8:p:2795-:d:162374
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    2. Tiziano Tempesta & Daniel Vecchiato & Federico Nassivera & Maria Bugatti & Biancamaria Torquati, 2019. "Consumers Demand for Social Farming Products: An Analysis with Discrete Choice Experiments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-17, November.
    3. Agnès François-Lecompte & Morgane Innocent & Dominique Kreziak & Isabelle Prim-Allaz, 2020. "Confinement and food-related behaviors: What are the changes in sustainable food consumption? [Confinement et comportements alimentaires : Quelles évolutions en matière d’alimentation durable ?]," Post-Print hal-03123334, HAL.
    4. Tiziano Tempesta & Daniel Vecchiato, 2019. "Analysis of the Factors that Influence Olive Oil Demand in the Veneto Region (Italy)," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-17, July.
    5. Giuseppe Di Vita & Simone Blanc & Teresina Mancuso & Stefano Massaglia & Giovanni La Via & Mario D’Amico, 2019. "Harmful Compounds and Willingness to Buy for Reduced-Additives Salami. An Outlook on Italian Consumers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-9, July.
    6. Agnès François-Lecompte & Morgane Innocent & Dominique Kréziak & Isabelle Prim-Allaz, 2020. "Confinement et comportements alimentaires : Quelles évolutions en matière d'alimentation durable ?," Post-Print hal-03197914, HAL.
    7. Zanete Garanti & Aysen Berberoglu, 2018. "Cultural Perspective of Traditional Cheese Consumption Practices and Its Sustainability among Post-Millennial Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-15, September.
    8. Mohammed Hussen Alemu & Søren Bøye Olsen, 2020. "An analysis of the impacts of tasting experience and peer effects on consumers’ willingness to pay for novel foods," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(4), pages 653-674, October.
    9. Chun-Chu Liu & Chu-Wei Chen & Han-Shen Chen, 2019. "Measuring Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Coffee Certification Labels in Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-13, March.
    10. Götz, Linde & Svanidze, Miranda & Tissier, Alain & Brand Duran, Alejandro, 2022. "Consumers’ willingness to Buy CRISPR gene-edited tomatoes: Evidence from a choice experiment case study in Germany," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 14(2).

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