IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i7p2698-d1363556.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring the Impact of Visual Perception and Taste Experience on Consumers’ Acceptance of Suboptimal Fresh Produce

Author

Listed:
  • Efrat Elimelech

    (Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel)

  • Eyal Ert

    (Department of Environmental Economics and Management, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel)

  • Yael Parag

    (School of Sustainability, Reichman University, Herzliya 4610101, Israel)

  • Guy Hochman

    (Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya 4610101, Israel)

Abstract

Consumers’ tendency to avoid purchasing cosmetically “suboptimal” fruits and vegetables has been widely recognized as a significant contributor to food waste. However, the mechanisms that shape and influence this tendency remain largely unknown. The current study evaluates the impact of visual perception and taste experience on willingness to purchase and quality perceptions of fresh produce, focusing on two types of suboptimality: small size and abnormal shape. The study employed a 3 × 2 between-subjects factorial design in which participants indicated their perceived quality and willingness to purchase suboptimal tomatoes and sweet peppers in three informational conditions: viewing the vegetable picture (no taste), view then taste (participants tasted a slice after viewing the vegetable picture), and taste then view. The results revealed that, as expected, the abnormally shaped vegetable was judged less favorably than the normal one. The small-sized vegetable was judged more favorably than the regular one, in contrast to the current size regulations applied by retailers. Tasting significantly increased people’s willingness to purchase the abnormally shaped produce, but had no effect on the willingness to purchase the abnormally sized produce, nor did it impact the perceived quality of the abnormal products. This study highlights consumer bias towards aesthetic qualities and suggests that direct taste experiences can alter perceptions towards accepting visually imperfect produce, thereby contributing to sustainability and food-waste reduction efforts.

Suggested Citation

  • Efrat Elimelech & Eyal Ert & Yael Parag & Guy Hochman, 2024. "Exploring the Impact of Visual Perception and Taste Experience on Consumers’ Acceptance of Suboptimal Fresh Produce," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-14, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:7:p:2698-:d:1363556
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/7/2698/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/7/2698/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Didier Louis & Cindy Lombart, 2018. "Retailers’ communication on ugly fruits and vegetables: What are consumers’ perceptions?," Post-Print hal-01709478, HAL.
    2. Christine Göbel & Nina Langen & Antonia Blumenthal & Petra Teitscheid & Guido Ritter, 2015. "Cutting Food Waste through Cooperation along the Food Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-17, January.
    3. Eriksson, Mattias & Ghosh, Ranjan & Mattsson, Lisa & Ismatov, Alisher, 2017. "Take-back agreements in the perspective of food waste generation at the supplier-retailer interface," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 83-93.
    4. Louis, Didier & Lombart, Cindy, 2018. "Retailers’ communication on ugly fruits and vegetables: What are consumers’ perceptions?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 256-271.
    5. Cicatiello, Clara & Franco, Silvio & Pancino, Barbara & Blasi, Emanuele & Falasconi, Luca, 2017. "The dark side of retail food waste: Evidences from in-store data," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 273-281.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sina Nitzko & Achim Spiller, 2019. "Comparing “Leaf-to-Root”, “Nose-to-Tail” and Other Efficient Food Utilization Options from a Consumer Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-21, September.
    2. Ginder, Whitney & Byun, Sang-Eun, 2022. "To trust or not to trust? The interplay between labor-related CSR claim type and prior CSR reputation of apparel retailers," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    3. Aschemann-Witzel, Jessica & de Hooge, Ilona E. & Almli, Valérie L., 2021. "My style, my food, my waste! Consumer food waste-related lifestyle segments," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    4. Cindy Grappe & Cindy Lombart & Didier Louis & Fabien Durif, 2022. "Clean labeling: Is it about the presence of benefits or the absence of detriments? Consumer response to personal care claims," Post-Print hal-04293232, HAL.
    5. Debucquet, Gervaise & Lombart, Cindy & Labbé-Pinlon, Blandine, 2021. "Depicting eaters and non-eaters of abnormal fruits and vegetables: Reflections of self-identity and food culture," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    6. Qi, Danyi & Penn, Jerrod & Li, Ran & Roe, Brian E., 2022. "Winning ugly: Profit maximizing marketing strategies for ugly foods," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    7. Makhal, Annesha & Thyne, Maree & Robertson, Kirsten & Mirosa, Miranda, 2020. "“I don't like wonky carrots†- an exploration of children's perceptions of suboptimal fruits and vegetables," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    8. Hezarkhani, Behzad & Demirel, Guven & Bouchery, Yann & Dora, Manoj, 2023. "Can “ugly veg” supply chains reduce food loss?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 309(1), pages 117-132.
    9. D. Louis & C. Lombart, 2024. "Impact of a corporate social responsibility message on consumers’ sustainable behaviours and purchase intentions," Post-Print hal-04386727, HAL.
    10. Grappe, Cindy G. & Lombart, Cindy & Louis, Didier & Durif, Fabien, 2022. "Clean labeling: Is it about the presence of benefits or the absence of detriments? Consumer response to personal care claims," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    11. de Souza, Michele & Pereira, Giancarlo Medeiros & Lopes de Sousa Jabbour, Ana Beatriz & Chiappetta Jabbour, Charbel Jose & Trento, Luiz Reni & Borchardt, Miriam & Zvirtes, Leandro, 2021. "A digitally enabled circular economy for mitigating food waste: Understanding innovative marketing strategies in the context of an emerging economy," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    12. Jakob Keller & Martin Jung & Rainer Lasch, 2022. "Sustainability Governance: Insights from a Cocoa Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-23, August.
    13. Nguyen Thi Nha Trang & Thanh-Thuy Nguyen & Hong V. Pham & Thi Thu Anh Cao & Thu Huong Trinh Thi & Javad Shahreki, 2022. "Impacts of Collaborative Partnership on the Performance of Cold Supply Chains of Agriculture and Foods: Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-28, May.
    14. EiÄ aitÄ—, Ovidija & Baležentis, Tomas & RibaÅ¡auskienÄ—, Erika & MorkÅ«nas, Mangirdas & MelnikienÄ—, Rasa & Å treimikienÄ—, Dalia, 2022. "Food waste in the retail sector: A survey-based evidence from Central and Eastern Europe," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    15. Ghosh, R.K. & Eriksson, M. & Istamov, A., 2018. "Food waste due to coercive power in agri-food chains: Evidence from Sweden," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277496, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. Massimiliano Cerciello, 2021. "Spatial patterns in food waste at the local level. A preliminary analysis for Italian data," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(1), pages 83-101, February.
    17. Fang Qiu & Qifan Hu & Bing Xu, 2020. "Fresh Agricultural Products Supply Chain Coordination and Volume Loss Reduction Based on Strategic Consumer," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-25, October.
    18. João Pinto & Rui Boavida-Dias & Henrique A. Matos & João Azevedo, 2022. "Analysis of the Food Loss and Waste Valorisation of Animal By-Products from the Retail Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-27, February.
    19. Trebbin, Anika & Herzberg, Ronja & Schneider, Felicitas, 2023. "Lebensmittelverluste bei Obst und Gemüse – die Rolle von Qualitätsanforderungen und Unternehmenspraktiken des Lebensmitteleinzelhandels," Thünen Working Paper 334338, Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (vTI), Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries.
    20. Clara Cicatiello & Luca Secondi & Ludovica Principato, 2019. "Investigating Consumers’ Perception of Discounted Suboptimal Products at Retail Stores," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-10, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:7:p:2698-:d:1363556. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.