Consumer acceptance of edible coatings on apples: The role of food technology neophobia and information about purpose

Edible coatings (wax) increase the shelf life of fresh apples by reducing water loss and slowing deterioration. Without edible coatings, over a third of apple production is wasted prior to reaching the retailer. However, due to consumer demand for 'natural' products major grocery retailers in Australia recently removed edible food coatings from apples. The reasons for rejection of coatings by Australian consumers are not well understood. Furthermore, it is unclear how much consumers understand about why edible coatings are applied to apples or if educating consumers on their benefits can influence their attitudes. In two online experiments (n = 156, n = 466) after collection of baseline data, participants were randomised into three conditions, in which each received a different education statement about the purpose of edible coatings. Analysis of variance and post hoc comparisons were used to test if the acceptance of coated apples was impacted by information and whether there was an interaction with food technology neophobia (FTN) (Experiment 2). Providing educational information about the purpose of apple coating significantly increased consumers' acceptance of coatings in both experiments (F-(2,F-153) = 6.316, P = 0.002, & eng;(2) = 0.076; F-(2,F-463) = 19.935, p <= 0.001, & eng;(2) = 0.079). A significant inverse relationship was found between FTN and acceptance (R =-0.618, P < 0.001), however, no significant interaction was found between the intervention and FTN, demonstrating that all participants were impacted by information, regardless of their level of FTN. This knowledge may help in designing effective campaigns that inform consumers on the benefits of edible coatings, whilst at the same time meeting consumers' desire for 'naturalness'.