FOOD ADDITIVES AND CONSUMER PREFERENCES: A CROSS-CULTURAL CHOICE-BASED CONJOINT ANALYSIS

Important differences have been reported in several countries about the level of concern in connection with food additives. In order to better understand the consumer preferences related to foodstuffs containing food additives, five hypotheses were tested with the help of a choice-based conjoint analysis. The study was performed in three European countries (Hungary, Romania, and Spain) having different risk perceptions concerning food additives. Two "model foodstuffs" were involved in the analysis: pre-packed sliced cheese (natural image) and chips (artificial image). For the creation of the conjoint cards, three attributes were selected: "preservatives" (natural/artificial), "packaging gases" (contains/does not contain) and "price" (average based on market data/+10%/+20%). Results were collected via Internet simultaneously and a total of 500 valid questionnaires were received in case of pre-packed cheese and 468 regarding chips. In the analysed countries "preservatives" had an outstanding importance - mainly in Hungary and Romania -, while "packaging gases" got lower importance during the shopping intention. "Natural preservatives" very positively contributed to the choosing of both pre-packed sliced cheese and chips. High level of willingness to pay was not observed, as well as the "price" was less important factor than the additives. Comparison of the data from three countries showed notable differences, which can determine the direction of the product planning and development.