The Role of Individual Knowledge in Functional Olive Oil Preferences: Does Self-Coherence Lead to Different Health Attributes Perception?

Foods

Giuseppe Di Vita¹  Giulia Maesano²  Mario D’Amico²  Giovanni La Via²  Alfio Strano³ 

[1] Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Science (Disafa), University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, 10095 Torino, Italy;Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 98-100, 95123 Catania, Italy;Department of Agriculture, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Località Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy;

关键词: antioxidant;    polyphenols;    functional olive oil;    healthy food products;    subjective knowledge;    self-consistency;   

DOI  :  10.3390/foods9101428

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

This study examined whether health cues influence the choices of olive oil consumers with different degrees of knowledge about the nutritional properties of olive oil. To this end, a direct survey on the consumption of healthy extra-virgin olive oil was implemented by examining the stated preferences of a sample of consumers. Two econometric analyses were carried out to identify the drivers of the consumption of olive oil with high polyphenol content. The logistic model was chosen as the most suitable method to answer the research questions. The results revealed a general consensus among consumers regarding the beneficial properties of olive oil consumption. Moreover, the findings show that different degrees of individual knowledge act as distinctive drivers in influencing the health perception of olive oil consumers. Finally, this study verified that, even for healthy foods, consumers’ choices are strongly dependent on their own self-coherence. As a consequence, consumers’ knowledge or beliefs that orientate their attitudes are influenced by different motivations and attributes.

【 授权许可】

Unknown