Consumer research (Module 1)

Overview on aims and the objectives in the 4th project year

(June 2008 - May 2009)

The objective was to study how consumers perceive health-related claims and messages attached to cereal products when they present wholegrain either as a holistic concept or as specific health effects derived from components fragmented from wholegrain.

Work performed and main achievements in the 4th project year

(June 2008 - May 2009)

The study was carried out during the previous reporting year in four countries using the same methods in each country. During this reporting year the data were analysed, the deliverable report prepared and the results reported in presentations. The sample comprised 2395 respondents (682 in Finland, 504 in Germany, 662 in Italy and 547 in the UK). The questionnaire included a conjoint task arranged to test the relative importance of health claims and other information (such as symbols attached to the packaging) in influencing a rating such as healthiness or likelihood of buying. Product profiles were described by four dimensions: product type, health claims, visual cues, and the presence of wholegrain. Additionally, relevance of type 2 diabetes, health-related food attitudes (general health interest, natural product interest and using food as a medicine), variables related to the dual-processing model (need for cognition, faith in intuition and need for information) and background variables were measured.
Overall, when product types, health claims, visual cues and wholegrain were compared, product type had the greatest effect on consumers’ perceptions of food products. Bread was considered positively in both healthiness and likelihood to buy whereas yoghurt with cereals was considered as healthy but the willingness to buy was lower.
Products with health claims, natural cues and wholegrain were rated positively in both healthiness and likelihood to buy. Whereas the strength of the health claim had a strong effect on perceptions of healthiness it had only a very small effect on likelihood of buying. The results suggest that there were some country differences in the perception of healthiness and likelihood to buy foods with health claims on labels, maybe due to different cultures, traditions and habits related to eating behaviour. In particular for consumers in Italy health claims and wholegrain had a lesser impact on ratings of healthiness than in the other countries and a negative impact on likelihood of buying. These finding would suggest that health claims on labels should be designed for specific groups rather than being aimed for the whole marketplace.
The relevance of diabetes for consumers increased the acceptance of health-related information and increased also the consumption of functional food products. The fact, that diabetes was a relevant topic tends to draw attention towards health related issues.
Variables relating to the elaboration likelihood model were also studied. Need for cognition was expected to  increase the utility of strong claims in perceived healthiness, but were only influenced by the label ‘contains wholegrain’. On the other hand, those with low need for cognition were more influenced by peripheral cues such as symbols than those with high need for cognition when perceiving healthiness of products but not when considering buying. Faith in intuition had no influence on perceived healthiness. However, those with low faith in intuition were influenced by strong claims when considering buying which is an expected finding. Those high in need of information were influenced by all types of information, regardless whether it was claims, cues or labels both in their perception of healthiness and likelihood to buy.

• To assess consumer expectations and attitudes towards cereal-based products which have been modified to contain more health promoting components
• To assess the impact of the modification method on acceptability
• To assess how appealing different types of health promoting aspects of cereal-based product are to consumers
• To assess how they fit with the existing health image of products

The qualitative focus groups and data collection on the quantitative survey were completed in year 1 of the project. The survey was conducted in each of the UK, Germany, Finland and Italy, with approximately 500 consumers in each country. The questionnaire data have been analysed and the results were published in different papers, a book chapter and various presentations. On average, consumers in Finland, Italy and the UK were aware that wholegrain products are healthier than refined grain products as the wholegrain product category was rated as more nutritionally balanced, healthier, more natural, more filling, releasing energy more slowly and slightly more digestible than the refined grain product category.

However, certain consumer segments did not perceive much difference between whole and refined grain products in their health-related characteristics suggesting a lack of motivation for increasing whole grain consumption. This sets a challenge for promoting whole grain products especially in Italy and the UK, where the respondents were less likely to differentiate between the healthiness of whole grain and refined grain products than the Finnish respondents. The willingness to use functional grain products (with cholesterol lowering properties or with increased fibre) was examined using the Health Belief Model and estimated using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Three different models for willingness to use functional foods (Bread, Pasta, Biscuits) were hypothesized. The healthiness factor was the most significant predictor of willingness to use for almost all countries and products followed by pleasantness and cue to action. Perceived behavioural control and severity were found to be less important. As with wholegrain products, marketing of functional products will need to pay attention to the characteristics of the consumers but the most important drivers of choice would be perceived healthiness and pleasantness. Thus in addition to the health benefits of such products it will be necessary to get the sensory attributes of the products right.