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Demand for healthier and higher-priced processed foods in low-income communities: Experimental evidence from Mexico City

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Title Demand for healthier and higher-priced processed foods in low-income communities: Experimental evidence from Mexico City
 
Creator Dominguez-Viera, Marcos E.
Berg, Marrit van den
Donovan, Jason A.
Perez-Luna, Miriam E.
Ospina-Rojas, Diana
Handgraaf, Michel
 
Subject diet
consumption
processed foods
low income groups
food
health
costs
demand
food industry
nutrition
gender
women
age
families
children
food science
 
Description Diets in Mexico, like many countries, have changed dramatically in recent decades, with increased consumption of processed foods being a major factor. Research suggests that unhealthy diets in low-income communities reflect limited access to healthy foods, combined with high costs and limited knowledge. Weak demand signals from these communities likely disincentivise the food industry from delivering healthier, often costlier, options. This paper explores the potential to market healthy processed foods to these areas. We elicited willingness to pay (WTP) for healthier but relatively more expensive processed foods in low-income communities of Mexico City. We implemented a BDM mechanism to elicit WTP, with half of the participants randomly receiving information regarding nutritional content and health benefits. Results suggested that WTP was considerable among low-income groups but higher among higher-income groups within these communities. While, in general, providing nutrition and health information did not influence WTP, it was effective for those with strong preferences for the processed food category used in the study. WTP was highest among females and younger consumers, those who had a small family and children below 12 years in the household.
 
Date 2022-01
2022-12-23T11:44:22Z
2022-12-23T11:44:22Z
 
Type Journal Article
 
Identifier Dominguez-Viera, Marcos E.; van den Berg, Marrit; Donovan, Jason; Perez-Luna, Miriam E.; Ospina-Rojas, Diana; and Handgraaf, Michel. 2022. Demand for healthier and higher-priced processed foods in low-income communities: Experimental evidence from Mexico City. Food Quality and Preference 95: 104362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104362
0950-3293
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/126289
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104362
 
Language en
 
Rights CC-BY-4.0
Open Access
 
Publisher Elsevier
 
Source Food Quality and Preference