Consumer purchase intentions for pork with enhanced carnosine–A functional food

In this study, Canadian consumers’ preferences for enhanced carnosine (a naturally occurring dipeptide that exhibits antiaging properties) in pork are examined. Carnosine is a relatively unknown nutrient to the public such that we are interested in understanding the relative merits of informing consumers of enhanced carnosine levels through a possible health claim, a nutrient content claim or including it in the nutrition facts table (NFT). As a basis of comparison, we include two other possible labels, a protein nutrient content claim, and a Verified Canadian Pork label (created by industry identifying food safety, animal care, traceability, and farm to table quality assurance attributes of the production system). Data were collected through an online survey that included a choice experiment and were analyzed using conditional logit and random parameters logit models. Compared to carnosine (as a functional attribute), consumers prefer the identification of protein content. In terms of labeling carnosine, consumers have higher willingness to pay for carnosine content included in a NFT than for nutrient or health claims. Higher levels of nutrition knowledge are associated with higher willingness to pay for the different pork attributes.