Consumer Acceptance of Novel Breads Containing Vitamin D and Soy Given Three Different Nutrition Information Conditions

Functional foods are an innovative area of food science that improve the health of consumers through the use of synergistic ingredients. A Vitamin D bread with soy was developed by scientists at the Ohio State University and is poised to reduce the deficiency of Vitamin D in the United States. A survey was conducted to see which identifying claims on four different breads (whole wheat, whole wheat with soy, whole wheat with 50% Vitamin D, and whole wheat with 100% Vitamin D) would make this product most appealing to consumers. The survey compared three levels of nutrition information: a front of pack (FOP) claim, a FOP claim with the traditional nutrition facts label, and a FOP claim with the proposed new nutrition facts label. It was hosted through Qualtrics, LLC and distributed to consumers in the state of Ohio. Across all three levels of information, a majority of respondents preferred traditional wheat bread, although a statistically significant shift of consumer preference towards whole wheat bread with 100% Vitamin D occurred between the FOP claim and the FOP claim with a nutrition label. Additionally, a majority of consumers, preferred to pay $2.00-2.99 per loaf, while a significant shift in willingness to pay occurred between the FOP claim and the FOP claim with a nutrition label. No change was noted in consumer preference with the new nutrition label. It was concluded that the financial success of the bread in the market place could not be guaranteed through the results of this survey alone, and that further study was necessary to understand consumer perception of claims, nutrition labels, and the impact of Vitamin D in the body.Food Innovation CenterNo embargoAcademic Major: Food Science and Technolog