01 Oct High acceptance of Pesto di Carciofi
Currently only 10-15% of the artichoke plant is used for consumption. Keep Food Simple has developed a series of pestos using the edible remaining parts of the plant which are high in fibre, folic acid, minerals and phytonutrients.
As a part of his MSc thesis (Maastricht University) Tom Marx reviewed the acceptance of these pestos through a questionnaire with 300 American consumers. The group consisted of 70% of millennials; the majority had a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the annual income was on average in the middle segment. Through theoretical packages, participants were asked to indicate their acceptance and purchase intentions.
Overall there was a very high acceptance of the product; on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being the best) the product scored a 2. In addition, participants were asked to indicate what they would pay for 100 grams (or 3.5 oz) of the product. Participants were willing to spend (depending on the marketing message on the package) between $4.16 and $4.68. Familiarity with artichokes and health and environmental motivation significantly improved acceptance. Food neophobia had little effect. The only group that did not accept the product were people who had never consumed artichokes.
Additionally participants were asked if health claims such as ‘low in calories’ or ‘good source of dietary fibre’ improved the acceptance, but there was no significant advantage in using these claims. Finally it was concluded that a marketing strategy should be developed to increase familiarity with the product.
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