The Importance of Brand, Product Information and Manufacturing Process in the Development of Novel Environmentally Friendly Vegetable Oils

Consumer acceptance of the application of new technologies to food processing is linked to attitudes towards specific products. Individual differences in consumer decision making are likely to depend on other attitudes (such as environmental concern) as well as preferences for particular consumer benefits. One hundred and twenty-three consumers made purchase decisions for genetically engineered vegetable oils, or traditionally produced varieties. Conjoint analysis was used to assess the importance of production method to consumer decision making. Two clusters of consumers were identified. The first (30% of the sample) made purchase decisions on the basis of price. The second (67% of the sample) preferred the environmentally friendly products but rejected genetically engineered equivalents, even if this resulted in no chemical solvents being used in processing and thus had environmental advantages.