14D-1 |
Consumer acceptance of PEF-processed orange juice: Results from an auction experiment |
W. S. CHERN1, N. Kaneko1, G. Babadogan Tarakcioglu1, and Q. H. Zhang2. (1) Dept. of Agricultural, Environmental & Development Economics, Ohio State Univ., 2120 Fyffe Rd., 103 Agricultural Administration Bldg., Columbus, OH 43210-1067, (2) Dept. of Food Science & Technology, Ohio State Univ., 2015 Fyffe Ct., 233 Parker Food Science Bldg., Columbus, OH 43210-1007 Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology has emerged as an alternative to thermal processing in the inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes. This is a cutting-edge technology to fight food bacteria. In a fruit like orange, juice can be squeezed and pumped through the PEF processing chambers for treatment. The process kills the microorganisms and bacteria, and thus prolonging the shelf life. It does not cause any flavor changes, keeping the treated juice tasted like fresh. Since this technology has not been commercialized, its consumer acceptance has not been tested in the marketplace. The purpose of this study is to elicit the consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for PEF processed orange juice by an auction experiment. The experimental auction has been used to discover the valuation of WTP for food safety and new technologies in food packaging and processing. The experiment was conducted in November 2003. We auctioned four orange juice products – fresh, PEF processed, thermally processed-not from concentrate, and thermally processed-from concentrate. Participants were given endowed money to bid on these products for actual purchase. We will describe the experimental design and present the results of the experiment in terms of mean bid prices for auctioned products. We will then assess the consumer’s WTP for PEF orange juice as compared with fresh and two other orange juices – “not from concentrate” and “from concentrate”. These results are very useful for market assessment of PEF technology. Keywords: Pulsed Electric Field, auction experiment, orange juice, shelf life, food safety
Session 14D, Marketing & Management: General
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