IMPACT OF FOOD FORTIFICATION ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND FOOD CHOICE DECISIONS

Food fortification is considered as one of the most cost-effective approaches to improve the micronutrient status of populations. Fortification provides nutritional benefits without requiring consumers to change eating habits and often without requiring changes in purchase patterns since it targets foods the population is already consuming. Added vitamins and minerals do not necessarily increase consumers’ intentions of buying a product. However, despite the desirable aspects of fortification, the success of fortified foods (FFs) will depend on consumers’ acceptance of the products as part of the daily diet. Although food choice has been reported as a very complex human behavior, but factors affecting FFs choice can be divided into three central elements: the consumer, the product, and the promotion issues. It has been observed that socio-demographic characteristics of the consumer, such as age, gender, education, marital status, income, and the presence of young children in the household are potential determinants of FFs acceptance. There is a general consensus among scholars that high income and high education are associated with positive consumer behavior towards FFs. However, age and gender have shown mixed results. For example, some studies have reported that young consumers tend to use FFs more, whereas others have reported that consumption of FFs is higher among older adults. In addition to socio-demographic characteristics, other personal factors such as familiarity with FFs, knowledge about these food products, health consciousness, past experience of illnesses, and family members’ health problem history also play an important role in the acceptance of FFs. Studies that have investigated the role of psychological factors in FFs choice have shown that a positive attitude towards FFs is linked with consumption of FFs. In this regard, several authors have reported the health benefits belief of FFs, perceived reward from using such foods, and naturalness to be the best predictors of consumer acceptance and willingness to use FFs. Researchers claim that consumers do not understand foods containing additives and artificial substances as healthy foods, and believe that processed foods, such as FFs, are not natural and therefore not healthy. They assume that the nutrient value of food is reduced by the kind of processing it undergoes. It is argued that confidence in the product and trust in the food industry are other vital criteria for acceptance of FFs because health benefits may not be directly experienced by consumers. Some studies showed that consumers who trusted the food industry had higher intentions to buy FFs, compared with those who distrusted it. However, given that FFs are a novel category of food products on the market, food neophobia may negatively affect the consumption of these products. The researchers suggest that the fear of new foods may be due to consumers’ unwillingness to change and accept new technological advances, similar to those used in the production of FFs. In addition to the above, several studies have pointed to the important role of sensory and non-sensory characteristics of the FF. Among sensory characteristics, taste appears to be an important factor in consumer s choice of FFs. It is reported that taste is a major barrier to healthy food choices so that consumers are not willing to accept taste due to the potential health benefits of food products. Care must therefore, be taken to ensure that fortificants that maintains the sensory characteristics of food are used in the fortification process. This would enhance wider acceptability among consumers. In case of non-sensory characteristics, the high price has been identified to be an obstacle for purchasing the FF. Brand, packaging, and information provided on food packages are other non-sensory characteristics affecting the consumer purchase decisions. Some studies have reported consumers suspicions and doubts about the validity of health claims provided on the product labels. Such suspicions may have a negative impact on their purchase decision. The methods used in communicating health benefits of have also been found to be effective in acceptance of FFs and purchasing behavior of consumers. However, it should be noted that consumer confidence in the information sources is an important factor affecting the acceptance of these products. In many studies, health professionals, including physicians and nutritionists, have been identified as reliable sources of health and nutrition information. Accordingly, it appears that health professionals have the huge potential to promote FFs consumption in the community. Given the pivotal role of consumers in the success of fortified foods, it is necessary to improve their awareness and attitude towards FFs via credible communication channels in a relatively simple way, so that it could easily achieved by the consumers.