Health claims organic food
Final report
Duration of project
April 2007 to December 2008
Contact person at the University of Kassel
Nicole Maroscheck
Head of project
BÖL-Research Project: “The impact of health claims on buying behaviour: Differences between organic and conventional foods.”
Work Title: Health Claims Organic Food
(Further Information: http://www.bundesprogramm-oekolandbau.de/)
Good health is becoming an increasingly important topic in the food business. On the one side consumers are feeling a greater responsibility towards their own health. On the other side legislation and consumer protection organisations are trying to provide more information on nutrition in order to positively influence people's health. For these reasons, currently in the EU as in some countries, provisions are being made by law to regulate claims concerning health on food products. There has been however no research carried out as yet, whether and how consumers in Germany are being influenced by these so called 'health claims' in their quest for information and their purchasing decisions. Health is the main purchasing motive for organic food, but its image differs from the image of conventional food with claims regarding the health impact of single substances. It is unknown whether health claims on organic foods will be perceived as a favourable addition or a contradiction, and how these claims may influence the buying behaviour of organic consumers.
To clarify this point, consumers will be put into a close-to-reality choice experiment and observed by video, taking into consideration their behaviour in their quest for information. Test persons will be interviewed and asked as to their judgement of the information provided on the food products. With the aid of psycho- and sociodemographic data, research will be carried out on underlying reasons for their behaviour. Special interest will be taken as to whether the theoretical construct of involvement can explain their purchasing behaviour regarding products with health claims. The findings of this project are expected to serve as an informational basis for decisions of organic market actors when considering their adequate response to the above mentioned trend in the food market. The project therefore contributes to a sustainable and positive growth of the organic food sector.
Maroschek, Nicole; Aschemann, Jessica und Hamm, Ulrich (2008) Die Wirkungen von gesundheitsbezogenen Aussagen auf das Kaufverhalten: Unterschiede zwischen ökologischen Lebensmitteln im Vergleich zu konventionellen Lebensmitteln. [The impact of health claims on buying behaviour: Differences between organic and conventional foods.]