Hedonic-vs. health-based approach to food: An explorative study of extrinsic attributes importance among French and Italian consumers

Approche hédonique et approche sanitaire de l'alimentation: une étude exploratoire de l'importance des attributs extrinsèques chez les consommateurs français et italiens

Migena Proi, Bleoussi Bernardin Monhoussou, Alessandra Pesce, Abdelhakim Hammoudi () and Maria Angela Perito ()
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Migena Proi: University of Teramo, Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, 64100, Via Balzarini 1, Teramo, Italy
Bleoussi Bernardin Monhoussou: University of Teramo, Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, 64100, Via Balzarini 1, Teramo, Italy
Alessandra Pesce: CREA Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy
Abdelhakim Hammoudi: UMR PSAE - Paris-Saclay Applied Economics - AgroParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, SayFood - Paris-Saclay Food and Bioproduct Engineering - AgroParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement
Maria Angela Perito: University of Teramo, Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, 64100, Via Balzarini 1, Teramo, Italy

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Abstract: Understanding the psychological and behavioral factors that influence consumers' food choices is essential for public health and provides a crucial foundation for interventions aimed at promoting healthier diets. Research has shown that food decisions are significantly shaped by both hedonic preferences and health considerations. However, how consumers with different approaches to food prioritize various food attributes has yet to be thoroughly explored. This paper aims to address this gap by exploring how hedonic and healthy eating behavior vary in the importance given to extrinsic attributes. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among nationally representative samples of consumers in Italy and France (N = 2000). Consumer perceptions of six food attributes were analyzed using ordered logistic regression to examine the influence of hedonic and health-conscious eating behaviors. Results showed that respondents following a more hedonic approach to food prioritize food attributes differently based on their cultural heritage, with notable distinctions between French and Italian consumers. French consumers tend to perceive a conflict between hedonic preferences and sustainability attributes. In contrast, Italian consumers do not exhibit these conflicts. Consumers who pay more attention to health when choosing food also tend to give more importance to all extrinsic attributes. This pattern was observed in both Italian and French samples, suggesting that health-conscious individuals are more likely to make food decisions based on information and careful evaluation of product characteristics.

Keywords: Hedonic eating behavior; Healthy eating behavior; France; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-08
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Published in Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 2025, 22, pp.102020. ⟨10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102020⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05167209

DOI: 10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102020

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