Willingness to pay for blueberries: Sensory attributes, fruit quality traits, and consumers’ characteristics

Authors: CANALES, ELISABETH - Mississippi State University; GALLARDO, R KARINA - Washington State University; IORIZZO, MASSIMO - North Carolina State University; MUNOZ, PATRICIO - University Of Florida; FERRAO, LUIS FELIPE - University Of Florida; LUBY, CLAIRE - University Of Montana; Bassil, Nahla; POTTORFF, MARTI - North Carolina State University; PERKINS-VEAZIE, PENELOPE - North Carolina State University; SANDEFUR, PAUL - Fall Creek Farm And Nursery; COLONNA, ANN - Oregon State University; SIMS, CHARLES - University Of Florida

Submitted to: HortTechnology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2024
Publication Date: 7/30/2024
Citation: Canales, E., Gallardo, R., Iorizzo, M., Munoz, P., Ferrao, L., Luby, C., Bassil, N.V., Pottorff, M., Perkins-Veazie, P., Sandefur, P., Colonna, A., Sims, C. 2024. Willingness to pay for blueberries: Sensory attributes, fruit quality traits, and consumers’ characteristics. HortTechnology. Volume 59: Issue 8. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17947-24.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17947-24

Interpretive Summary: Understanding consumers’ preferences for fruit quality attributes is key to inform breeding efforts, meet consumers’ preferences, and promote increased market demand. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of fruit quality traits and sensory evaluation on consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for a selection of fresh northern and southern highbush blueberry cultivars. Results using sensory evaluations indicated that flavor liking, flavor intensity, and sweetness intensity are key factors influencing consumers acceptance and WTP for blueberries. Analyses using instrumental measurements indicated that sweetness and acidity traits are important factors determining WTP. We found higher WTP associated with higher total sugar content across different levels of total organic acid. We also found that WTP increased to a certain level of acidity but declined at high concentrations of organic acid. Except for extreme values of firmness, WTP increased as measures of fruit firmness increased, indicating consumer preference for firmer blueberries. Overall, the results provided new insights into the relationships between consumer preference and WTP and fruit quality benchmarks to select for improved fruit quality in blueberry.

Technical Abstract: Understanding consumers’ preferences for fruit quality attributes is key to inform breeding efforts, meet consumers’ preferences, and promote increased market demand. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of fruit quality traits and hedonic sensory evaluation on consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for a selection of fresh northern and southern highbush blueberry cultivars. We elicited WTP via a double bounded contingent valuation conducted in conjunction with a consumer sensory test. We estimated two types of models using either sensory evaluations (i.e., consumer-preference and consumer-intensity) or instrumental measurement data, where measures of sweetness, acidity, and firmness were used as explanatory variables to model WTP. Results using sensory evaluations indicated that flavor liking, flavor intensity, and sweetness intensity are key factors influencing consumers acceptance and WTP for blueberries. Regression analysis using instrumental measurements indicated that sweetness and acidity traits are important factors determining WTP. We found higher WTP associated with higher total sugar content across different levels of total organic acid. We also found that WTP increased to a certain level of acidity'as acidity is needed for enhanced flavor' but WTP declined at high concentrations of organic acid. Except for extreme values of firmness, WTP increased as measures of fruit firmness increased, indicating consumer preference for firmer blueberries. Overall, the results provided new insights into the relationships between consumer preference and WTP and fruit quality benchmarks to select for improved quality.