Consumers’ acceptance of an online tool with personalized health risk-benefit communication about seafood consumption (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Seafood is widely recognized as an important component of a healthy diet. As we gain more knowledge on contaminants in seafood, concerns are being raised over the risks associated and there is a communication dilemma concerning the nutritional-toxicological conflict. Although health benefits outweigh the risks for the general population, there is a need for caution concerning more vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children. In order to tailor messages based on consumers’ profile and consumption pattern, online tools grant new opportunities, as consumers are increasingly using the internet to obtain health and nutrition information. The interactive FishChoice tool was developed within the ECsafeSEAFOOD FP7 project and aims to inform consumers on the health benefits and risks linked to their weekly dietary pattern regarding seafood. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study is to assess the acceptance of the FishChoice tool. METHODS An online survey was undertaken in five European countries, namely Belgium, Norway, Spain, Portugal and Ireland (n=703; 25 to 65 years). The used conceptual framework is a modified Technology Acceptance Model introduced for measuring the acceptance of websites. RESULTS The majority of consumers agreed that the tool is useful and easy to use. About two thirds of consumers who assessed the tool agreed they would use the information when choosing seafood species, portion size or frequency of consumption. Heavy seafood consumers also have higher intentions to use the tool. CONCLUSIONS This study provides preliminary evidence that for risk-benefit communication about seafood, online tailored tools such as FishChoice are evaluated as user-friendly and useful for a broad group of seafood consumers. Similar tools can be used in situations where no general recommendations can be made and risk communication should be targeted. Further research should determine the long term impact of these communication messages and tools on consumers’ behavior, especially on vulnerable groups.

The Dilemma of Purchase Intention

“…Thelabelisassociatedwithextrinsicqualitycuesofaproduct (Olson,1977).Asinorganicfood domain,VonAlvesleben(1997)assertedthatorganiclabelandtheattachedrelatedinformationtoitis animportantqualitysignalingfactorforindividualsthatfurtherinducetrustontheproduct. Minnens (2013)claimedthatorganicfoodiscredencegoods,whereitisdifficultforindividualstoidentifyor observecertainbenefitsthroughconsumptiondirectly.Consumersgenerallydonotknowwhethera productisorganicallyproducedunlesstheyhavebeentoldorhaveseentheevidenceofcertification orthelabeloftheproductconcerned (Linetal.,2008).Freshnessandtastecanbeassessedthrough consumption,though,food-safety,naturalcontentandorganicallygrownareunattainable.Duetotheir inabilitytoevaluatetheproductforthemselves,organicfoodcustomersneedtodependonproduct label claims (Perrini et al, 2010). Reliable eco-labels may assist consumers "make a distinction between competing product alternatives and choose the least environmentally damaging option" (KarlandOrwat,1999).Theinformationcontainedonthelabelplaysanimportantroleinconvincing consumersthataresensitivetotheproductandbrand,andtherebyencourageenvironmentalbehavior (Bartiaux,2008;ErskineandCollins,1997).Thismakesitimportanttoempiricallyinvestigatethe roleorinfluenceoforganiclabelinorganicfoodconsumptionoraspilloverfromstrongattitude, health-orientation,andsatisfyingsensoryappealwillovercomeitsroleandmakingitlessofacredence attributeforindividualstobasetheirdecision.…”

Risk Assessment Strategies for Contaminants in Seafood (RASCS)

“…FishChoice was evaluated as user-friendly and useful, consumers who consumed seafood more frequently showed a greater propensity to reuse the tool in the future (Minnens et al, 2020).…”