Factors influencing consumers' willingness to use beverages and ready-to-eat frozen soups containing oat beta-glucan in Finland, France and Sweden

Factors affecting consumers’ willingness to use beverages and ready-to-eat frozen soups containing oat β-glucan were studied in Finland, France and Sweden (N = 1157).

Three beverage or soup samples were presented to each consumer: a reference sample without β-glucan/health claim, a sample containing β-glucan, without claim and a third one with β-glucan and claim (cholesterol or glucose related). Questions about liking, beneficiality, willingness to use and price estimates for purchasing were asked before and after tasting. A trained sensory panel (N = 11) also profiled the sensory characteristics of the samples.

Taste of the samples strongly affected the willingness to use them. Health claim gave a significant but small added value to beverages and soups with β-glucan. The price respondents were willing to pay for the beverages and soups containing β-glucan decreased after tasting, regardless of the health claim. No notable effect due to gender or age on the willingness to use products with health claims was found.