The Era of the Functional Consumer

ABSTRACTA discrete choice experiment was conducted to analyze consumer preferences for fruit and vegetable attributes in the context of the 2010 MyPlate Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations and to consider the role of health benefits and potential tradeoffs among fruit and vegetable quantity and quality attributes. Higher willingness to pay for fruit and vegetable attributes by the medium-high income respondents compared to low-income respondents may reflect the reality of a greater ability to pay. The magnitude of WTP toward satisfying MyPlate recommendations is substantially below the cost; therefore, it is not surprising that current consumption levels are well below the recommendation. Organic products had a stigmatizing effect for low-income respondents.