To read this content please select one of the options below:

Real fruit substitution: the case of at-risk American families

Jill K. Maher (Department of Marketing, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA)
Daria Crawley (Department of Management, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA)
Jodi Potter (Department of Management, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA)

British Food Journal

ISSN: 0007-070X

Article publication date: 3 April 2018

183

Abstract

Purpose

Children’s fruit intake is a part of healthy nutrition. Several children’s food products “look like” fruit; hence potentially fruit substitutes. Packaging includes brand names, indicators, and health claims related to fruit. These packaging cues may potentially lead to misperceptions of the products. The purpose of this paper is to examine at-risk parents’ substitutions of children’s fruit-branded products for real fruit. At-risk parents are of particular interest as they are a vulnerable segment when it comes to nutrition.

Design/methodology/approach

At-risk families (n=149) completed a survey of their perceptions of children’s nutritional needs, fruit product substitutions, and brand purchase behavior.

Findings

At-risk parents report erroneous perceptions of children’s nutritional fruit intake needs. The results suggest that parents believe fruit-branded products are equivalent to real fruit. Parents’ knowledge and beliefs of fruit equivalency impact purchase decisions.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include potential self-reporting and convenience sampling bias. The study did not attend to the complete product nutritional profile; only on fruit content. Future research should investigate other factors affecting food purchase decisions.

Practical implications

Industry and policy implications include the balance between governmental regulation of food marketing, voluntary corporate responsibility, and the need for education.

Originality/value

This study provides insights into children’s food product packaging on at-risk family perceptions of real fruit substitutes and purchase behaviors. With the market for these products increasing, there is limited research investigating the impact of these products on children’s nutritional intake.

Keywords

Citation

Maher, J.K., Crawley, D. and Potter, J. (2018), "Real fruit substitution: the case of at-risk American families", British Food Journal, Vol. 120 No. 4, pp. 815-826. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-05-2017-0302

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles