Vegetables with Enhanced Iron Bioavailability—German Consumers’ Perceptions of a New Approach to Improve Dietary Iron Supply

Abstract

Iron deficiency is still widespread as a major health problem even in countries with adequate food supply. It mainly affects women but also vegans, vegetarians, and athletes and can lead to various clinical pictures. Biofortification of vitamin C-rich vegetables with iron may be one new approach to face this nutritional challenge. However, so far, little is known about the consumer acceptance of iron-biofortified vegetables, particularly in developed countries. To address this issue, a quantitative survey of 1000 consumers in Germany was conducted. The results showed that depending on the type of vegetable, between 54% and 79% of the respondents were interested in iron-biofortified vegetables. Regression analysis showed a relationship between product acceptance, gender, and area of residence. In addition, relationships were found between consumer preferences for enjoyment, sustainability, and naturalness. Compared to functional food and dietary supplements, 77% of respondents would prefer fresh iron-rich vegetables to improve their iron intake. For a market launch, those iron-rich vegetables appear especially promising, which can additionally be advertised with claims for being rich in vitamin C and cultivated in an environmentally friendly way. Consumers were willing to pay EUR 0.10 to EUR 0.20 more for the iron-biofortified vegetables.

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“…Females had more trust in FFs’ efficacy against most of the selected health problems. This gender-related attitude was also observed by Welk et al, 2023 [ 44 ], in German consumers, about iron-enriched FFs used to treat fatigue and anemia.…”

“…The most appealing FFs to-be were also the most frequently consumed foods, probably due to the familiarity effect acting against novel food neophobia [ 48 ]. Indeed, fruit, vegetables, and legumes were the most desirable FFs, thus, providing a chance to improve fortified and enriched fresh foods as enjoyable FFs [ 44 ]. Bread and pasta, key mediterranean foods, were also among the most cited FFs to-be, giving the FF baking industry a hint [ 49 ].…”