Abstract:
BACKGROUND : In Africa, food-processing industries are emerging fast,
especially for cereals. New low-cost extrusion cookers give small enterprises
an opportunity to enter the market for processed cereal products, in particular
instant, fortified and flavored mixes. Before engaging in the marketing of these
products, consumers’ interest needs to be assessed. This study used a
combination of affective tests and experimental auctions with 200 consumers
in Touba, Senegal to evaluate four new products with conventional pearl millet
flour as the control: instant pearl millet flour, instant pearl millet flour with
added dry mango and carrot powder (naturally fortified), and the previous
products with added conventional chemical micronutrient fortificants.
RESULTS : During affective tests, consumers made little distinction between
the five products in appearance, aroma, taste and overall appreciation. The
experimental auctions showed that, without providing additional information
on the products, there was no difference in ‘willingness to pay’ (WTP)
between them. However, after that information is provided, consumers were
willing to pay a modest premium for instant flour, and a large premium for
added mango and carrot extract and for added micronutrients, but were not
willing to pay a premium if those micronutrients came from natural sources.
Income increased overall WTP, while education increased WTP for instant
flour. CONCLUSION : We conclude that there is a potential market in low-income
African countries for instant and fortified cereal food products, but likely in the
higher income and education groups. The increased cost needs to be
compared to the premiums consumers are willing to pay. In the next step, the
new and promising products could be tested in pilot markets, with target
consumers.
