Abstract:
Small-scale affordable extruders create new opportunities for small enterprise food processors to manufacture
nutritionally enhanced products. Still, consumer interest in these products needs to be assessed first. Affective
tests with 296 consumers in Dakar, Senegal, evaluated five pearl millet flours: (a) conventional, compared to
four instant-porridge flour products; (b) sifted; (c) wholegrain; (d) sifted with premix; (e) wholegrain with
micronutrient premix and food-to-food fortified (FtFF). Willingness-to-pay (WTP) was elicited through
experimental auctions under two treatments: firstly without information, then with information. Consumers
liked FtFF (taste, aroma, appearance) but were indifferent to instant. They did not appreciate wholegrain
flour (appearance) or premix (appearance, aroma and taste). Without information, consumers showed no
differences in WTP. With information, consumers paid premiums for FtFF (27-30%) (both treatments), and
premix (17%), instant (9%), and wholegrain (-10%) (one treatment). Costs of instant, wholegrain and premix
products were lower than consumers’ WTP, indicating potential profits, but not those of FtFF. There is a
market for instant cereals in Senegal. Consumers require product information in order to compromise on
some attributes to benefit from instant, fortified and wholegrain pearl millet products. Manufacture would
be cost-effective, but FtFF costs need to be reduced.
