# Managing Expectations and Predicting Willingness to Pay in Novel Healthy Foods Development in East Africa

## TL;DR

This study examines what influences how much people in East Africa are willing to pay for new healthy food products, focusing on taste and packaging.

## Contribution

The study introduces a dual approach combining sensory evaluation and packaging design to predict willingness to pay for novel foods.

## Key findings

- General acceptance, driven by taste, texture, and aroma, is the strongest predictor of willingness to pay.
- Packaging design features like product visibility and ingredient imagery significantly influence willingness to pay.
- Health messaging increases perceived value, while locality cues reduce it due to cultural biases.

## Abstract

This study explores the factors influencing consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for novel, healthy, and locally produced food products in East Africa, focusing on sensory experiences and packaging design. Conducted in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, the research includes two complementary studies: Study A examines sensory evaluations (taste, texture, aroma, color, and general acceptance) as predictors of WTP, while Study B assesses the impact of visual packaging features (e.g., typography, illustrations, and product windows) on consumer perceptions and WTP. Study A highlights that general acceptance (GA) is the strongest predictor of WTP, driven primarily by taste, texture, and aroma, while visual sensory cues play a secondary role. In contrast, Study B demonstrates that packaging design features, such as product visibility and ingredient-focused imagery, significantly influence WTP, with health messaging increasing perceived value but locality cues reducing it, likely due to cultural biases against packaged local products. The results reveal a critical difference: WTP is more stable and predictable in sensory evaluations but more volatile in response to packaging designs, driven by consumer expectations. These findings underscore the importance of aligning sensory and visual attributes to understand consumer expectations and enhance WTP for innovative food products in emerging markets.