Illinois Tech Researchers Find Cost of Organic Fruits and Vegetables a Significant Barrier for Low-Income Shoppers

Researchers at Illinois Tech’s Center for Nutrition Research, a leading center within the Institute for Food Safety and Health, surveyed low-income shoppers about their views on terms associated with fresh produce such as “organic” and “conventionally grown.” They also sought to learn how different informational content using these terms may influence their purchase intention of any type of fruits and vegetables. The study found that lower-income shoppers have heard organic messages via various media outlets and associate organic with pesticide free; and the use of pesticides with conventional fruits and vegetables. Shoppers indicated they preferred organic produce because it’s advertised to be healthier and safer, but the higher cost made them less likely to purchase organic fruits and vegetables.

See the complete article in Nutrition Today

Illinois Tech and Institute for Food Safety & Health researchers included:

Yancui Huang, MS, Center for Nutrition Research, Institute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.

Indika Edirisinghe, PhD, Center for Nutrition Research, Institute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.

Britt M. Burton-Freeman, PhD, MS, Center for Nutrition Research, Institute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago; and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis.

This proposed study was funded by various donors, including a gift from the Alliance for Food and Farming.