How Does Health–related Information Impact Willingness to Pay for Olive Oil? An Incentivised Lab Experiment Among Moroccan and Tunisian Consumers

Olive oil is a key food product in Mediterranean countries. Nevertheless, local consumers show limited awareness of its benefits, particularly inNorthernAfrica.Thisis shown, for instance, by the lowincidence of olive oil on oil consumption in Tunisia: 7.4 kg out of 25.7 kg in 2015 (Tunisian National Institute of Statistics, 2015), even if this country represents one of the main olive oil producersin the world (Ben-Hassine et al., 2022). Furthermore, healthier olive oils contain a higher quantity of polyphenols, resulting in bitter taste and more pungent mouthfeel sensation which, according to the extant literature, tend to be disliked by most consumers, at least in Western countries (Barbieri et al., 2015; Vitaglione et al., 2015; Delgado & Guinard, 2011). Therefore, if consumption choices are based exclusively on sensory characteristics, consumers would miss the opportunity to consume healthier oils. This points to the need of increasing awareness through the provision of clear and concise information.