Consumer responses to suboptimal food products

Suboptimal food is defined as physically imperfect food product that deviates from the normal visual standards without intrinsic quality or safety concerns. The forms of suboptimal food can be visual (e.g., cosmetic appearance), temporal (e.g., close to or past expiration date), or peripheral (e.g., superficially damaged packaging). This study aimed to identify the salient inferential determinants, attitudinal determinants, and behavioral intentions toward the three suboptimal food types and to evaluate the associations between the determinants and consumers' behavioral intentions. Results from an experimental research showed that consumers associated temporally suboptimal food with the highest financial loss and discard intentions, yet lowest moral concerns. This research also revealed that consumers regarded peripherally (damaged package) suboptimal food with lower taste perception compared to conventional food. Moreover, consistent association patterns appeared between a certain set of inferential and attitudinal determinants and distinctive behavioral intentions across the three suboptimal types.