Supplemental health information and consumer willingness to pay for nutrient-enhanced eggs produced from hens fed high-oleic peanuts

Authors: EDOBOR, EDEOBA - North Carolina State University; BEST, MICHAEL - North Carolina State University; BEST, ANITA - North Carolina State University; Toomer, Ondulla

Submitted to: Journal of Agribusiness
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/2026
Publication Date: 2/6/2026
Citation: Edobor, E.W., Best, M.J., Best, A.R., Toomer, O.T. 2026. Supplemental health information and consumer willingness to pay for nutrient-enhanced eggs produced from hens fed high-oleic peanuts. Journal of Agribusiness. https://doi.org/10.1002/agr.70071.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/agr.70071

Interpretive Summary: An on-line survey was conducted to determine if consumers would be willing to pay more for eggs enriched with vitamin A and unsaturated fats that were produced by hens fed a high-oleic peanut diet. In this study participants were provided with consumer health educational materials and questionnaire regarding consumer buying preferences for conventional versus nutrient enriched eggs. This on-line survey consisted of thirteen hundred egg consumers between 18 to 36 years of age randomly assigned to three treatment groups, controls (not provided consumer educational materials), group 1 (provided consumer educational materials via text), or group 2 (provided consumer educational materials via video). These studies demonstrated that egg consumers who received consumer educational materials regarding the health benefits of nutritional enriched eggs were willing to pay more for these nutritional enhancements.

Technical Abstract: Using a discrete choice experiment, this study set out to determine the impact of supplemental health information, and the format for delivering such information affects consumers' willingness to pay for eggs enhanced with beta-carotene and mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) that were produced by hens fed a high-oleic peanut diet. We also examined whether there were individual heterogeneities that could affect the realized willingness to pay for such enhancements. We found that in the absence of supplemental information, consumers exhibited a disutility for, and negative marginal willingness to pay for, eggs enhanced with beta-carotene and mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Consumers who received supplemental health information were willing to pay more for these nutritional enhancements, especially those who received it in video format. While those who received text script treatment were willing to pay 41 cents more for beta-carotene enhancement, those who received video treatment were willing to pay 62 cents more. For MUFA enhancements, we found that those who received video treatment, were willing to pay 24 cents more. We also assessed the presence of individual preference heterogeneities, and found that younger, non-female respondents, and those whose family had health issues were willing to pay more for nutrient enhancements.