Who Buys Reduced Fat? A Case of Reduced Fat Peanut Butter.

Given a growing demand of peanut-based products in the developed countries, investing in peanuts production and marketing may provide a way to address the needs for both food and foreign exchange in the developing countries. It is, however, important to consider ever changing preferences and tastes for food products among the consumers in the developed countries while designing such marketing program. This paper examined the attitudes toward reduced fat peanut butter among consumers in the United States for peanut butter. The results showed that consumers' attitudes toward reduced fat peanut butter differed across gender, race, and income groups. Female respondents were more likely to favor reduced fat peanut butter than their male counterpart. Perceptions about peanut butter regarding its nutrition content played a role in formulating consumer attitude. Those who considered peanut butter as a “nutritious” food were less likely to favor reduced fat peanut butter. Single adults and married couples trying to develop a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise habit were likely to be the prime target group for reduced fat peanut butter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]