Soyfood Consumption Pattern: Effects of Product Attributes and Household Characteristics

Effects of perceived attributes of soyfoods on the consumption pattern for six different soyfood products were evaluated. Perceived attributes included convenience, health benefits, and taste. Six soyfood products were tofu, vegetable burgers, soy milk, soy supplements, meat substitutes, and soy cheese. This study used conceptual model that highlights the role of perceived attributes in a demand model by combining Lancaster's characteristics model with Fishbein's multi-attribute model. Zero-inflated negative binomial model (ZINB) was used as an empirical specification to address the zero consumption of soyfood products. Results show that perceived health attribute of soyfood had differential effects across the six soyfood products. While having a significant effect on other products, it did not influence tofu consumption decision. Convenience of preparation and consumption, and tastefulness had strong impacts consistently across all five types of soyfood products. The study identified several socio-economic characteristics of consumers that had a significant relationship with soyfood consumption patterns. However, these characteristics had varying effects across the six soyfood products. Implications for food industry are discussed in relation to the differential effects of health attributes and socio-demographic profiles.