Essays on Consumer Demand Marketing and Policy Implications from Primary and Secondary Data

This dissertation focuses on analyzing consumer demand for agricultural products and explores its marketing and policy implications by utilizing both primary and secondary data. The first chapter delves into estimating consumers' willingness to pay for attributes such as sugar content, CRISPR technology, and cranberry flavor intensity in two cranberry products, each presented with different health-related information treatments. Respondents expressed a preference for reduced sugar content over regular sugar products, for conventional over CRISPR breeding methods, and for full/intense cranberry flavor over weak/bland flavor. Interestingly, information emphasizing cranberries' health benefits and sugar intake recommendations amplified the reject to reduced sugar content, surpassing the reject to CRISPR.In the second paper, a Basket-Based Choice Experiment was employed to identify sensory and hedonic quality descriptors of fresh blueberries that could potentially increase the likelihood of purchase. The findings revealed that blueberry packages with a "Stay Fresh" descriptor had a lower price elasticity compared to packages without descriptors or those with "Sweety" and "Crunchy" descriptors. This suggests that consumers are less responsive to price fluctuations when blueberry packages include language indicating an extended shelf life. Moreover, the study indicated that strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries are more likely to be purchased together rather than considered substitutes. Additionally, the research identified specific demographic and behavioral factors associated with a higher likelihood of choosing blueberries from a selection of commonly consumed fruits.In the third paper, weekly shipment data from nine apple varieties in Washington state were analyzed to assess the predictive capabilities of various time series models. While some traditional time series models, specifically the Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average, excelled in predictive accuracy and capturing variability, this study recommends the use of a machine learning model, specifically Facebook Prophet, due to its computational efficiency and strong predictive accuracy. Additionally, the research explored the impact of introducing a new apple variety, Cosmic Crisp®, on the shipments of existing apple varieties using an interrupted time series analysis. The influence of this introduction varied among different apple cultivars, with some experiencing no changes while others experiencing a decline in subsequent shipment levels. Notably, the overall apple shipments in Washington State remained unaffected by the introduction of Cosmic Crisp®. We also found that the shipments of Cosmic Crisp® stimulates the supply of specific apple varieties and the overall apple supply

Health promoting properties and sensory characteristics of phytochemicals in berries and leaves of sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides)

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L., SB), as a multi-functional plant, is widely grown in Asia, Europe and Canada. The berries and leaves of SB contain a diverse array of health-supporting phytochemicals, which are also related to the sensory qualities of berry and berry products. This review summarizes the biologically active key-compounds of the berries and leaves of SB, their health-promoting effects, as well as the contributions to the sensory quality of the berries. The target compounds consist of sugars, sugar derivatives, organic acids, phenolic compounds and lipophilic compounds (mainly carotenoids and tocopherols), which play an important role in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions, as well as in metabolic health. In addition, these compounds contribute to the orosensory qualities of SB berries, which are closely related to consumer acceptance and preference of the products. Studies regarding the bioavailability of the compounds and the influence of the processing conditions are also part of this review. Finally, the role of the sensory properties is emphasized in the development of SB products to increase utilization of the berry as a common meal component and to obtain value-added products to support human health.</p

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of tea-type infusions processed from sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) leaves

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides, SB) leaves contain wide-ranging bioactive compounds. Processing of the leaves into beverages/food presents great potential for supporting human health. The research aimed to investigate the impact of different processing methods on phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of tea type infusions prepared from SB leaves. Leaves of two SB cultivars, ‘Terhi’ and ‘Tytti’, were processed with different methods commonly used for tea processing. Phenolic compounds in the infusions were analyzed with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode-Array Detection and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry. Isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside-7-O-rhamnoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-hexoside-7-O-rhamnoside were the three major flavonol glycosides, stachyurin and casuarinin were the most abundant ellagitannins. The infusions of ‘Tytti’ contained more total phenolics than those of ‘Terhi’ (p </p

Effects of Latitude and Weather Conditions on Proanthocyanidins in Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) of Finnish Commercial Cultivars

Blackcurrants of three Finnish commercial cultivars ‘Mortti’, ‘Ola’ and ‘Melalahti’ cultivated in southern and northern Finland were compared on the basis of the content and composition of proanthocyanidins (PAs). Seventeen B-type PA oligomers (degree of polymerization 2-5 and 7) were detected by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Total PAs, dimers, trimers and tetramers were quantified. Among the three cultivars, ‘Ola’ had the highest contents of both total PAs and PA oligomers. ‘Melalahti’ was separated from both ‘Mortti’ and ‘Ola’ by PA profiles in the partial least squares discriminant analysis model. All three cultivars revealed distinct responses to latitude and weather conditions. The content of total PAs showed a positive correlation to latitude in ‘Ola’ and ‘Melalahti’. Among the meteorological variables, high temperature and radiation correlated negatively with total PAs, while only specific variables showed a correlation with PA oligomers.</p