Journal of Nutritional Disorders & Therapy

Willingness to pay (WTP) and incremental production cost: F.A.T.E.PreSco bread, a functional food to help heart failure prevention, treatment and recovery

JOINT EVENT: 13^th International Congress on Advances in Natural Medicines Nutraceuticals & Neurocognition & 14^th International Conference on Clinical Nutrition

July 27-29, 2017 Rome, Italy

Bruna Vinci, Nicola Iacovino, Chiara Salsiri and Milena Vainieri

Institute of Management, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, Pisa, Italia

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nutr Disorders Ther

Abstract:

F.A.T.E.PreSco bread is a functional food which aims to help people who suffer from heart failure to prevent acute episodes. F.A.T.E.PreSco, an antique Tuscan wheat genotype known for its properties and its biofortification with zinc and iron, is a new product that has been experimented in Pisa (Tuscany). Experimental study in vivo has demonstrated that α-lipoic acid (ALA), highly concentrated in this wheat, has cardioprotective effects. Considering that bread is an essential element of the Mediterranean diet and that Italy is one of the first European countries for bread consumption (with a daily average of approx. 100 gr/person), it could be more than appropiate mean of prevention for heart failure. The aim of the study is twofold: firstly, to identify stages, viability, production costs and commerciality of this product; secondly, to evaluate the willingness of heart failure patients to buy and pay for this kind of product. Product costs and market data information for different bread types have been revealed through interviews conducted within the entire F.A.T.E.PreSco bread production chain. Willingness to Pay (WTP) data have been obtained through a survey on 100 heart failure patients. Preliminar results show that: a) the overall production cost is 64.7% higher than traditional bread, b) 15% of heart failure patients agree to pay up to 2 times the traditional bread price and c) 35% more than 1.5 times. Regarding the Propensity to Purchase, about 50% of these patients agree/strongly agree to buy this kind of bread; this percentage grows up to 91% if recommended by their doctor. According to the results, F.A.T.E.PreSco bread shows good features for healthcare market.