Consumer liking and willingness to pay for high welfare animal-based products

Consumers currently tend to rely more and more on extrinsic cues and credence characteristics, including process characteristics (e.g. the way animals are raised), to form their expectations about animal-based food products. This review shows that if expectations are negatively disconfirmed, the hedonic ratings and consumer willingness to pay move towards the expectations induced by information on animal welfare according to the sensitivity of different groups of consumers. The combination of reliable animal welfare monitoring and effective labelling of animal-based products may then help meeting the increasing demand for animal welfare-friendly products while sustaining the welfare of the animals.