What determines ingredient awareness of consumers? A study on ten functional food ingredients

•Awareness of ten different functional food ingredients was assessed.•Ingredient awareness varied throughout the German population.•The most important predictor on ingredient awareness was health motivation.•Information strategies and education influenced ingredient awareness significantly.

Given the importance of consumer awareness of functional food ingredients for healthy food choices, the aim of this study is to explore consumers’ ingredient awareness and the determinants which influence the awareness about functional food ingredients.A sample of 200 German consumers was interviewed via CATI (computer aided telephone interview) during September 2011. The participants have been asked about their specific awareness regarding to ten functional food ingredients. Likewise, determinants like health status and health motivation have been assessed and their influence on the construct “consumers’ ingredient awareness” has been tested by employing structural equation modeling.The study shows that consumers’ ingredient awareness varies throughout the sample. Overall it can be stated, that 19% of consumer awareness about functional food ingredients is explained through the described model based on the following predictors: age, educational level, health status, health motivation and information strategies. Among these factors, consumers’ health motivation seems to have the highest relevance to explain consumer awareness. But also the determinants information strategies as well as the education show a significant influence on consumers’ ingredient awareness. As health motivation shows the highest impact on consumers’ ingredient awareness this study underlines the importance of prevention propensity for healthy food choices.