Italians Will Pay More for Olive Oil with Health Claims

A study conducted by researchers at the Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences (SAAF) at the University of Palermo found that Italian consumers are willing to pay more for extra virgin olive oil carrying a health claim, regardless of their sociodemographic background.

The findings also reinforced existing evidence that subjective knowledge – what consumers believe they know – positively influences the purchase of foods labeled as healthy. Consumers who considered themselves more knowledgeable also showed a stronger preference for direct sales channels.

The evidence shows that clearly communicating the oil’s health properties increases consumers’ willingness to pay a higher price.– Claudio Mirabella, researcher at the Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences at the University of Palermo

However, the data also highlighted gaps in consumers’ factual knowledge of the basic characteristics of extra virgin olive oil.

“The study was conceived to investigate Italian consumers’ purchasing behavior for extra virgin olive oil,” researcher Claudio Mirabella told Olive Oil Times. “The analysis was carried out in 2025 on a sample of 1,016 consumers. They were representative of the Italian population in terms of age, gender and educational level, which is a key aspect to ensure the external validity of the results.”

“Specifically, the objective was to evaluate consumers’ willingness to pay more for extra virgin olive oil labeled with a health claim,” Mirabella explained. “We focused on the one stating that olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress, which is included in the European authority’s Register of Health Claims.”

European Regulation 1924/2006 introduced nutrition and health claims that may appear on a product’s label or in advertising, asserting or suggesting a health benefit. Food business operators may use these claims to highlight the beneficial effects of their products, helping consumers make informed choices and strengthening trust.

The claims permitted under the regulation are scientifically evaluated and approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Among those approved for extra virgin olive oil, the claim cited by the researchers – “Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress” – may be used on a product label only if it contains at least 5 milligrams of hydroxytyrosol and derivatives per 20 grams of oil, equivalent to a hydroxytyrosol concentration of at least 250 milligrams per kilogram and at least 300 milligrams per kilogram of total polyphenols.

The researchers began by asking consumers how much they were willing to pay for one liter of 100 percent Italian extra virgin olive oil. On average, respondents indicated a price of €9.30.

They then asked how much more consumers would be willing to pay for an extra virgin olive oil carrying a health claim. Respondents indicated an average premium of €1.31 per liter, equivalent to 14.09 percent of the stated base price.

“This is a limitation of the study, the anchoring effect, meaning that the second price given is influenced by the one stated previously,” Mirabella said. “Without the influence of the earlier answer, the result could probably have been different. However, this approach places respondents on almost real ground, making it an advantage for the investigation as well.”

The researchers then sought to identify the factors underlying consumers’ responses. They applied a statistical model linking willingness to pay more for olive oil with a health claim to a series of other variables.

Among them, sociodemographic characteristics such as age and educational level did not influence the premium consumers said they were willing to pay.

However, these factors affected other variables, including knowledge, that strongly influence olive oil consumption.

“Several studies conducted in Italy, and cited in the publication, show that consumers’ knowledge of olive oil influences their purchasing decisions, particularly when health-related attributes are involved,” Mirabella said. “Therefore, we assessed respondents’ objective knowledge, namely what they actually know, through ten questions. These included six validated questions previously employed in a study in Uruguay, to which we added four items.”

The lowest percentages of correct answers were recorded for two questions. Asked whether extra virgin olive oil is a source of protein, for which the correct answer is “no,” only 37.70 percent responded correctly. Similarly, just 36.61 percent correctly answered “no” when asked whether extra virgin olive oil may have a free acidity of up to 1.5 percent.

The researchers also assessed consumers’ subjective knowledge – what they believe they know – through statements such as, “I think I can recognize a quality extra virgin olive oil,” and, “Among my friends, I am one of the olive oil connoisseurs.”

They drew on the study “Do consumers understand health claims on extra virgin olive oil?”, conducted at the University of Naples, which found that subjective knowledge is often more influential than objective knowledge in determining consumers’ willingness to pay a premium. That research also found that the clarity of health information significantly affects consumers’ responses.

Building on those findings, the SAAF researchers combined individual characteristics and purchasing habits with measures of objective and subjective knowledge.

“The data from this analysis revealed that those who perceive themselves as more expert tend to rely on direct sales rather than supermarkets,” Mirabella said. “We also found that individuals without lower education tend to have higher subjective knowledge, meaning they consider themselves more expert, with no differences between men and women.”

The study found that women appeared more interested in health-related information. Older consumers demonstrated higher levels of objective knowledge, while subjective knowledge showed the opposite relationship with age, with younger consumers more likely to consider themselves experts.

The researchers also identified the factors that most influence purchases of extra virgin olive oil. The origin of the olives emerged as a top priority, followed by PDO and PGI certifications and traceability. Advertising, label appearance and low prices had the least influence.

“Our study reinforced the literature suggesting that subjective knowledge plays a key role in shaping consumers’ purchasing behaviors,” Mirabella said, adding that the research group interpreted the dynamic using the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM).

According to the framework, consumers with strong objective knowledge – connoisseurs – process information such as health claims through a “Central Route”, evaluating the content in a more rational and analytical way. Consumers with limited knowledge instead rely on a “Peripheral Route”, interpreting information more superficially.

“Less knowledgeable consumers focus on cues like ‘It’s good for your health,’ and this simplified approach appears to be more influential when it comes to purchasing decisions,” Mirabella said. “In short, the asymmetry between objective and subjective knowledge stems from the activation of two different cognitive processes.”

“The findings of this study can be useful for those responsible for communicating the product and designing the label, especially when targeting specific consumer segments, and for producers weighing the use of health claims or, more broadly, planning advertising strategies,” Mirabella added.

“The evidence shows that clearly communicating the oil’s health properties increases consumers’ willingness to pay a higher price, which, in other words, means recognizing the product’s fair value.”