Modernizing standards of identity for juice: Evidence from consumer acceptance of orange juice blend

Abstract

The Standards of Identity (SOI) for food may prevent the adoption of the strategies that help sustain the development of some food industries. This study provides comprehensive insights into the possibility of regulation changes with SOI for orange juice from consumer perspectives. Results show that the juice blends with 50% orange juice and 50% tangerine juice received the highest sensory scores. However, most consumers do not think juice blends with less than 70% orange juice can be called orange juice. The WTP for juice blends with less than 70% orange juice also decreases significantly. The results provide strong support for modifying the current SOI for orange juice. In addition, the ratio of 70% orange juice and 30% non-orange juice (tangerine/mandarin) is an appropriate threshold for starting the change to the SOI for orange juice. Successful modification to food SOI should consider its impact on both food quality and consumer perceptions.