Do Consumers Value Welfare and Environmental Attributes in Egg Production Similarly in Fresh Eggs and Prepared Meals?

Food items are increasingly chosen based on sustainability attributes as the public is becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and animal welfare impacts of production systems, in addition to the traditional consideration for nutrition. Although surveys have been used to investigate the demand for these attributes in unprocessed products, little information exists on how these attributes impact consumer preferences in the case of processed products or prepared meals. This study uses a stated preference survey to examine Quebec (Canada) consumers' preferences for eggs from four production systems with different impacts on animal welfare and on the environment. We compare the respondents' choices of fresh eggs and two prepared meals that contain eggs. Furthermore, we examine the shift in choices following information treatments on animal welfare, nutrition, or environmental impact attributes. Results indicate that respondents choose eggs from more sustainable production systems more frequently when included in prepared meals than in their unprocessed form. The provision of information led participants to update prior beliefs and revise their initial choices, especially for animal welfare attributes.