Does Nutrition Knowledge Help? Heterogeneity Analysis of Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Pre-Packed Mooncakes Labeled with the Smart Choice Logo

The Smart Choice logo (SCL), as an encouraging form of front-of-package nutrition labeling (FOPNL), helps consumers to choose low-oil, -salt, and -sugar mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is widely acknowledged that nutrition knowledge contributes to nutrition label use, but there has been little research on whether it helps enhance consumers' willingness to pay (WTP). Our study aims to fill this gap by investigating 630 randomly selected Chinese adults from Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Henan, Sichuan, and Guangdong. The semi-double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent value method was selected to measure their WTP for pre-packed mooncakes with the SCL at 20 different premium levels, ranging from 0% to 95% of the price per unit. It was found that the respondents' WTP decreased by 0.7% as the premium level increased by 1%, and the WTP of people from South China, those who were obese, and those with a high income was not sensitive to changes in premium. Nutrition knowledge played a negative moderating role, and the probability of the premium levels affecting WTP decreased by 1.0% for each 1 point increase in the nutrition knowledge level. These findings highlight the potential implications associated with SCL promotion and differentiated mooncake pricing, as well as the supply of healthier Chinese holiday foods.