Determinants of US household expenditures on fortified fruit juice

Abstract

Fortified fruit juice represents a growing segment in the otherwise contracting juice industry. Health concernsand changing food policy have driven US consumers to demand fruit juice fortified with micronutrients.Fruit-juice manufacturers have responded by expanding their portfolio to include juice products fortifiedwith vitamins and minerals. This study is the first to analyze determinants of US household expenditures onfortified fruit juice. Collectively, results indicate fruit-juice fortification is a viable strategy for improvingpublic health among demographic subgroups that are disproportionately vulnerable or at-risk for nutrientdeficiencies. Findings suggest that fruit-juice manufacturers’ fortification efforts are improving the nutritionalintake of toddlers and children but are less effective at reaching other demographic subgroups (rural andminority-headed households) with high nutrient-deficiency incidence. Manufacturers should consideremploying targeted marketing and outreach efforts to maximize improvement in dietary quality amongfruit-juice consumers