The state of the art of discrete choice experiments in food research

• Published in: Food quality and preference Vol. 102; p. 104678
• Main Authors: Lizin, Sebastien, Rousseau, Sandra, Kessels, Roselinde, Meulders, Michel, Pepermans, Guido, Speelman, Stijn, Vandebroek, Martina, Van Den Broeck, Goedele, Van Loo, Ellen J., Verbeke, Wim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2022
• Subjects: Best practice; DCE; Food choice; Methodological review; Valuation; Food choice; Valuation; DCE; Methodological review; Best practice
• ISSN: 0950-3293; 1873-6343
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104678

•DCEs have been increasingly used in the food research domain over the last 20 years.•We structure our review according to the stages in setting up a DCE.•We compare the state of the art in general and in food research.•We identify methodological innovations that are promising for future food research. Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) have become an often-used research method in food research due to their ability to uncover trade-offs made when choosing among multiple alternatives, especially when dealing with credence attributes. Insights into the main elements of the consumers’ decision-making process are key to informing both public and private policies related to food production and consumption. However, DCEs are not confined to this field of study. This narrative methodological review sets out to provide a critical appraisal of the state of the art of DCEs in food research. We logically structure our review by comparing the field-independent state-of-the-art to its application in the specific food choice research domain. The comparison is presented for each of the steps required in implementing DCEs and allows for the identification of areas of improvement in best practice. We find that food research has adopted many of the methodological advances over the years, but further improvements are encouraged and outlined. Recommendations for future research are discussed.