Consumer preference for ripped plantain powder for plantain fritters (kaklo) in Cape Coast, Ghana

Purpose Despite the importance of plantains in food security, nutrition and socioeconomic development, their production over the years has not matched up with demand, simply because of their highly perishable nature and high post-harvest losses. Current attempts at increasing production levels have targeted converting plantains into forms that may help to increase their shelf life. One of such forms is a ripped plantain powder mix for ease of preparing ripped plantain fritters (kaklo). As part of product development and introduction, this study aimed at examining consumer preferences for the ripped plantain powder mix for kaklo using advanced discrete choice modelling techniques. Design/methodology/approach We employed random utility maximization and random regret minimization methods in both utility space and willingness to pay (WTP) space to analyse choice data on 198 sampled consumers in Cape Coast, Ghana. Findings Our econometric modelling revealed that consumers attached high value to the proposed ripped plantain powder mix for preparing kaklo. They prefer a formulation that would have the traditional reddish-brown colour, sweet and spicy, certified but also affordable. Practical implications This implies that to improve marketability of the product, it should be cheap, Food and Drugs Authority certified and must have a sweet and spicy taste. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to apply the random utility maximization and random regret minimization models in the utility space and WTP space to examine consumer preferences for ripped plantain powder mix for plantain fritters preparation.