Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Business Research journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres Religiosity and special food consumption: The explanatory effects of moral priorities Elizabeth A. Minton a, ⁎ , Kathryn A. Johnson b , Richie L. Liu c a University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave.; Dept. 3275, Laramie, WY 82071, United States of America b Arizona State University, P.O. Box 871104, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States of America c Oklahoma State University, 413 Business Building, Stillwater, OK 74078, United States of America ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Morality Food Religiosity Moral foundations Sustainability Value-expressive function ABSTRACT Special food consumption is on the rise–whether it be diet-minded foods (e.g., gluten-free, fat-free, sugar-free foods) or sustainably-minded foods (e.g., natural or organic foods). However, research has yet to examine how general religiosity and specific moral foundations might influence special food consumption. Through four studies, we seek to remedy this gap in the literature. In Study 1, we show that highly (less) religious consumers prefer diet-minded (sustainably-minded) foods. In Studies 2–4, we examine mediation through moral founda- tions to show that the moral foundation of purity mediates the relationship between religiosity and diet-minded food consumption; in contrast, the foundation of harm/care is unrelated to religiosity but significantly related to sustainably-minded food consumption. Implications for value-expressive motives theory, moral foundations theory, and marketing strategies are discussed. 1. Introduction Sixty percent of U.S. adults report adherence to some type of special diet–whether it be to avoid allergens, such as nuts or lactose, limit sodium or fat intake, or avoid food intolerances, such as gluten (Harris Poll, 2014). In fact, the number of consumers seeking to avoid gluten has doubled in the last decade, despite research showing that over 85% of consumers claiming gluten-intolerance actually have no symptom changes with a gluten-free diet (Capannolo et al., 2015). The im- portance of special foods is also increasing in regard to sustainably- minded foods with consumers often interested in natural or organic food options. Natural and organic foods are generally produced using eco-friendly methods and often avoid the use of plastic packaging which may harm the environment. Taken together, these changes in special diets and natural/organic food consumption have led Todd Hale, Senior Vice President of Consumer Insights at Nielsen, to suggest that the food industry needs a much greater understanding of the mo- tivations for special food consumption (Harris Poll, 2014). So what exactly is influencing special food consumption habits, and how can marketers utilize this understanding to better serve consumers' desires? It is well understood that consumer behavior is guided by a con- sumer's beliefs and values. Building on value-expressive motives theory (Katz, 1960; Locander & Spivey, 1978; Wilcox, Kim, & Sen, 2009) and moral foundations theory (Haidt & Graham, 2007; Haidt & Joseph, 2004), we argue here that religiosity and the values associated with moral priorities are important, yet overlooked, predictors of special food preferences. Prior research has identified religion as a source of core values (inclusive of moral priorities) that drive consumption habits (Mathras, Cohen, Mandel, & Mick, 2016; Minton, 2016; Minton & Kahle, 2017; Vitell, 2009). Partnering these findings with the numerous references to food and special food consumption practices in religious scripture (Bonne, Vermeir, & Verbeke, 2008; Heiman, Just, McWilliams, & Zilberman, 2004; Hossain & Onyango, 2004; Johnson, White, Boyd, & Cohen, 2011; Minton & Kahle, 2014), it seems logical that religiosity should influence special food preferences. By religiosity, we mean the extent to which one believes in the tenets of, engages in the rituals of, and identifies as being affiliated with a particular re- ligious belief system (e.g., Christianity, Islam, Judaism). Our research examines this relationship between religiosity and special food consumption, and in doing so, has three main purposes: (1) examine religiosity's association with diet-minded (e.g., fat free) versus sustainably-minded (e.g., organic) foods; (2) test the moral priorities of Purity and Harm/Care as being differentially associated with diet- minded and sustainably-minded food consumption, respectively; and (3) understand the mediating role of moral priorities in the relationship between religiosity and diet-minded food preferences (if any). Our findings have implications for theory (specifically value-ex- pressive motives theory and moral foundations theory) as well as https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.07.041 Received 6 September 2017; Received in revised form 16 June 2018; Accepted 24 July 2018 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: eminton@uwyo.edu (E.A. Minton), kathryn.a.johnson@asu.edu (K.A. Johnson), richie.liu@okstate.edu (R.L. Liu). Journal of Business Research 95 (2019) 442–454 Available online 02 August 2018 0148-2963/ © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. T