32-2 |
Factors influencing consumer perceptions of freshness |
H. G. SCHUTZ, Dept. of Consumer Sciences, Univ. of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, A. V. Cardello, Science & Technology Directorate, U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center, 15 Kansas St., Natick, MA 01760, and G. Babadogan, Agricultural Economics, Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH 43210. Although “freshness” is commonly considered to be an intrinsic aspect of food that can be objectively quantified; from the standpoint of the consumer, “freshness” is a perceptual construct. As such, there are a large number of factors that are extrinsic to the food that influence the perception of its freshness. Uncovering these factors is the key to understanding the important role of freshness to food acceptance and purchase behavior. In order to assess the factors that contribute to the perception of food freshness and the relative importance of freshness to other product variables, a series of conjoint analytic studies were conducted with consumers from three U.S. geographical regions (Northeast, Midwest, West). Respondents rated the freshness of 33 different food product concepts that varied in terms of food type, method of processing / preservation, retail source, etc. Respondents also rated their purchase interest for 28 food product concepts that varied in taste, price, healthfulness, safety, freshness, convenience, retail source, and brand type. Results showed the perception of freshness to be determined primarily by time from harvest/production and food type. Foods that were described as “minimally processed” or “frozen and thawed” were perceived as less fresh than refrigerated or frozen foods. The taste of the food was found to be the most important driver of purchase interest, with freshness having equal importance to such factors as convenience, healthfulness, and retail source. Some variations in the importance of specific factors and variables were found among the different geographic regions and will be discussed.
Session 32, Refreshing the fresh concept
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