Consumers’ acceptability and actual choice. An exploratory research on cured ham in Spain

• Published in: Food quality and preference Vol. 20; no. 5; pp. 391 - 398
• Main Authors: Resano, H., Sanjuán, A.I., Albisu, L.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Actual purchase; analysis of variance; Biological and medical sciences; Cluster analysis; consumer attitudes; consumer information; consumer preferences; consumer surveys; Consumers; Cured ham; cured meats; Daily Values; food acceptability; food choices; Food industries; food purchasing; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; ham; Hedonic ratings; Internal preference mapping; market segmentation; Meat and meat product industries; meat quality; Methods of analysis, processing and quality control, regulation, standards; nutrition information; nutrition labeling; rating scales; Scanner data; sociodemographic characteristics; Spain; Europe; Cluster analysis; Cured ham; Actual purchase; Consumers; Hedonic ratings; Scanner data; Internal preference mapping; Scanner; Choice; Internal; Meat product; Pork product; Research; Consumer; Ham; Preference; Purchases
• ISSN: 0950-3293; 1873-6343
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2009.03.002

Acceptability and actual choice of cured ham is investigated combining hedonic valuations and actual purchase information of a sample of Spanish consumers. Main methods of analysis include internal preference mapping, cluster (k-means and agglomerative hierarchical), and bivariate association measures (chi-square, two- and one-way ANOVA). Three market segments are identified with distinct acceptability patterns which in turn are found to be associated with rather consistent purchasing behaviours and specific socio-demographic traits.