Deciphering the consumer behaviour facets of functional foods: A literature review.

Qualitative research in the field of food science strives to understand consumer behavior and motivation Often, these methods are used to develop a hypothesis, which can be tested through quantitative research Traditionally, qualitative methods can provide excellent insight to consumer behavior, but the data collected can be difficult to organize and interpret Focus groups are the most common qualitative research tool applied to understand consumer behavior and identify possible areas of focus for product development However, ethnography and means-end chain analysis can also be applied to understand consumer behavior and personal values Many new qualitative techniques have been developed that attempt to mimic data normally collected in quantitative research Grouping and projective mapping allow consumers to represent similarities and differences between products and produce maps that show how consumers perceive various attributes of these products Each method has benefits and drawbacks, and each demands a particular data analysis methodology Understanding these approaches is important in choosing a research method and proper interpretation of the collected data

Practical Applications
Qualitative research is often used as a way to develop and refine hypotheses in product development They allow for quick, inexpensive probing of consumer demands in a natural and comfortable environment However, qualitative research can also be used as a substitute for classical quantitative profiling methods or to powerfully augment quantitative methodology

The Use of Qualitative Research Methods in Quantitative Science: A Review

As recent years have seen a growing interest in integrating consumer and sensory science, this paper aims at presenting a systematic literature review of empirical studies investigating the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic food product attributes on consumers’ food decision making. Both an electronic search through a digital library database and a forward–backward search identified relevant international research. The final set of studies (n = 602) was coded in terms of research methods, intrinsic and/or extrinsic product attributes, consumer response measurement, study location, sample size, study origin, and food type. Although the importance of some product attributes such as taste, label, and price are very well recognized, other variables such as appearance, smell, sound, texture, and packaging have been neglected in research so far. Findings also show an imbalance of applied methods in consumer and sensory research. Surveys/questionnaires and acceptance tests are well-represented, whereas other methods or combinations thereof were rarely or never applied. Food liking was found to be the most frequent way to obtain consumer food evaluation data. Mirroring an increasing importance of product attributes in consumer food decisions, marketing managers and product developers today are well advised to take simultaneous effects of extrinsic and product attributes into account. This article calls for future studies with more holistic study designs to avoid the risk of misleading conclusions in both consumer and sensory research.

Extrinsic and intrinsic food product attributes in consumer and sensory research: literature review and quantification of the findings

UNLABELLED This study established attractive attributes and consumer desires for fresh tomatoes. Three focus groups (n = 28 participants) were conducted to explore how consumers perceived tomatoes, including how they purchased and consumed them. Subsequently, an Adaptive Choice Based Conjoint (ACBC) survey was conducted to understand consumer preferences toward traditional tomatoes. The ACBC survey with Kano questions (n = 1037 consumers in Raleigh, NC) explored the importance of color, firmness, size, skin, texture, interior, seed presence, flavor, and health benefits. The most important tomato attribute was color, then juice when sliced, followed by size, followed by seed presence, which was at parity with firmness. An attractive tomato was red, firm, medium/small sized, crisp, meaty, juicy, flavorful, and with few seeds. Deviations from these features resulted in a tomato that was rejected by consumers. Segmentations of consumers were determined by patterns in utility scores. External attributes were the main drivers of tomato liking, but different groups of tomato consumers exist with distinct preferences for juiciness, firmness, flavor, and health benefits. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Conjoint analysis is a research technique that collects a large amount of data from consumers in a format designed to be reflective of a real life market setting and can be combined with qualitative insight from focus groups to gain information on consumer consumption and purchase behaviors. This study established that the most important fresh tomato attributes were color, amount of juice when sliced, and size. Distinct consumer clusters were differentiated by preference for color/appearance, juiciness and firm texture. Tomato growers can utilize the results to target attributes that drive consumer choice for fresh tomatoes.

Consumer attitudes and preferences for fresh market tomatoes

Farmed or wild fish? Segmenting European consumers based on their beliefs

Ginseng food products in the U.S.A. have mostly been limited to beverages despite the growth of functional foods market. The objectives of the study were to: (1) probe consumer attitudes and expectations of ginseng food products in the U.S.A., and (2) identify ginseng food product concept(s) that possess market potential in the U.S.A. Focus group panel (n = 14) experienced limited types of ginseng food products from the Asian market and suggested that new ginseng food products be developed on the basis of preexisting product types in the U.S.A. Conjoint analysis (n = 400) was performed with four categories and five elements from each category, which were generated based on findings from preceding focus groups. Participants had a low level of initial interest in ginseng food products. “Sweetness” and “ginseng chocolate” had the highest utility values. Findings suggested that the original ginseng flavors, including bitterness and earthiness, be minimized in order to establish potential for success in the U.S. market.



PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This present work demonstrates consumers' insights and expectations of ginseng food products as well as ginseng food product concepts that drive consumers' interests, which have not been extensively researched in the U.S.A. Moreover, findings from the study demonstrate U.S. consumers' knowledge and insights of ginseng and its health effects. These will help food manufacturers understand the consumers who are latent in purchasing ginseng food products in the market and develop ginseng food products that will ensure their success in the U.S. market. Segmentation of consumers based on the pattern of their responses to the concept elements will be beneficial for food-marketing experts to establish marketing strategies. New ginseng food products where the findings from the study are applied are expected to increase consumers' intent to purchase the products, which have been known as containing numerous bioactive compounds.

Consumer attitudes and expectations of ginseng food products assessed by focus groups and conjoint analysis

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Consumer attitudes and expectations of ginseng food products assessed by focus groups and conjoint analysis