Food Quality and Direction of Its Increasing on the Example of Yoghurt from Consumers’ Point of View Cover Image

Jakość żywności i kierunki jej podwyższania w opinii konsumentów na przykładzie jogurtów
Food Quality and Direction of Its Increasing on the Example of Yoghurt from Consumers’ Point of View

Author(s): Marta Szymborska, Marta Sajdakowska
Subject(s): Organizational Psychology, Health and medicine and law, Present Times (2010 - today)
Published by: Instytut Badań Rynku, Konsumpcji i Koniunktur
Keywords: consumer; yoghurts; quality; quality improvement;

Summary/Abstract: The quality of the product is indicated more and more frequently as an important factor determining consumer’s purchase decisions. Consumers understand the quality as a certain set of attributes which are important for the product. The diagnosis of conditions referring to purchasing decisions should include identification of those attributes to make possibility of shaping the product characteristics in accordance with the quality expected by consumers. This paper attempts to examine the opinion of Polish consumers about the food quality and the methods of its improvement with regard to yoghurt. A field research using an author’s questionnaire was conducted at the turn of 2011 and 2012 on a sample of 122 people from Warsaw and its surrounding areas. The study showed that among the most important components of the food quality were: naturalness, freshness, and health benefits. Referring to the accepted innovations, consumers paid attention to the presence of bacterial cultures, vitamins, and minerals increasing and lowering the level of sugar and fat. Consumers also stressed the importance of sensory and health attributes; the clear label information was also emphasised. In order to improve the yoghurt quality it is recommended to increase the number of components that positively affect health. Moreover, it is also recommended to label the products with legible and understandable information about the beneficial effects of such a product. Results of this study indicate the most proper direction referring to yoghurt quality improvement in order to meet consumers’ expectations.

  • Issue Year: 2013
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 117-129
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Polish