TY - JOUR
T1 - Consumers’ Preferences towards Bread Characteristics Based on Food-Related Lifestyles
T2 - Insights from Slovenia
AU - Kušar, Anita
AU - Pravst, Igor
AU - Pivk Kupirovič, Urška
AU - Grunert, Klaus G.
AU - Kreft, Ivan
AU - Hristov, Hristo
PY - 2023/10
Y1 - 2023/10
N2 - Consumers’ recognition and understanding of food characteristics can have an important role when making purchase decisions. The current study analysed consumer preferences for bread, an important food in the diets of Central European countries. The study included a conjoint experiment on a representative sample of 547 adult consumers in Slovenia. The following bread attributes: functional ingredients (chia seeds, linseed, quinoa, and Tartary buckwheat); nutritional claims (low salt, high fibre, and high protein); and other claims (organic, free from additives, flour from Slovenia, and wholegrain) were studied. The results showed the strongest relative importance for functional ingredients (a mean relative importance of 83.9%). In addition, a deeper insight into consumer preference was investigated by a recently developed modular instrument for food-related lifestyles. Latent class cluster analysis (LCA) enabled the identification of four consumer segments (uninvolved, conservative, health-conscious, and moderate) with different preferences toward selected functional ingredients, nutrition, and other claims. The results provide insights that allow for a better understanding of consumer preferences for functional ingredients and claims, and new perspectives for bread marketing to different consumer segments based on food-related lifestyles. Identifying the drivers that affect bread purchasing and consumption can support reformulation activities and product promotion in the direction of reinforcing healthier food choices.
AB - Consumers’ recognition and understanding of food characteristics can have an important role when making purchase decisions. The current study analysed consumer preferences for bread, an important food in the diets of Central European countries. The study included a conjoint experiment on a representative sample of 547 adult consumers in Slovenia. The following bread attributes: functional ingredients (chia seeds, linseed, quinoa, and Tartary buckwheat); nutritional claims (low salt, high fibre, and high protein); and other claims (organic, free from additives, flour from Slovenia, and wholegrain) were studied. The results showed the strongest relative importance for functional ingredients (a mean relative importance of 83.9%). In addition, a deeper insight into consumer preference was investigated by a recently developed modular instrument for food-related lifestyles. Latent class cluster analysis (LCA) enabled the identification of four consumer segments (uninvolved, conservative, health-conscious, and moderate) with different preferences toward selected functional ingredients, nutrition, and other claims. The results provide insights that allow for a better understanding of consumer preferences for functional ingredients and claims, and new perspectives for bread marketing to different consumer segments based on food-related lifestyles. Identifying the drivers that affect bread purchasing and consumption can support reformulation activities and product promotion in the direction of reinforcing healthier food choices.
KW - bread
KW - choice-based conjoint
KW - food-related lifestyles
KW - functional ingredients
KW - latent class analysis
KW - nutrition claims
KW - segmentation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85175164265&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/foods12203766
DO - 10.3390/foods12203766
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 37893659
AN - SCOPUS:85175164265
SN - 2304-8158
VL - 12
JO - Foods
JF - Foods
IS - 20
M1 - 3766
ER -