Panagiotou, Malamatenia;
Kaloudis, Efstathios;
Koukoumaki, Danai Ioanna;
Bountziouka, Vasiliki;
Giannakou, Evangelia;
Pandi, Margarita;
Gkatzionis, Konstantinos;
(2024)
Key Drivers of Consumption, Conceptual, Sensory, and Emotional Profiling of Cheeses Based on Origin and Consumer Familiarity: A Case Study of Local and Imported Cheeses in Greece.
Gastronomy
, 2
(4)
pp. 141-154.
10.3390/gastronomy2040011.
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Abstract
The origin of a product, consumer familiarity, and purchasing identity are factors that affect the perception of cheese consumption. The present study aims at identifying consumers’ conceptualizations and attitudes towards local Greek cheeses of the North-Aegean Sea islands, such as Ladotyri, Graviera, Kasseri, Kaskavali, Melichloro, and Kalathaki, some of which have a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, as opposed to cheeses of non-Greek origin, such as Cheddar, Regatto, and Gouda. Sensory and emotional attributes of local, local PDO, and imported cheeses, as well as drivers associated with consumers’ choice and acceptance above and beyond their sensory attributes, were studied using three methods: (a) flash profile to gain insight into the sensory positioning of products and description of samples; (b) qualitative analysis of focus groups to pinpoint consumer knowledge, preference, and consumption criteria; and (c) a new methodology for natural language processing and sentiment analysis of social media posts to determine consumer conceptualizations. Social media posts have proven to be a valuable source of linguistic and cultural data for cheeses. Local cheeses, including PDO products, were found to be linked to village life and family gatherings, home, tradition, and childhood memories, with saltiness and hardness being their main sensory attributes. Imported cheeses were linked to fast food, pizza, and snacking, with elasticity and gumminess as prominent sensory qualities. The main criteria for purchase were intended usage and versatility, taste and texture, price, and familiarity. The findings provide key sensory attributes, information about consumer purchasing criteria, and relevant vocabulary for the promotion of cheeses as agri-food and gastronomic identity key products.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Key Drivers of Consumption, Conceptual, Sensory, and Emotional Profiling of Cheeses Based on Origin and Consumer Familiarity: A Case Study of Local and Imported Cheeses in Greece |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.3390/gastronomy2040011 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.3390/gastronomy2040011 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Keywords: | Cheese; social media; flash profile; focus groups; protected designation of origin |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10202971 |
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