consumer preferences trends · you can’t see the fruit itself, you only see the outside. to me...

3/18/2015

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Consumer Preferences Trends

Christine M. BruhnDirector, Retired

Center for Consumer Research

Dept Food Science and Technology

UC Davis

Factors Influencing Food Purchase

International Food Information Council 2014

Bruhn, Christine "Consumer Preferences Trends" (c) 2015 Postharvest Technoloy Center, UC Davis

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Ways People Say They Changed Their Diet

31

23

30

15

51

53

36

40

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Eat more fruits and vegs

Eat more whole grains

Eat smaller portions

Cut back on full fat dairy

Chart Title

Began this year Doing for > Year

International Food Information Council Foundation 2014

Healthy Eating


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Familiarity with My Plate Graphic

9

28

21

38

38

32

21

36

30

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Seen, know alot

Seen, know fairamt

Seen, knowlittle

Never seen it Not sure

2014 2013

Top SellersConsumers report buying the item in past year

• Bananas 88% Tomatoes 79%

• Apples 83% Potatoes 78%

• Grapes 75% Onions 75%

• Strawberries 72% Carrots 74%

• Watermelon 67% Bell Peppers 67%

• Oranges 64% Lettuce 63%

• Cantaloupe 57% Broccoli 63%

• Peaches 56% Celery 61%

• Lemons 52% Corn 61%

• Blueberries 52% Salad Mix 61%

• Cherries 48% Cucumbers 60%

• Avocados 45% Garlic 52%

• Pears 44% Cabbage 51%

• Pineapple 43% Sweet Potatoes 49%

The Packer Fresh Trends 2012


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How easy is it to get your kids to eat fruits?

Produce for Better Health Foundation 2014

According to Moms with kids <10 yrs

Belief that the family eats enough fruit

Produce for Better Health Foundation, 2014 Moms/Dads with kids <10 yrs.


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Primary obstacles to including fruit in meals and snacks

• 57% Family has different preferences

• 52% Need new ideas/ways to prepare fruit

• 50% Fruit is too expensive

• 48% Fruit goes bad before I can eat it

Produce for Better Health Foundation 2014

Moms with kids <10 yrs.

Consumer Attitude Research

• Qualitative research: Focus Groups completed in Florida (5) & California (6)

• Quantitative Research: internet-based survey in Florida and California


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Demographic Characteristics of Respondents

• 66% Female

• Ethnicity– Asian 4%

– Latino 4%

– Black 8%

– White non Hispanic 83%

What we found: Overall

If not satisfied with current quality– Will go to farmers markets, or roadside stands or

chose a different product– Will switch supermarkets for better quality


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• Consumer Selection Criteria– Characteristic odor

– Color

– Firm fruit (but not hard), depending on item

– No clue for melons, try different approaches

• Consumer Storage– Some store correctly by habit

– Some storage practices will reduce quality

• Awareness of nutritional benefits– Highest for tomatoes, strawberries, and blueberries

– Few are knowledgeable about other fruit

– Know that fruit is good – adds color to your plate

– Few know how many servings a person should eat

• Want high quality fruit so children will eat it

• A high quality fruit is like “a rare gem”


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Key Findings

• Disconnect between appearance & flavor– Looks good, poor taste

• Produce goes from under-ripe at purchase to rotting too quickly

• Consumers want to control when product is ripe

• People are seeking trustworthy advice

90.4 91.6

70.5

92.7

64.1

89.3

18.4

77.9

68.6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Tomatoes Strawberries Blueberries Cantaloupe Honeydew Watermelon Other melons Peaches Pears

Per

cen

t (%

)

Consumers Who Purchase Fruit at Least Few Times a Year


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41.9%

35.3%

13.2%

3.8%

5.8%

Tomatoes

Weekly

2-3 times per month

A few times a year

I do not buy tomatoes at the supermarket

I do not buy tomatoes at all

Frequency of Purchase

I like the tasteI buy them for another

household memberNutritional value/health

benefitsTo meet my daily

requirementsFor a specific use or

recipe

Series1 24.2 21.2 18.8 16.2 19.6

24.2

21.2

18.8

16.2

19.6

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

Co

mb

ined

ran

kin

gs

(%)

Why Consumers Buy Tomatoes


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11.9

4.7

21.0

13.1

27.0

2.7

19.7

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

The right aroma Tangy Juicy Sweet Firm Soft The right color

Co

mb

ined

ran

kin

gs

(%)

Most Preferred Tomato Attributes

Most Important Selection Factors: Tomatoes

0 5 10 15 20

Free from defects

Firmness

Color

Price

Size

Smell

Simonne Bruhn Daniels, Jensen 2012


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22.5

19.4

6.4

4.4

1.0

7.3

11.9

4.1

13.6

7.1

2.2

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

Flavorless Too soft Too hard Too sour Too sweet Internaltomato

color toopale

Not ripeenough

Not juicyenough

Bruised Mealy I am notdissatisfied

Co

mb

ined

ran

kin

gs

(%)

The Most Common Reasons for Dissatisfaction with Tomatoes

25.4

6.1

2.71.4

0.7

2.8

12.1

2.3

8.2

3.22.5

5.0

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

Co

mb

ined

ran

kin

gs

(%)

Most Important Attributes to Improve in Tomatoes


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Most Important Selection Factors: Peaches

Simonne, Bruhn, Daniels, Jensen, 2012

Most Important Attribute: Peaches



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Reason for Dissatisfaction: Peaches


Most Important Selection Factors: Pears



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Reasons for Dissatisfaction:Pears


Most Important Selection Factors: Honeydew



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Reasons for Dissatisfaction: Honeydew


Most Important Selection Factors: Cantaloupe



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Reasons for Dissatisfaction: Cantaloupe


Most Important Selection Factors: Watermelon



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Reasons for Dissatisfaction:Watermelon


How Often Consumers are Satisfied with Ripened Fruit

Simonne, Bruhn Daniels, Jensen 2012


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Attitudes Toward Fruit Quality

I feel that getting

a good tasting fruit

is just by chance


When consumers find fruit they like

I go out of my way

to buy more fruit

from that same store



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When dissatisfied with fruit --I wait a couple of

weeks before

purchasing that fruit again


When dissatisfied with fruit --

Next time I go

shopping, I purchase

fruit from a different store



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Selection and Storage

I think so far the only one that I’ve not been lucky with is the melon, because you can’t see the fruit itself, you only see the outside. To me it’s a 50:50, you either got it or you don’t…luck of the draw. FL

I don’t know a lot about selecting honeydew so I don’t usually do it myself I get the produce person to pick it because I apparently don’t know what I am looking for with honeydews, they are always rock hard when I get them. CA

Will it ripen on me if I leave it out once I buy it? Or is it too late? FL

When I buy really unripe fruit I will leave it in my car because it gets hotter than my house and I usually leave it there 24 hours and the next day bring it in. CA

Foodborne Outbreak Attribution

42% Land Animals

7%Beef, 10% Poultry

46% Produce

12% Fruits and Nuts

22% Leafy Vegetables

8% Vine-stalk Vegetables

Painter JA, et al. Attribution of foodborne illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths to food commodities by using outbreak data, United States, 1998–2008. EmergInfect Dis [Internet]. 2013 Mar . http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1903.111866


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Food Safety Concerns

28

23

30

7

15

49

49

36

54

44

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Conflicting info on food safety makes ithard to know what is safe

Uncertainty about how food is producedmakes me concerned about safety

Food recalls affect the products I buy

Food companies take appropriate stepsto ensure food is safe

I don'w know what sources to trust onfood safety

Strongly Agree Agree somewhat

Although 80% of consumers believe the brands they buy are safe, food safety is an area of uncertainty

IFIC 2014

Consumer Perceptions of the Safety of Imported Foods

International Food Information Council, 2014


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Deliver flavorful produce

Tell people how to select

Describe which fruit can be ripened and HOW to do it

Describe how to store produce for best quality and safety

Challenges


consumer preferences trends · you can’t see the fruit itself, you only see the outside. to me...

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