Dairy Products Quality from a Consumer Point of View: Study among Polish Adults

The aims of the current study were (a) to deepen the understanding of food quality from animal origin with particular emphasis on dairy products, including yoghurt; (b) to determine the level of acceptance of methods and ingredients used to enhance the quality of food from animal origin; (c) to identify how the perception of animal products quality affects the acceptance of changes in production methods and (d) to identify the projective image of consumers purchasing high-quality yoghurt. The data were collected using a CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview) survey on a sample of 983 consumers. The k-means clustering method (k-means clustering algorithm is an unsupervised algorithm that is used to segment the interest area from the background) was used to identify five clusters of consumers. Moreover, the logistic regression models were used in order to examine the impact of opinions related to the quality of product on acceptance of food production methods. The results showed that food quality is generally perceived by consumers using the following attributes: its freshness, naturalness, production method, as well as appearance, taste and smell, but when it comes to the quality of food from animal origin, convenience, connected with the availability, nutritional value and health benefits is of primary importance. The most accepted production method of high-quality food is animal production that takes into consideration the welfare of farm animals. Results also show that the increase in the level of education among the surveyed people contributed to the acceptance of ensuring welfare of farm animals as a method of increasing food quality while consumers′ openness to new products favored the acceptance of adding health-promoting ingredients to livestock feed. As regards the assessment of the level of acceptance of enhancing food with beneficial ingredients, people for whom health aspects were important declared their willingness to accept such a method of increasing food quality. The research findings can be used to develop educational campaigns as well as marketing communication of enterprises operating on the food market. Furthermore, the results could be used to strengthen the competitive position of food enterprises searching for innovative solutions.