ASSESSING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR TOWARDS FISH SAUCE PRODUCTS BY USING FOOD CHOICE QUESTIONNAIRE

Abstract

This study aims to assess Vietnamese consumer behavior towards fish sauce product. It consists of two experiments. In the first experiment, consumer concept was explored using word association method. It was performed on 300 Vietnamese consumers with the prompt word as “fish sauce”. The data were analyzed by a triangulation method. The results evoke six factors associated with fish sauce as Sensory Appeal, Health, Price, Convenience, Traditional Value, Quality and Safety. These findings were the starting point for a modification of food choice questionnaire (FCQ) adapted to fish sauce product. In the second experiment, the modified FCQ with 18 items was used to assess the consumer behavior. The survey was performed on 300 Vietnamese consumers. The data were analyzed by using Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The obtained model with five factors was adapted to fish sauce for Vietnamese consumers ( = 1.67, GFI = 0.93, CFI = 0.92, RSME = 0.47). In this, Sensory Appeal is the most important factor which might affect consumer food choice motivations. We expect that these results will be useful for the local manufacturers who want to develop traditional food products and/or enlarge national market.