Changes in consumers interest on cheeses with health benefits and different manufacture types over the last decade

Abstract

ABSTRACT This work aimed to study the response of Uruguayan consumers to cheeses with different nutritional and commercial characteristics and determine changes over the last decade. Conjoint analysis was used to establish the value that consumers gave to different health benefits (low-fat, salt-reduced, fibre-enriched, probiotic) and to different manufacturing processes (traditional and industrial) for two different types of cheese (spreadable and semi-soft). Results indicated that consumers’ interest varied depending on the proposed health benefit. In general consumers’ interest in cheese with specific nutritional benefits was lower than for the regular product. Consumers were interested only in the low-fat cheeses with no change in 2010 and 2018. Manufacture type became significant between years, nowadays consumers are more interested in traditional manufacture. Consumer segmentation in 2018 showed that some groups were willing to consume cheeses with health benefits, among the different options, nowadays there are new opportunities for functionality in cheeses.