Consumer Food Preferences Research Articles

Study of food preferences of an elderly population receiving meals on wheels in Nottinghamshire

A survey of 900 meals on wheels (MOW) recipients (20% total client sample) in all areas of the county of Nottinghamshire (East Midlands of England with a population approximately one million) aimed to evaluate consumer food preferences in the existing MOW provision of both main and sweet courses. A self‐completed questionnaire was administered by Nottinghamshire County Council Social Services Department in November 1992. A response rate of 52% allowed calculations of preference rating on a scale of 1 to 5 (poor to excellent) to be made for the seven districts and two city areas of the county.Overall for the whole county there was a distinctive pattern of main course preference, the most popular being the sliced meat courses but in different areas of the county and city of Nottingham there was a very big range in preference rating for various types of main meal provision. In a similar manner the sweet courses provided an overall distinctive preference pattern across the county with apple pie and ‘Blackwell’ tart achieving the highest grades. Across the various districts and areas of Nottingham, however, these preference ratings were very variable with some areas giving almost all dishes scores above average while others gave nearly all dishes scores below average.The reasons for these variations in food preference are not known in the various areas but if poor preference rating leads to low food intake then these elderly people are very likely to be at nutritional risk.

Targeting new technology at consumer food preferences in developing countries

In many developing countries purchasing power is unevenly distributed and food markets operate with imperfect information. The actual food supply may well provide an unreal idea about consumer preferences among most of the population and may lead to the development of products that suit the better-off at the cost of the poor. A conjoint analysis was applied to define consumer preferences for bean grain types among different strata in Colombia. Several preference profiles were identified. The preference profile associated with actual supply was found among more wealthy consumers. This suggests there is room for nontraditional grain types, which are cheaper to produce, if their introduction is included in appropriate marketing strategies. The authors conclude that for research with an equity focus, consumer preferences should be measured directly instead of through sales data of existing products.

The Estimation and Analysis of Preference and Its Relatioship to Foraging Models

This paper summarizes models of estimation and analysis for the measure of consumer food preferences originally derived by Manly et al. (1972) and further developed by Chesson (1978). Unlike many alternative measure this measure of preference does not change with changes in food densities unless consumer behavior also changes. This measure is shown to relate in a simple way to parameters, such as clearance and attack rates, which appear in certain commonly used models of foraging behavior.

Research and Extension Needs of Small Farmers

For nearly 30 years small scale farming generally was considered inefficient and undesirable. Operators of farms found it increasingly difficult to compete with large farm operators in the rna rket place because of insufficient product quantity, the seasonal structure of their production, and lack of marketing information. During this period, large commercial farms moved to higher levels of management sophistication and use of modern production technology. The market system also became more sophisticated because of mass marketing of agricultural products, monocultural production techniques and highly advanced assembly and distribution systems. In the late 1960s and early 1970s it became evident that food buyi ng behavior of consumers across the nation was changing. Food buying clubs and consumer cooperatives began to emerge as food prices increased. Also, many consumer food preferences changed, with quality factors such as freshness and taste, growing methods and packaging, and nutrition becoming important to more people. Produce obtained directly from farms often satisfied this new consumer desire. As a result, direct sales from farm to consumer became recognized as an important opportunity for the small scale farmer in the struggle for economic viability. Interest in small scale farmers and their problems became prominent in the Northeast during the mid 1970s. In Maine, the Cooperative Extension Service joined with the Maine Department of Agriculture to propose specific direct marketing programs to assist small farms . The Maine Department of Agriculture also recently began printing and distributing a weekly newsletter entitled Maine/y Agriculture, which contains prices of vegetables sold wholesale and at roadside stands and price ranges for livestock sold at various Maine livestock auctions. In 1978 a regional small farmer conference in Maine was sponsored by the U.S. D.A., C.S.A., and ACTION to hear small farm delegates speak about their specific problems and concerns. As a result of this conference, a plan to improve small farm programs was formulated and approved by Maine's Rural Development Committee. On the national level, at the initiation of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, ten public meetings have been scheduled across the country to gather information on the structure of agriculture. This information will be used in the formulation of farm policy in 1981. One area of particular concern is the viability of small farms and their role in agriculture and rural communities in coming years. Although problems of small scale farming have been widely recognized and discussed, no comprehensive plan to identify and document small scale farmers in Maine has been undertaken. As the initial step toward establishing a data base and guide for future research and extension service to small farms, a survey of Maine's small farm organizations was conducted. The primary objectives in questioning the leaders of Maine's small farm organizations were to determine: (I) their opinions as to what constitutes an appropriate definition of a small farm, (2) major research needs as they perceive them, (3) if they maintain a membership list and would make it

Needed Research on the Effectiveness of Farm Products Promotions

FARMERS are becoming interested in the possibilities of promotion and advertising. Of course, this interest is not entirely new. For several decades, farm products have been advertised and promoted not only by processors and distributors, but also by farmer-cooperatives, trade associations, and occasionally by state governments. Farm groups have had some interest in programs of this kind. But their main interest has been in the efficiency of production and to a considerable extent in the efficiency of marketing. Until recently the typical farmer did not concern himself a great deal about the demand creation. This situation is rapidly changing. The enormous surpluses of farm products in recent years, together with the desire to avoid effective production controls, have dramatized the need for expanding markets for farm products. To some extent this can be done by subsidies such as those now being used to expand exports and to divert surplus farm products into lower-order uses. But the American farmer needs, and knows he needs, to find bigger, commerical, nonsubsidized markets for his products. This is probably the main reason for the current interest in so-called self-help programs, such as those proposed by the dairy and turkey industries. One feature of these proposals is a sort of check-off system through which (if a majority of the industry approved) each farmer would be compelled to contribute to a fund to be used for research, advertising, and promotion. A promotional program for wool and lamb is already under way, financed by funds withheld from the payments made to sheep producers under the Wool Act. What kind of research in promotion does the farmer most want and need? I believe his main interest at present is in economic research, rather than in psychological research. Specifically the farmer wants solid statistical facts about the costs of various kinds of promotion, and about their dollars-and-cents effects upon farm income. Psychologists have been doing a lot of exciting work in motivation research and depth interviewing.' Doubtless this kind of research is glamorous, and profitable to advertisers. It could greatly change consumer demands and methods of food marketing. But my own personal belief is that most of the basic trends in consumer preferences for food are desir-