Qualitative research techniques are frequently used as a means to understand consumers’ perceptions and behavior when it comes to food choice. Particularly, projective techniques have been increasingly used in marketing and consumer research. In this context, this study aims to evaluate two projective techniques – word association and completion techniques – to study consumers’ expectations about food packaging. Additionally, it is intended to assess how packaging and presentation format influence food purchase decisions. The results obtained from both methodologies suggest that handiness to open, resealability, packaging size and packaging material transparency are among the features most appreciated by consumers. Specifically, word association has facilitated the identification of a larger number of items, probably thanks to the nonrestricted response character of this technique. Conversely, completion methodologies, a stimuli‐guided technique, has resulted in a richer range of perspectives by consumers thank to the focus on different aspects of the problem. Practical Applications Recent changes in eating habits and lifestyles are forcing the food industry to develop new foods or to improve existing products. In this context, sensory and nonsensory characteristics must be taken into account to meet consumer requirements. Packaging, especially, has become an important extrinsic quality cue which provides information not only about food but also about brand image or lifestyle. Nevertheless, the role of packaging and presentation format in the shaping of consumers’ preferences must be extensively assessed. In this article, we have used a qualitative research due to the complex aspects involved in the consumer/packaging relationship. The projective techniques used in this study proved to be suitable and, therefore, food companies could use them as a way to undertake preliminary researches about new packaging features or packaging materials. The information obtained is of great interest for food industries when planning to place new packaging formats in the market or to identify target markets.

Food consumption is one of the most important areas to influence environmental sustainability since it is responsible for one third of a household's total environmental impact. However, many consumers are not completely aware of the association between their food consumption and the environmental consequences. Recently, some food companies have developed labelling schemes to help inform their consumers of the impact a specific food product has on the environment during its production. The main objective of this study is to uncover consumers' perceptions and attitudes towards these environmental labels and their impact on consumers' purchase decisions. In this paper, five sustainability labels, covering both ethical and environmental aspects, were chosen as examples. A focus group approach has been taken due to its adequacy to explore beliefs, perceptions and experiences. Four focus group sessions took place with 36 participants in total. The data has been analysed using a specific qualitative program (Atlas.ti). Finally, the findings were presented and discussed in four main sections explained throughout the manuscript: food purchase decision, social and environmental labels, information on labels and reasons for purchase, and lastly, willingness to pay for certified labels. The results of this study show that, although consumers have positive attitudes towards sustainability attributes in food products, constraints still remain that prevent their materialisation in their purchasing behaviour.

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Consumers are increasingly concerned about the way their food is produced. This is particularly relevant in the case of meat, due to the impacts that its production methods can have on greenhouse gas emissions and its role in climate change. In relation to this issue, the purpose of our research is to obtain more information on the consumer decision-making process for beef, in order to determine the relative importance of sustainability claims and traditional attributes, and identify consumer profiles with similar perceptions and intentions. A choice experiment was used to assess the influence of these attributes on consumers’ purchasing decisions. The results reveal that the best purchase choice for the consumer would be organic beef, produced in Spain, with an animal welfare label and eco-labelled. Later on, a cluster analysis was carried out using consumer beliefs and attitudes towards meat consumption as inputs, together with purchasing behaviour variables. A solution was obtained with three well-defined consumer segments showing different preference patterns: Cluster 1 (Male millennials indifferent towards environment or sustainability), Cluster 2 (Sustainability-concerned mature women) and Cluster 3 (Middle-aged meat eaters with established families). The results of this study are relevant to develop more appropriate strategies that may be adapted to the behaviour and expectations of eco-friendly food consumers.