Assessment of what the consumer values in fresh fruit quality: Case study of Oman

Abstract

The health and nutritional benefits of fruit consumption are well documented in the scientific literature. Understanding consumer perceptions and attitudes towards fruit quality is important in setting quality specifications for marketing as well as providing a useful guide for postharvest research aimed at quality improvement of fresh produce. In this study, we investigated the frequency of fruit consumption and consumer perceptions of fruit quality in the Sultanate of Oman using self-administered questionnaires. Results obtained showed that the frequency of fruit consumption was higher among males and families with high incomes. Banana was the most preferred fruit eaten by consumers whereas apple was the least preferred. Among the five types of fruit examined in the study, the most influential quality attributes affecting consumer purchase were flavour, sweetness, and colour for banana (Musa flavour, sweetness, and firmness for apple (Malus domestica), mango (Magnifera indica), and orange (Citrus sinensis). The most common fruit quality problems frequently observed by consumers in the market were fruit immaturity (banana), bruising (apple), rots/decay (mango and orange), and bad taste (date). A large majority of consumers (38%) expressed a willingness to pay up to 25% more on unit price for guaranteed good quality fruit; however, increasing price by more than 50% was highly unacceptable to 94% of consumers.

Value chain performance improvement for sustainable mango industry development in Pakistan

“…This pattern of light consumers being the most common category was consistent across all cities. These findings concur with those of Opara et al (2007) who reported frequent consumption of fruits. …”

“…Over time, consumer perceptions of food quality have broadened, and nowadays consumers consider not only core product attributes, but also food safety and attributes related to marketing (Opara et al 2007;Ali et al 2010;Larsen 2014). As a result, the identification of relevant attributes is considered a major challenge in consumer studies.…”

Trends in Fruit Breeding

“…Surveys have identifi ed the lack of consistent quality as a major reason people do not buy peaches (Byrne 2005 ) . In addition, there is a willingness of consumers to pay more for better quality (Opara et al 2007 ) , which is the reason for developing branded fruit that consistently delivers quality fruit (Jaeger 2006 ) .…”

“…To maximize the consumption of fruit, high quality needs to be delivered consistently as previous experience infl uences future purchasing decisions (Racskó et al 2009 ;Poole and Baron 1996 ) . There is evidence that consumers are willing to pay more for signifi cantly better tasting fruit (Gamble et al 2006 ;Opara et al 2007 ) .…”

Consumers’ Preference Mapping and Their Behavior with Regard to Traditional Halwa Using a Structured Survey Questionnaire

“…Wadolowska et al (2008) identified that factors affecting food choice depended on the types of products. Opara et al (2007) determined consumer preferences of five types of fruit using questionnaires among the Omani population. They found that the most influential quality attributes affecting consumer preference were flavor, sweetness, and color for bananas and dates; and flavor, sweetness, and firmness for apples, mangos, and oranges.…”