RESUMO
Food labeling serves as a crucial medium for industries to communicate product qualities to consumers. Sanitary inspection and artisanal seals are significant markers for traditional cheeses, yet current information on this topic is limited. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the impact of sanitary inspection and the ARTE seal on the acceptance of artisanal cheese. To achieve this objective, four hypothetical cheese labels featuring all combinations of sanitary inspection and ARTE seals were presented to 404 consumers. These consumers rated their acceptance of each label, a conjoint analysis was conducted, and the relative importance of each seal was calculated. Subsequently, consumers were segmented using hierarchical cluster analysis. Their socio-demographic profiles were statistically correlated to the clusters through a chi-squared method. The results revealed the existence of three distinct consumer groups: those who strongly prefer cheeses with a sanitary seal (assigning a relative importance of 80.2% to the seal), those who favor cheeses with an artisanal seal (assigning a relative importance of 52.5% to the seal), and those for whom the presence of either seal did not significantly affect acceptance. Consumers residing in metropolitan areas generally placed less value on both seals, whereas frequent purchasers of artisanal foods and residents of rural areas showed a preference for the artisanal seal. Other socio-demographic variables did not statistically correlate with cluster membership. In conclusion, consumer segmentation based on preferences for sanitary inspection and artisanal seals in food labeling is vital for developing effective marketing strategies and food safety education policies.
RESUMO
South Brazil produces colonial cheese based on Italian immigration recipes. This study characterized colonial cheese produced in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The sampling method was by conglomerate. A total of 293 rural producers were interviewed; they also provided cheeses for physicochemical and microbiologicanalyses. For the characterization of colonial cheese, parameters related to milk, processes, social aspects, physical aspects and ingredients were selected and cluster analysis was performed. Results showed that the colonial cheese is made with whole milk, rennet and salt, with a round shape, weighing an average of 1.22 kg, with an average maturation of 9.4 days, high moisture, fat, using raw or pasteurized milk. The recipe is familiar, passed down through generations and the sale is made directly to the consumer.
O Sul do Brasil produz queijo colonial com base nas receitas da imigração italiana. O objetivo deste estudo foi promover a valorização do queijo colonial produzido no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, por meio de sua caracterização. O método de amostragem foi por conglomerado. Foram entrevistados 293 produtores rurais; também forneceram queijos para análises físico-químicas. Para a caracterização do queijo colonial, foram selecionados parâmetros relacionados ao leite, processos, aspectos sociais, aspectos físicos e ingredientes e realizada análise de agrupamento. Os resultados mostram que o queijo colonial é feito com leite integral, coalho e sal, de formato redondo, pesando em média 1,22 kg, com maturação média de 9,4 dias, de alta umidade, gordo, utilizando leite cru ou pasteurizado. A receita é familiar, passada de geração em geração e a venda é feita diretamente ao consumidor.