DOI: https://doi.org/10.5513/JCEA01/26.4.4874
Original scientific paper
Do quality labels change how much we like a product? Evidence from honey consumers
2025, 26 (4) p. 1118-1129
Marija CERJAK, Josip JURAČAK, Alen DŽIDIĆ, Damir KOVAČIĆ
Abstract
This study analyses the joint effects of sensory attributes and quality labels on consumer perception and purchase intention of acacia honey on the Croatian market. Three honey samples (with EU organic label (ORG), with national “Proven Quality” label (PQ) and unlabelled (NL)) were evaluated under blind and informed conditions using a four-stage sensory protocol. A linear mixed-effects model was used to assess the influence of treatment conditions and honey labelling on hedonic perception and purchase intention. Label information significantly impacted consumer responses, particularly for PQ honey, where the visual and sensory informed conditions increased hedonic scores by 0.47 and 0.40 points, respectively (P < 0.001). The predicted mean for purchase intention (3.631) exceeded that of hedonic liking (3.482), and strong correlations were observed between the two. Honey category X treatment interaction effects showed that the label's influence varied by honey samples, with ORG and NL honeys showing lower gains due to negative interaction terms. Demographic factors, such as gender and frequency of honey consumption, also influenced the responses. These results underline the effectiveness of certified labels, particularly “Proven Quality,” in improving consumer evaluation and support the use of quality certification and informative labelling as strategic tools to improve consumer confidence and market competitiveness.
Keywords
honey, product perception, sensory analysis, food certification, mixed effects model, consumer behaviour
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