How do affective health-related and cognitive determinants influence fish consumption? A consumer survey in five European countries

This paper focuses on exploring whether and to what extent affective health-related and cognitive determinants have an impact on fish consumption behaviour. Cross-sectional data were collected through the SEAFOODplus pan-European consumer survey (n=4,786) with samples representative for age and region in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and Poland. Consumers’ belief that eating fish is healthy and their interest in healthy eating positively influence fish consumption behaviour. Subjective knowledge is found to be a more important predictor of fish consumption than objective knowledge. Age and education contribute significantly to explaining fish consumption behaviour. However, the age and education effects on fish consumption frequency are indirect and mediated by the affective health-related and cognitive factors, such as health involvement and interest in healthy eating and knowledge related to fish. The proposed model contributes to a better understanding of health-related and cognitive factors influencing fish consumption behaviour.consumer, fish, determinants, model, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Go East: Differences between Poland and Western European Countries in the Motivational Structures Underlying Seafood Consumption

Central Europe is an emerging market for seafood products, with rapidly developing opportunities for foreign direct investment and export. Although Poland in particular is widely regarded as a land of opportunity in the seafood business, surprisingly little effort has been made until now to gain a deeper understanding of the preferences, motives and usage patterns of Polish seafood consumers. The aim of the study was to fill this gap. Representative consumer samples from Poland (N = 1000) and four Western European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain; total N = 3800) were surveyed and compared in terms of the motivational structures underlying seafood consumption. In Poland, intentions to consume seafood in the near future were mainly determined by the perceived difficulty of preparing fish dishes (problems with bone handling and smells) and the degree to which consumers believed they had the necessary cooking skills. The preferences of consumers and their household members had a much weaker but still significant impact on intentions. In the comparison samples from Western Europe, motivational structures varied considerably. The highest degree of similarity with Poland was found in the Netherlands. Despite the variation between Western European countries, a common finding was a much higher consistency between intentions and actual consumption behavior as compared to Poland. The differences are discussed in terms of their implications for supply chain management, product supply, and the possibilities of generic promotion activities

Cross Cultural Differences in Fish Consumption: The SEAFOODplus Consumer Survey in Five European Countries

The objective of this paper is to explore eating and shopping habits related to fish across five European countries. A cross sectional consumer survey was carried out in Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. A total sample of 4800 consumers was obtained, and the sample was representative within each country for age and region. This study uses descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and post hoc multiple comparison analysis (Scheffe's) to compare differences between countries. First, a cross-culture overview of fish consumption is given. The average weekly consumption of fish across countries was 1.5 times a week. Spain had by far the highest frequency of fish consumption with almost three times a week, followed by Denmark with 1.4 times a week. The consumption of fish was lowest in the Netherlands. On average, about 80 % of all fish meals were consumed at home. While consumers in Denmark only ate 6 % of their fish outside their homes, this frequency was 31 % in Poland. As expected, the consumption of different product types (e.g., fresh, frozen, ready to eat, canned) or species (e.g., cod, salmon, mackerel, hake) differed a lot across the different countries. This study also reports consumption frequency for wild versus farmed fish. However, it seems that many consumers are not aware if the fish they buy are wild or farmed. Secondly, this study also investigated similarities and differences in shopping habits. Supermarkets and fishmongers were the most often used outlets for purchasing fish across countries. As expected, Spain had the highest frequency of purchasing fish at all types of outlets, except for purchasing directly from the fisherman and own catches, which were highest in Poland. Third, an ANOVA analysis was conducted across countries for most central consumption variables in order to explain differences based on demographic variables such as age, number of children in the household, income and gender

Consumer Awareness, Perceptions and Behaviour Towards Farmed Versus Wild Fish

This study provides empirical evidence about European consumer awareness, perceptions and behavior towards farmed and wild fish. The evidence is based on three empirical studies: a consumer survey in Belgium in March 2003, focus group discussions with consumers in Belgium and Spain in May 2004, and a pan-European consumer survey with a sample of 4,786 fish consumers in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Span and Poland in November-December 2004. Consumer awareness about the farmed or wild origin of fish is rather poor, particular among lighter fish user groups. Perceptions are quite diverse across Europe. Furthermore, perceptions often contrast with current scientific evidence, in particular with respect to behalf and nutritional value where consumers express more favourable perceptions for wild than for farmed fish. Finally, perceptual differences between farmed and wild fish with a country are not always consistent across countries

Consumer Awareness, Perceptions and Behaviour Towards Farmed Versus Wild Fish

This study provides empirical evidence about European consumer awareness, perceptions and behavior towards farmed and wild fish. The evidence is based on three empirical studies: a consumer survey in Belgium in March 2003, focus group discussions with consumers in Belgium and Spain in May 2004, and a pan-European consumer survey with a sample of 4,786 fish consumers in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Span and Poland in November-December 2004. Consumer awareness about the farmed or wild origin of fish is rather poor, particular among lighter fish user groups. Perceptions are quite diverse across Europe. Furthermore, perceptions often contrast with current scientific evidence, in particular with respect to behalf and nutritional value where consumers express more favourable perceptions for wild than for farmed fish. Finally, perceptual differences between farmed and wild fish with a country are not always consistent across countries.attitude, aquaculture, consumer, fish, SEAFOODplus, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Livestock Production/Industries, D12, M31, Q13, Q22,

Motives, barriers and quality evaluation in fish consumption situations: exploring and comparing heavy and light users in Spain and Belgium

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate motives and barriers for eating fish among light users and heavy users, to discuss consumer evaluation of fish quality, and to explore the existence of cross-cultural fish consumer segments. Design/methodology/approach - Qualitative data were collected through six focus group discussions, three in Spain and three in Belgium. In each country, one group consisted of heavy users while two groups included light users. Findings - The same attitudinal motives and barriers for fish consumption can be found in both countries and across user groups, even though fish consumption levels differ considerably. The main motives for eating fish are health and taste, while the main barriers are price perception, smell when cooking fish, and that fish does not deliver the same level of satiety as compared to meat, Big differences are found between countries and user groups with respect to preparation skills and the use of quality cues. Heavy users are very skilled in evaluating fish quality, especially those in Spain,,while light users, especially those in Belgium, make seemingly irrational assumptions when evaluating the quality of fish. Research limitations/implications - This study is based on qualitative focus group discussions in two European countries only. Originality/value - This study explores and compares motives, barriers and quality evaluation among heavy and light fish consumers in two European countries. The paper yields valuable insights for further quantitative research into explaining variations in fish consumption, as well as for fish quality evaluation and fish market segmentation studies

How do affective health-related and cognitive determinants influence fish consumption? A consumer survey in five European countries

This paper focuses on exploring whether and to what extent affective health-related and cognitive determinants have an impact on fish consumption behaviour. Cross-sectional data were collected through the SEAFOODplus pan-European consumer survey (n=4,786) with samples representative for age and region in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and Poland. Consumers’ belief that eating fish is healthy and their interest in healthy eating positively influence fish consumption behaviour. Subjective knowledge is found to be a more important predictor of fish consumption than objective knowledge. Age and education contribute significantly to explaining fish consumption behaviour. However, the age and education effects on fish consumption frequency are indirect and mediated by the affective health-related and cognitive factors, such as health involvement and interest in healthy eating and knowledge related to fish. The proposed model contributes to a better understanding of health-related and cognitive factors influencing fish consumption behaviour