ENGLISH VERSION

ZESZYT 333

Eugenia Czernyszewicz
Fruit quality and safety assurance in aspect of consumers preferences 

The purpose of the paper was to determine the consumers’ preferences concerning fruit consumption and the criteria of fruit quality, to get to know the health and commercial value of fruit and to determine and evaluate the ways of ensuring fruit quality and safety at the stage of basic production taking into consideration the satisfaction of the consumers’ needs.
The research was conducted on the basis of literature studies and the data from original sources including surveys carried out in the years 2001–2007 among the consumers in Lublin and in the year 2007 among the fruit producers from the area of the whole country. The paper determines the importance and role of fruit in satisfying the consumers’ needs, and broadly characterizes consumer preferences of fruit consumption. Against this background, the structure of the criteria of fruit quality was determined and compared from the point of view of both consumers and producers and their relation with the socio-economic and demographic features of the consumers and selected characteristics of orchard farms. The paper estimates the commercial and health quality of fruit and discusses the knowledge, importance and application of chosen methods and systems of quality ensurance in orchards farms. The producers’ opinion were also analyzed on the importance of particular stages, areas and effects of quality improvement and the factors affecting fruit quality. The statistical-economic analysis of the results comprised the methods of descriptive statistics, the analysis of linear correlation and regression and the methods of a multiple statistical analysis.
It was found out that the problem of ensuring the quality and safety of fruit should be treated with considerable attention. Satisfaction of the consumers’ expectations concerning fruit quality may contribute to an increase of fruit consumption, followed by improved health of the Polish population. It follows from the studies that in the years 2001–2006 the estimation of the importance of fruit in diets decreased. It was found out that a considerable percentage of the consumers have no opinion on certain properties of fruit and their effect on health. This points to the potential directions in the consumers’ education.
The studies verified the hypothesis on the changeability of the consumers’ opinions and declarations concerning different aspects of fruit consumption. It was found out that the date of studies and socio-economic and demographic features of the consumers significantly affected the consumers’ opinions in the given range.
It was shown on the basis of the studies that consumers perceive fruit quality above all through the light of their sensory properties and those related to safety and health aspects. The importance of particular criteria of quality is significantly related to such features as the sex, age, education, incomes per person in the family as well as the family type and the source of incomes. Hence, the structure of the criteria of fruit quality is differentiated in socio-economic and demographic groups. This affects the meaner of satisfying the needs and the consumptive behaviours. Changeability of the consumers’ opinions on the criteria of fruit quality explains in the highest degree the visual features of quality such as size, shape, colour and cultivar.
The studies verified the hypothesis on the differences in consumers and producers perceiving the parameters of fruit quality. The results of studies proved that producers value the features affecting the external appearance much more than the features determining the internal quality, which are very important in the consumers’ opinion.
It was found out on the basis of the results from the analyses of toxic elements content in fruit and monitor examinations of the pesticide residues that in Poland the fruit consumed singularly and in a long term are safe for the consumers’ health, regardless of the use of some methods and systems of quality ensurance. On the other hand, the commercial quality of domestic-produced fruit meant for fresh consumption – due to frequently detected irregularities concerning the consistency with the binding norms – requires permanent and effective supervision on the part of the authorized controlling organs.
It was found out that the knowledge of the methods and systems of quality ensurance among the producers is mostly limited to two, namely integrated fruit production and EUREGAP (GLOBALG.A.P.) commercial standard. Little pressure of the home markets and consumers causes a decrease of the importance of methods ensuring fruit quality in the producers’ opinion. Changes aimed at increasing and ensuring fruit quality are inhibited by the farm size reduction and a lack of financial means.