Qualitative Study of Consumer Confidence for Domestic Honey and Honey Products

Abstract

Scandals of recent years related to honey have raised the attention on many occasions to the risk of food health. In the course of official investigations, irregular processing methods, foreign substances in honey and numerous adulterations of honey have been discovered. In order to increase consumer confidence, the National Association of Hungarian Beekeepers has taken a number of measures, including the use of Hungarian producers' glass and sealing tape, and regularly examines the suitability of domestic honey. Our research focused on the most remarkable characteristics of domestic honey consumption and shopping habits, consumer preferences and attitudes. In the course of the research, besides the examination of the consumer habits, we analysed the perception of domestic producers' honey and the brand awareness of consumers. In addition, we analysed the 10 year results of the honey examinations made by the National Association of Hungarian Beekeepers: HMF (Hydroxymethyl-furfurol), fructose, glucose and sucrose content of the honey, diastase enzyme activity and origin of honey. The qualitative data collection was carried out in the framework of individual in-depth interviews, during which we used a semi-structured guideline. 86 in depthinterviews were conducted during the survey, the results of which are presented in this paper.