Perception and Motivational Trends Towards Kefir Consumption

Kefir, ready-to-drink probiotic fermented dairy, is consumed at a rising rate year on year and becoming more popular among consumers demanding holistic well-being. In this study, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted to determine the consumers’ opinions about kefir and the main drivers of purchase intentions, such as sociodemographic variables, cognitive and attitudinal determinants of the consumers. Their expectations for the development of innovative flavored kefir were investigated. Most participants were women (62.06%), married (52.85%) and aged between 21 and 50 . Regarding the information of consumers about kefir, most participants answered that kefir had beneficial health effects (75.54%). The most important parameters in kefir purchase were “sensory properties” followed by “health and nutrition”, “expiration date”, “brand”, “price”, “hygiene” and “packaging”. The majority of the participants preferred kefir with strawberry, forest fruit, apricot, and banana. The preferences for new tastes in the production of kefir were chocolate, melon, mango, orange, pineapple, and watermelon. The results of the present study can help to understand consumer purchase decisions, improving marketing campaigns concerning the global retail of kefir. Additionally, the health image and sensory characteristics demanded for kefir can be highlighted through online networks and marketing strategies.