Consumers Perceptions and Preference for Strawberries—A Case Study from Germany

Amid a wide array of fruits available in the international market, strawberry has gained high praise among consumers for its unique taste and health benefits. Today’s consumers are more knowledgeable and they are in demand of high quality, nutritionally versatile, and safer plant produce. This has forced both researchers and manufacturers to monitor food production, transportation, and marketing. Based on this background, a detailed ‘online, web-based survey’ was conducted in Germany, which involved consideration of various criteria and consumers’ preferences for strawberries, relevant to the buying behavior, physical attributes, sensorial and nutritional qualities, storage trends, and gastronomy. Our questionnaires were designed based on available research reports/database on strawberries, common knowledge of consumers, and discussions made with local farmers. Results showed frequency of strawberries consumption to be dominated during spring/summer (˜46%). In addition, the majority of the consumers preferred to have strawberries without any physical injuries (˜43%), while an equal percentage of them still accepted strawberries with visible squashy spots (˜43%). Overall, consumers preferred strawberries with uniform color (˜43%), sweet taste (˜66%) with intense or fruity aroma (˜92%) and moderately juicy (˜58%). Results generated in this survey highlight the demands and preferences of consumers as well as indicated certain major gaps that require to be filled along the strawberry production chains for better marketability. Being a first detailed survey, this report is envisaged to be of immense help in enhancing needs and preferences of consumers for strawberries not only in Germany, but also for consumers and growers the world over.