Dr Peter Batt, the leader of research conducted at Perth’s Curtin University, has delved into the mind of the consumer to investigate shoppers’ expectations and preferences when purchasing vegetables.

“Monitoring and documenting what consumers are thinking when they purchase fresh produce can help growers tailor their outputs to give the buyer exactly what they’re looking for,” said AUSVEG spokesperson, Dimi Kyriakou.“In this case, Dr Batt found that the most important factors that Australian shoppers consider when purchasing fresh produce are the taste and texture, or in other words, the quality.” 

“Growers can take a lot away from this research, as it highlights the benefits of ensuring that the quality of their produce is established at the farm gate, as well as working with retailers to maintain this quality along the various stages of the supply chain before making it into the consumer’s shopping basket.”

Dr Batt’s findings on Australian consumer preference align with research highlighted in a recent report from Colmar Brunton, the team behind Project Harvest, which is featured in this month’s edition of Vegetables Australia.

The Project Harvest report found that the top three attributes a shopper looks for in fresh vegetables are quality, food safety and country of origin, which echoes the Curtin University team’s findings.

“Quality is clearly the main factor Australian consumers consider when purchasing fruit and vegetables, and given Australia’s reputation for producing premium-grade produce, this is definitely a good sign for the industry,” Kyriakou said.

Vegetables Australia is an industry funded magazine, which profiles Australia’s growers, promotes industry research and development, while keeping industry growers and stakeholders in the loop with the latest news.