Internal preference mapping of cured ham with consumer's segmentation in Spain

The overall acceptability of 202 consumers has been analysed by ANOVA, multiple means comparison, cluster analysis and internal preference mapping (MDPREF). Three clusters are found with different preference criteria. These clusters can also be characterized according to actual purchase behaviour, declared consumption habits and sociodemographic characteristics. This study demonstrates the importance for the agro-food industry of examining consumers’ individual preferences as well as average ones, to obtain relevant information including not only the consumers’ preference trends, but also the most suitable segment to target a new product. In this way, the MDPREF shows that although consumers’ preferences tend to Iberian hams over white-breed hams, there is a cluster of consumers which prefers PDO Teruel ham over one of the iberian hams. This cluster shows also some sociodemographic and purchase and consumption habits peculiarities.