Traditional cheeses from Epirus are first in the preferences of the consumers with a percentage of 94.3%, followed by dairy products with 69.4% and wines with 39.1%.
The above results are included in the market research prepared by the Laboratory of Food Chemistry of the Department of Chemistry of the University of Ioannina, in collaboration with the Region of Epirus and concerns the traditional food of Epirus. The aim of the research is to make a first assessment of consumers’ views on these foods. The survey was conducted online, in the midst of the pandemic, in the fall of 2020, with the participation of 510 respondents nationwide.
The research showed that consumers are aware of the Epirotan foods (84.8%), their local production (86.2%), and their health benefits (78.8%). They believe that they promote the region (95.9%) and that if they found them in their area they would buy them (82.5%).
At the same time, however, they believe that food companies are not able to promote them outside Epirus (54.4%), and that in general their promotion is probably still unsatisfactory (only 7.1% positive view).
Consumers buy them mainly from supermarkets (89.2%), with a frequency mainly of once a week (38.9%), or once a month (26.7%).
They prefer in order of choice the traditional Epirotan cheeses (94.3%), dairy products (69.4%), wines (39.1%), aromatic plants (27.3%), honey (38.5%), pasta ( 19.6%), legumes (18.4%) and oil (14.6%).
The Governor of Epirus Mr. Alexandros Kachrimanis, referring to the research states: “The Region of Epirus in order to create branding, and the effective promotion of traditional Epirotan food in this new order of things internationally, and the”new” in terms of choics consumers, in collaboration with the food laboratory of the Department of Chemistry of the University of Ioannina, started a collaboration in order to understand the preferences and choices of consumers inside and outside Greece regarding traditional food, and the creation based on the results of a reliable, timeless, and effective branding.
The purpose of all this, as the governor pointed out, is the further development of these products and their promotion on international markets. In the next phase, the aim is to investigate the confidence of Greek consumers in traditional Greek food as a whole in order to “weigh the position of the Epirotan among them, and to choose the strategic approach in the Greek market, before proceeding with further research for foreign markets.
