Avaliação da qualidade e preferência de polpas de frutas sob a ótica dos consumidores de Cajazeiras, Patos e Sousa na Paraíba.

Abstract

There is a notable increase in the industrial production of fruit pulps throughout the national market, most of this production is destined to the production of frozen fruit pulps. The development of this sector is due to the fact that its commercialization presents itself as a low-cost alternative that makes fruits available to all social strata throughout the year. The advance of this market is due to the production of pulps frozen mainly by micro and small companies, often deployed with the purpose of improving the family income of small rural producers. Fruit pulps sold on supermarket shelves must have good quality characteristics to meet consumer requirements and improve their preference. In this context, the objective of the present study was to analyze the quality and preference of fruit pulp from the consumers' perspective of Cajazeiras, Patos and Sousa in the sertão of Paraíba. Data collection was done through interviews with 120 consumers randomly selected in supermarkets and markets of the said cities. Data collection was performed through a semi-structured questionnaire applied to customers at the time of purchase. It was also observed a grouping of the socio-economic and demographic variables of the clients. Among the main findings of this work, we highlight the identification of the quality of fruit pulp purchased and customer preference. We also noticed suggestions given by the clients so that the companies draw improvement strategies in order to improve the quality in the fruit pulps produced and marketed in the cities of study. It was concluded that the majority of clients were female, married, aged between 18 to 35 years, income from a minimum wage and complete secondary education. The results obtained allow us to understand that the consumers of the three municipalities in general are satisfied with the quality of the product acquired in supermarkets and markets. Although the study was carried out in some supermarkets and businesses of Cajazeiras, Patos and Sousa, it was characterized as a case study, having inferential limitations. The relevance of this work is substantial, as fruit pulp companies can further enhance their current context for satisfactory product manufacturing that meets their customers' expectations, as well as contributing to future research in the field.