Attitudes of Maltese consumers towards quality in fruit and vegetables in relation to their food-related lifestyles

Consumers' interest in quality aspects of food products has significantly increased. The objective of this study is to examine the influence that Maltese consumers' lifestyles have on their attitudes towards quality features of fruit and vegetables. To achieve our objective we used the Food-Related Lifestyle approach and carried out a telephone survey during February 2010 in Malta. Consumer profiles were identified through segmentation analysis, taking into account five aspects: (i) subjectivity of quality; (ii) consumer difference; (iii) intangible dimensions; (iv) information environment; (v) and price.