Differentiating fish products: Consumers' preferences for origin and traceability

The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers' preferences for the origin and traceability of fish products. A survey was carried out in Spain with 215 people responsible for household food purchasing who bought fish products at least once a year. Data were analysed using frequencies, Welch's t-test and ordered logistic models. Results indicate that consumers mainly associate the traceability of fish products with their origin. Furthermore, the majority of them look for differentiated products, particularly by their origin, and are interested in seeing this information in labels. In contrast, only a small proportion of consumers hold a preference for traceable fish products, which constitutes only a small fraction of those who also prefer fish products differentiated by their origin. This result indicates that traceability is still a foreign term for the majority of consumers. The present research contributed new knowledge for fish products by investigating the value of generic origin as a differentiation cue instead of focusing on a specific origin. In addition, this research evaluates consumers' preferences for traceable fish products and its relationship with their preferences for products differentiated by their origin. The results of this study provide valuable information for producers and marketers of fish products about the Spanish fish market, one of the most relevant in Europe.