CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR DRIED APPLES OF CULTIVAR FLORINA

Abstract

Regarding the World Health Organization's prescription to consume more fruits and vegetables to make people healthier, the article gives particular consideration to consumers' preferences about fruit consumption. In the study, apple fruits of the cultivar Florina were chosen. The type of fruits that respondents should rate in the study were dried. Four apple drying methods were used: in sun, in shade, in dehydrator, and in lyophilizer. The study found that freeze-dried apples are the most pre-ferred, followed by those in a dehydrator and sun. These types were also rated highest in taste, while shade-dried fruits were rated negatively. According to the respondents, dried apples of the cultivar Florina can be consumed year-round; they are healthy and suitable for young children and diabetics and do not have added sweeteners. In addition, freeze-dried apples resemble fruit chips, they are crunchy and have a nice, unchanged color. Regarding consumers' willingness to purchase dried Florina apples, it was found that consumers are willing to pay the most for dried apples between BGN 1 and BGN 2. In contrast, the apples dried in a lyophilizer were rated higher over BGN 5. As a result of the study, it can be summarized that each consumer's taste is different. Also, each type of dried fruit has different consumer groups. The most preferred types include dried apples in a lyoph-ilizer, dehydrator, and sun.