Effetto delle informazioni relative al sistema di allevamento biologico sull'accettabilità del formaggio pecorino

The present study was aimed to assess the effect of information about organic production on “Pecorino” cheese liking. Mean scores of perceived liking were similar for organic cheese (OC) and conventional cheese (CC). Expected liking scores were higher for OC than for CC (P<0.001). For OC the expected liking was significantly higher (P<0.001) than the perceived liking expressed in blind conditions (negative disconfirmation), whereas for CC the expected liking was significantly lower (P<0.001) than the perceived liking expressed in blind conditions (positive disconfirmation). Consumers assimilated their liking for OC in the direction of expectations, as the difference actual vs. perceived liking was significant (P<0.001). However, the assimilation was not complete, as the difference actual liking vs. expected liking was also significant (P<0.001). Consumers showed a willingness to pay OC higher than the actual commercial value of organic cheese. We conclude that the information about organic farming can be a major determinant of cheese liking, thus providing a potential tool for product differentiation, particularly for small scale and traditional farms.