ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Food Policy and Economics
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1600873
This article is part of the Research TopicIndustry and Individuals: Branding, Labelling, and Marketing of Food Products: Volume IIView all articles
Determinants of Aged Cheese Consumer Preferences in Morocco: A Cross-Sectional Study of Economic, Cultural and Social Factors Influencing Purchasing Behaviors
Provisionally accepted
- 1Ben M'sik Faculty of Sciences, University of Hassan II Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco
- 2Laboratory of Biology and Health, Casablanca, Morocco
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The shift in dietary habits, driven by increased exposure to global gastronomy and enhanced living standards, has promoted the growth of aged cheese consumption, also known as matured cheese, on a global scale. Although considered to be premium products, these cheeses go beyond their simple food status to embody a cultural heritage, even in countries where this culture is not historically rooted, such as Morocco. However, this trend mainly concerns consumption, while local production remains limited, reinforcing dependence on imports. As well as their gastronomic dimension, these products are increasingly being promoted as a result of a growing awareness of their benefits, which is stimulating greater interest among consumers. This study aims to redefine the status of mature cheeses in Morocco by identifying the factors influencing their acceptability and consumer preferences. An online questionnaire, validated and distributed to a representative population, was used to analyze these trends statistically. The results reveal a promising market, marked by strong interest in these products and frequent consumption, modulated by criteria linked to the product's characteristics and the economic factors influencing the purchase decision, while the impact of socio-demographic variables remains more moderate. The acceptability of mature cheeses, particularly local products, is accompanied by a willingness on the part of consumers to favor quality over price, as well as a significant attachment to national production, which has been demonstrated. This dynamic opens up favorable prospects for the development of national production, reducing dependence on imports and offering local producers an opportunity to strengthen their position in a market that is still not very competitive. A move upmarket, supported by a targeted marketing strategy that takes account of identified consumer disincentives and promotes the 'local' character, would be an effective lever for boosting this sector, especially as the results indicate a marked appeal for these products.
Keywords: Aged cheese, Authenticity, Consumer preferences, Local market, Consumption frequency, Purchasing power, Choice factors
Received: 27 Mar 2025; Accepted: 26 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Mouatadid, Oukheda, Khiati, Saile and Kettani. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Nouhayla Mouatadid, Ben M'sik Faculty of Sciences, University of Hassan II Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco
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