Objective of the MICMAC project
A wide range of commercial apricot batches, representative of those on the market (variety, season, production basin) was characterized in the MicMac¹ project. The apricots were classified into four groups of different taste quality: firm and acidic; juicy; sweet and aromatic; or mealy (Cottet et al., 2020). This article presents the second part of the work carried out in this project and concerns the analysis of consumer preferences. This work has specifically resulted in defining the level of appreciation of the range of apricots, as well as the parameters that determine consumer expectations or rejection (see box below). In addition, consumer segments with specific expectations were identified, as well as consumer perceptions in terms of maturity and color, and choice criteria when purchasing.
