Familiarity and purchasing intention of Belgian consumers for fresh and processed tropical fruit products

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on tropical fruits, both in fresh and processed form, and on the influence of socio-demographic, psychosocial and socio-environmental factors on their consumption and purchasing intention. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire-based survey (n = 290) was used to gain insight in the perceived importance of different food choice determinants (i.e. familiarity with tropical fruits, attitude and beliefs towards this food category, influence of social norm and socio-demographic characteristics), and their role on the intention to purchase tropical fruits. Data analysis consisted of descriptive analyses and statistical validation. Findings – Familiarity with tropical fruits differs and depends on consumers’ product-related experiences. Tropical fruits are perceived as nutritious, healthy, good in taste, attractive and special. Socio-demographic characteristics, such as gender, place of living and travel experience outside Europe, associate with product familiarity, consumers’ general attitude and beliefs, and the purchasing intention of tropical fruits. Originality/value – This paper covers a previously rather unexplored, even neglected research topic, namely consumers’ attitude and behavioural intention towards fresh and processed tropical fruits