Consumers’ behaviour toward typical italian dry sausages

This study aimed to provide information on handling and consumption habits of dry fermented sausages produced in Italy withtraditional methods. Traditional sausages are considered by interviewed consumers as an important part of their habits. The habitualpurchase was widespread in the considered regions and it was made often directly from the producers. Handling and consumption habitswere linked with the typology of sausages and therefore to the territory. Statistical analysis allowed to identify three categories of consumers.The first included the majority of the consumers that handled, ate and stored dry sausages as ‘laid down’ by the tradition and itwas named ‘‘traditionalist’’. The second group was composed by ‘‘nostalgic’’ people because they associated the consumption of drysausages with the tastes of the ‘olden days’. The third contained ‘‘modern consumers’’: they did not buy traditional sausages regularly,and they managed the product in ‘new ways’. In conclusion, this survey has made possible to understand consumers’ behaviour and thefactors influencing their choices in the purchase of traditional dry fermented sausages in the surveyed areas.[...]