The Influence of Eating Habits on Preferences Towards Innovative Food Products

This chapter focuses on the influence of consumers' consumption styles in development of food products. A food company's strategy for consumer integration in product development using the food consumption style approach could be structured as: Potential target groups are selected from all food consumption style clusters, taking into account their previous purchase frequency and general attitude toward the product group of interest, target group preferences toward specific product features of the innovative product concept are analyzed, and significant results or clear tendencies are then taken as evidence for final product design. Thus, the food consumption style tool is applied to obtain consumer segment-related preferences toward product features and represents a good starting point for product development. The success of product development activities and marketing of newly developed products are also dependent on appropriate marketing strategies, including consumer communication.