Honey attributes Italian shoppers value most
What it found
In a survey of 416 honey buyers in Piedmont, Italy, the most important attributes were health benefits and flavour.
Age, education and job also shaped what people looked for.
What they found
Studies in people
Top attributes
The most important attributes were health-related, such as "Functional for the body" and "Strengthens immune defences", followed by flavour. The least important were "Source of sugars", "Source of Minerals" and "Certifications".
Four consumer groups
The researchers found four groups: people who value health, sustainability, organic sourcing, and quality. The largest group was "Organic is better" at 29.9% of respondents, and the smallest was "quality-sensitive" at 20.3%.
Health-focused group
About 25.8% of respondents were in a group that preferred honey for its beneficial properties, like strengthening immune defences and being functional for the body. They also cared about flavour and aroma but not about nutrition or certifications.
Sustainability-focused group
About 23.9% of respondents valued environmental sustainability and animal welfare the most. They preferred local products and cared about gastronomic pairing.
Quality-focused group
About 20.3% of respondents cared most about certification and sensory qualities like aroma and flavour. They gave less importance to nutritional characteristics.
Demographic differences
Age, education level and profession differed significantly between the groups. Gender, family size and monthly income did not.
What the authors conclude
“This study confirms that honey consumer behaviours are increasingly linked to health aspects and organoleptic compounds.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that honey consumer behaviours are increasingly linked to health aspects and organoleptic compounds.
- They advise that these findings can contribute to promoting good nutrition and improving public health.
- They suggest that the experimental model could be replicated in other areas to compare honey consumption styles.
How it was done
The authors wanted to understand what information people use when choosing honey, since honey is getting more media attention and has many positive attributes.
They surveyed 416 honey purchasers in Piedmont, Italy, between April and August 2022, using online and face-to-face questionnaires. Participants chose the most and least important of 12 honey attributes, and the researchers grouped them into consumer types.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a survey of honey buyers in one Italian region, so it cannot show what causes people to choose honey or how preferences might change.
- The study did not include extrinsic attributes like branding, pricing or labelling, so it cannot show how those affect choices.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Fondazione Giovanni Goria (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Turin, Italy
The paper
- Title
- A Choice Experiment Model for Honey Attributes: Italian Consumer Preferences and Socio-Demographic Profiles
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Sparacino A, Merlino VM, Blanc S, Borra D, Massaglia S (2022). A Choice Experiment Model for Honey Attributes: Italian Consumer Preferences and Socio-Demographic Profiles. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu14224797Free full textPubMed 36432483DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error