of fresh vegetables also attached higher importance to seeing the veg-
etables as a guide to judging their quality.
Perception of Fresh and Processed Vegetables
Within the focus group discussions, the perception of fresh, frozen,
canned vegetables and vegetables in glass was determined by using a
projective technique, namely, the photo sort. Hereby respondents are
asked what type of consumer prefers fresh, frozen, canned vegetables
and vegetables in glass. In this way, elements are collected enabling a
description of the typical consumer of each category of products. In total,
eight types of consumers were shown during the photo sort. The results
of this exercise are shown in Figure 13.2.
The typical consumer of fresh vegetables can be described as a fe-
male who corresponds with the traditional mother figure and concen-
trates on healthy food, containing all minerals, vitamins and energy.
Cocooning is a central lifestyle in the life of this person, who is posi-
tioned in the second quadrant of the figure.
256 INTEGRATED QUALITY MANAGEMENT
FIGURE 13.2Perceptions of consumers of fresh, frozen, canned and glass-packaged
vegetables.