Quality Perceptions of Feta Cheese

This study deals with the quality of feta cheese as perceived by 534 individuals 18-35 years of age. Additionally, differences were explored based on the area of residence (urban, semi-urban, and rural area) and gender. Data analysis included basic descriptive statistics, factor analysis, independent samplesKruskal-Wallis oneway ANOVA test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results revealed that the strongest quality indicators for consumers are taste, odor, color, and texture of feta cheese. Factor analysis provided with four quality dimensions treated as new variables used in hypothesis testing, namely quality assurance, core product characteristics, price and packaging, and marketing communication. The Mann-Whitney U test revealed that for all quality dimensions gender differences exist. As to the independent samples Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA test, it indicated differences regarding consumers' area of residence and perceptions of quality, as regards the dimensions of quality assurance and marketing communication of feta cheese.