Page 49 - FoodFocusThailand No.163 October 2019

SOMETH
SOMETHING ABOUT FOODING ABOUT FOOD

Recently, we conducted a study across Asia to understand The definition of “smoke” also varies with the markets. With the
what drives sausage consumer behavior. The study focused on prevalence of street food and various local cooking methods,
consumers’ preferences and buying habits for sausages. consumers understand the right kind of “smoke” differently.
Needless to say, the sausages market in Europe and North
America are relatively developed and advanced, thanks to long- Question is: Will You Buy It?
embedded food traditions and cultures. Price is always a key factor in making a purchase. The majority of
In Asia, however, the level of acceptance — and consequently, Thai consumers have a limited disposable income — this is why they
consumption habits — remains developing. only buy products that are worth their.
We’ll delve into three main areas that concern the consumption One thing that influences their purchasing choice is the brand
of sausages in this country, namely taste, value and food safety. name of a product. The level of trust with the producer is important to
the consumers.
Understanding the Thai Market Another important attribute is the meat content in a sausage
On one hand, Thai market has borrowed some flavor ideas from product. Consumers want to ensure they get a good-quality product
Europe. On the other hand, we see more room for experimentation: with actual meat in it, and with little or no unknown additives and
Thailand has seen a rise in popularity of cheese sausages — substitutes.
something not seen as a big trend in Western markets. In fact, brand name is among the top three reasons for a Thai
consumer in buying sausages, at 59% weightage of importance;
Tasting the Waters followed closely by taste at 78%, and type of meat used weighing in
According to our recent consumer research in Thailand, 78% at 60%.
consumers have identified taste is an important factor when
purchasing sausages and top three sausage flavors are smoke Safe and Satisfied
(63%), cheese (44%) and chili (41%). Consumers are vigilant of the labels on food packaging, particularly
Here’s the silver lining — there is a common taste denominator storage instructions. In many cases, sausages are usually sold in
across the various markets surveyed: Smoked-flavored sausages. open markets with limited refrigeration, so food preservation and safety
“Smoke” as a flavor is N1 in the global meat industry, hence its are a key concern.
wide familiarity among consumers. Beyond, consumers are seeking Our separate study on clean labels revealed that consumers
flavors beyond the classical smoked taste, hence the phenomenon actively look for safe meat and are ready to pay a premium for it. Such
of named smokes (e.g. beechwood, hickory) as well as more claims as “no additives or preservatives” has become a distinct factor
premium smokes (e.g. bbq, roasted, toasted, grilled) to meet this that consumers look for in a product label and justifies a higher price.
demand.

OCT 2019 FOOD FOCUS THAILAND 49

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