INFLUENCE OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS IN THE CONSUMERS PREFERENCES ABOUT COLOUR AND MARBLED IN BEEF MEAT

摘要

IntroductionNowadays, the consumer's role in the agriculture and food system is increasing, which makes that their opinions and preferences are determinant in the strategies that producing companies must follow. In case of the sector of bovine meat it is essential to know the likings of the consumers and the factors that influence in the quality of fresh meat, being the colour (Killinger et al., 2004) and the fat some of the most important attributes for the election of this product, as they are associated to the image of quality and health in this product. The PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) "Carne de la Sierra de Guadarrama" is a figure of differentiated quality recognized in the European Union that protects a typical system of production where the origin is fundamental, what contributes to have differential characteristics (Loureiro et al., 2000). It is expected to determine if there are differences between people that consume meat with PGI label and people that consume meat without any denomination, in relation with the preferences about different levels of colour and veined meat. Also, it is expected to determine the influence of different socioeconomic variables in these preferences.