**Preface to "Sustainable Food System in the European Union"**

Among the efforts to tackle climate and environmental challenges, the European Green Deal (EGD) plays an important role in proposing a holistic approach in which all European actions and policies contribute to the objectives of the Green Deal itself. The EGD plans new, sustainable, and inclusive growth strategies to enhance the economy, improve people's health and quality of life, protect nature, and ensure no one is left behind. The Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy is one of the EGD strategies focused on sustainable food systems and the complex links between healthy people, healthy societies, and a healthy planet. The F2F strategy, while emphasizing the awareness that food systems remain one of the key drivers of climate change and environmental degradation, highlights the need for a transition towards a green agri-food system.

The main goals of the F2F strategy are to ensure sufficient, affordable, and nutritious food within planetary limits; to guarantee sustainable food production through a substantial reduction in pesticides, antimicrobials, and fertilizers use, and an increase in organic farming; to promote more sustainable food consumption and healthy diets; to minimize food loss and waste; to fight food fraud; and to improve animal welfare. The F2F strategy's aim can be summarized as a shift to a sustainable food system that brings environmental, health, and social benefits, offers economic gains, and ensures sustainable growth.

This Special Issue of Sustainability has contributed to this field by collecting high-quality studies and research related to the complexity of food systems to measure the progress in achieving F2F and EGD strategies' goals.

The Guest Editors are glad that this Special Issue has attracted the attention of several researchers who shared their results by submitting original research articles, case studies, reviews, critical perspectives, and viewpoint articles. The Special Issue's final results provide an updated picture of the effectiveness of the F2F strategy and any corrective actions needed.

#### **Mariarosaria Lombardi, Vera Amicarelli, and Erica Varese** *Editors*

**Diana Maria Ilie 1, Georgiana-Raluca Lădaru 2, Maria Claudia Diaconeasa 2,\* and Mirela Stoian <sup>2</sup>**


**Abstract:** Milk and dairy are basic food products and their importance in healthy human development is well known. However, this does not mean that the consumers' requests for these products are not evolving and fitting into the new context of sustainable development. By conducting a quantitative analysis on 847 answers regarding milk and dairy consumption offered by Romanian consumers, the objective of this study is to reveal what are the main factors of influence for respondents when choosing a milk or dairy product, and to see if these factors are evolving towards including sustainability-related aspects. The results point out that while price and store availability are still present as choice criteria, new aspects that might be related to a sustainable behavior, such as ecologic certification, country of origin or traditional products, are considered by the respondents when purchasing milk and dairy. However, this depends on the level of income; higher incomes allow respondents to consider new criteria.

**Keywords:** consumer behavior; milk and dairy choice; sustainable choice; influencing factors; income influence

#### **1. Introduction**

The debate around milk and dairy consumption has become more important along with the increase of nutritional information [1,2], the consumers' need for ensuring balanced and healthy diets for themselves and their children [3], but also due to the possible environmental impact of animal farms [4], and even possible health risks determined by this type of products such as allergies or intolerance [5]. Increasingly, how the choices made by consumers affect the development of the planet, meaning sustainable choices [1,6], including food products, are getting to be more present in the regular choice patterns [7].

The international funds and grants for agriculture always aim a significant percentage of their support at farms for milk production as this product is considered a basic one [8]. Yet, a slight change in the agricultural policy and support schemes, such as the lift of milk quotas in the European Union (EU), has major impact for the producers, affecting them differently based on the market size and farm size, determining important progress for Danish farmers and the incapacity of being competitive for Greek farmers, therefore bringing major changes for the local markets [9].

The milk and dairy market potential of Romania, as a member of the EU since 2007, serves as a particular case for this study considering on one hand the tradition of consuming milk and dairy from a variety of species (cow, sheep, goat, buffalo and even donkey), the country being part of the Balkan region [10], and on the other hand considering the constant negative trade balance for milk and dairy, meaning that the local products are insufficient for satisfying the consumers' needs [11]. Additionally, the GDP per capita for the EU countries in 2020 placed Romania as the last but one among the 27 member states. The GDP

**Citation:** Ilie, D.M.; L ˘adaru, G.-R.; Diaconeasa, M.C.; Stoian, M. Consumer Choice for Milk and Dairy in Romania: Does Income Really Have an Influence? *Sustainability* **2021**, *13*, 12204. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/su132112204

Academic Editors: Mariarosaria Lombardi and Giuseppe Todde

Received: 22 September 2021 Accepted: 3 November 2021 Published: 5 November 2021

**Publisher's Note:** MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

**Copyright:** © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

per capita in Romania was 8810 euro, compared to the EU27 average of 26,380 euro [12]. Meanwhile, the harmonized index of consumer prices in 2020 for the milk and dairy category shows a higher increase for Romania than for the EU 27 average, meaning that the prices for this type of product has raised faster than in the EU [13]. Moreover, Romania is in the last place considering the disposable income reported to the consumption expenditure in the EU, meaning that the people spend much of their income on satisfying their basic needs, such as providing food [14]. Therefore, the influence of income on the consumption choices that consumers make should be a key factor to look into for Romania and is considered as the main aspect of investigation for this study.

Several studies focus on determining the aspects that influence the consumer choice for specific food products, both positively and negatively. Therefore, they investigate consumer behavior [15]. Beginning with the obvious factors such as price or availability, which have been observed by marketers to have a high influence on the purchasing and consumption behavior, the new socio-economic and environmental context presents itself with new factors that change this behavior, such as the willingness to pay for more sustainable products [1]. In the case of milk and dairy, Nam et al. [16] has observed such a shift regarding the consumers' willingness to pay for mountain dairy produced in sustainable farms.

Understanding the factors that influence the consumer choice for milk and dairy, as important nutritional providers, and determining if there are any tendencies towards sustainable choices serve as the purposes of this study.

The paper should be of interest both to local and international producers in the milk industry, as they should be aware of the consumer expectations and purchasing power so to adjust their offer accordingly, but also to policy makers in documentation for future food policies intended at supporting and educating production and consumption in the milk and dairy sector.

#### **2. Theoretical Background**

#### *2.1. Importance of Sustainable Food*

Since the Brundtland Report [17], which proposed sustainable development as a solution for improving the quality of the environment and society in the long term, along with economic development, and also until the Sustainable Development Goals [18], the ways of production in domains such as agriculture [19,20], construction [21,22], industry [23] (including the dairy industry [24]), and, more recently, consumption of different products such as food [1,25] and fashion [26], or services such as tourism [27], have been questioned and solutions for making them more sustainable have been proposed.

The case of sustainable dairy is a sensitive one. On one hand, milk and dairy, along with meat and eggs, represent a prime source of superior protein, known for thousands of years, so it is natural to observe increasing trends in the consumption of these products while countries register economic and social development [16,28]; this also being the case of EU Central and Eastern countries, where GDP values increased compared to the EU average [29]. On the other hand, the intensive dairy farming industry is recognized by the high environmental impact and contribution to global warming, acidification, energy consumption and land occupation [30,31], which makes it unsustainable. Therefore, the alternative may reside in traditional farms with a small production of traditional products [32] or mountain products [30], which are increasing on the consumers preference list [16,33].

Regarding the notion of sustainable food, the FAO [34] envisions it as food that is nutritious and accessible for everyone, while natural resources are managed to support the current and future human needs. Otherwise, there are different accepted characteristics that can make a food product recognized as sustainable, such as plant-based [35] or insect-based [36], with a less meat-based composition [37], seasonal food [38,39], locally grown and produced food [39], and organic food [40]. Additionally, there are a series of accepted barriers to consuming sustainable food. For example, cultural barriers as the reluctance to consume cultured meat or insects [39], financial barriers [41], or even habituality barriers [42].

#### *2.2. Importance of Milk and Dairy in Diets*

Around the world, milk and dairy have been known as food sources for a long time. Milk is acknowledged as a complete food, composed by all nutrient categories. Moreover, other dairy products such as yogurts are included in the category of functional foods, meaning products that are beneficial for the health and wellbeing of the consumer [2,43].

Several authors mention the importance of milk and dairy consumption especially for pregnant women, children, adolescents, and older people, due to the increased composition of mineral salts and vitamins, responsible for the proper development and maintenance of bones and muscles [3,44,45]. Adding on this, Givens [3] mentions that threats of increased cardiovascular disease due to milk and dairy consumption are disproved by clinical studies, while the correlation between yogurt consumption and type II diabetes needs to be further studied.

Regarding the regular consumption of milk and dairy, studies have determined an average of 2–3 servings per day, depending on the availability of these products and their presence in the culture of a country [46], being a regular presence in an extended part of the globe [47].

Since this type of product may contribute to ensuring food security through the nutritional values and its widespread, the level of income should not be a factor of influence in milk consumption. Nevertheless, studies show that lower incomes lead to poorer choices in milk quality [48,49]. Moreover, other research points out that the lower income groups have a higher sensitivity than medium and high-income groups to income and price fluctuations when choosing dairy products [50]. In addition, the income inequalities significantly influence the quality of life of people in developing countries, including their possibility of spending on high quality food products [51].

Demographic factors, such as gender, are known to influence the choice of diet. Women pay more attention to low fat diets and healthy diets than men [52]. Even more, there are studies claiming that men are less willing to pay for higher quality in food products [53] and read the labels superficially [54]. Nevertheless, the consumption of milk in men and women should not differ as it has lifelong benefits [55].

#### *2.3. Sources of Milk and Dairy*

While in general terms, milk refers to the product of the cows, they are not the only type of animal which produces edible milk. Park [43] observes that the general tendency is to skip the importance and nutritional value of milk coming from other animals, especially since cows have adapted so well in farms all over the world. Hoowever, the milk and dairy coming from other types of animals such as buffalos (mozzarella), sheep and goats (yogurt and chesses) or even donkey (milk) puts renowned specialties on the market. For example, the Italian mozzarella is a certified product made especially from buffalo milk, which offers it a superior taste and texture [56]. Zicarelli [57] shows that buffalo milk has a higher nutrient content and a lower cholesterol level than cow's milk. However, the farming of such animals is more difficult, needing more water and space, and therefore being less suited for large farms [56]. The case of sheep and goats is also special, as the extensive methods of farming specific to the Mediterranean or Balkan region offer the dairy products particular sensorial qualities and place them among the traditional products sought especially by locals. However, whether they will be able to adapt to the standardized market of the developed countries or they will remain a hard-to-get traditional product is still not known [10,58]. Donkey milk is more known as a treatment for diverse types of affections, such as milk intolerance in infants, having a chemical composition remarkably close to human milk [59,60]. Moreover, using it in the treatment of lung disease, including lung cancer, has raised the interest of scholars [61]. Depending on the local culture and natural fauna, there are other species of animal that provide sources of milk, which are less

known or understood at the general level, such as camels, mares, or reindeers [43,62]. In addition, the innovation vector [63] has not jumped over the dairy sector. Research and development have presented alternative plant-based results for milk, such as soy milk, rice milk or almond milk [64].

Nevertheless, due to its high availability and recognizable taste, cow's milk is expected to be the preferred source for consumers [65].

#### *2.4. Factors Influencing the Consumer Choice of Milk and Dairy*

Determining the factors that trigger or suppress the purchasing and consumption decision for several types of products has been of interest to researchers and marketers for a long time [1,66]. The universality of these products has attracted attention from researchers in various geographical regions. For example, in Kosovo, a study [67] revealed that the factors that have a significant influence on the choice of dairy are consumer gender, trust in the products, perceived quality, origin, and price of the purchased product. The Slovak consumers consider that price, taste, and quality of the local dairy are strengths, being perceived as healthy, while the imported products excel in packaging and variety [68]. Other researchers [69] show that Chinese consumers are significantly influenced by the country-of-origin of milk and dairy products, trusting them more than the local products, while the preference for a specific country is guided by consumer familiarity and experience with the products, ethnocentrism, and animosity, and even some cultural value differences. For the Italian consumers, the low price and high availability in the supermarkets of cows' milk are main reasons for consumption, while the health benefits of the donkey milk are seen as superior, but the difficulty of finding it in the supermarkets proves to be a significant barrier [70].

The sensory properties of milk and dairy products, such as color, smell, taste, fat quantity or density are powerful indicators for consumers in choosing a particular product [2]. Others focus on factors that may be related to a sustainable choice, such as origin of the products, determining a preference for local and mountain products [13] or the certification of Good Agricultural Practice, in the case of Japanese consumers [71]. Other authors observe that basic factors such as availability of products, price and packaging significantly influence the consumers in making a choice for milk and dairy products [70,72].

Some newer factors indicate that not all consumers are open to trying organic products, but there are some for which ethical aspects and green consumerism are motives for purchasing organic products [40]. Other authors point out that in higher-income countries, green purchases have the role of bringing people closer to the environment. Therefore, sustainable food choice is becoming more pressing especially in these countries [73]. However, other studies [74] claim that emerging economies have a higher willingness to pay for environmentally certified food produce. Roman et al. [75] find that for people who give a higher importance to natural foods, the willingness to eat ecological or organic food increases, while other studies point out that consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable food products or food with sustainable characteristics. For example, Gao et al. [33] claim that the willingness to pay for sustainable dairy is 40% higher than for regular dairy in the case of Chinese consumers. Other authors [76] claim that Spanish consumers are willing to pay more for locally grown almonds, as opposed to long traveled almonds. Adding on this, other studies point out that some European consumers are willing to pay more for locally captured fish, due to the trustful standards and effective communication regarding the standards [77]. Other aspects considered by consumers as worthy of paying more are innovative packaging solutions in the case of milk and dairy [78], or the provenance from small farms, that actually diminishes the need for organic certification [79]. Due to these previous studies, we consider that the willingness to pay more for milk and dairy with sustainability related aspects from the Romanian consumers is of further interest. In this case, the hypotheses of the current research were based on the previous studies on the influencing factors of consumption of milk and dairy.

Given previous studies [51–54,68], we consider that the correlation between gender and the choice criteria for milk and dairy should be further investigated, and we expect that some considerable differences between respondent gender groups would be revealed. Hence, hypothesis one was formulated.

**Hypothesis 1 (H1).** *There is a significant correlation between gender and the considered choice criteria for milk and dairy*.

Considering earlier information [12–14,48–51], we expect income to be significantly correlated with the availability of ecological products [16,33,40,75], given the fact that higher income groups would afford purchasing products with higher price [55,70,72]. Additionally, a significant correlation is expected between income and perceived quality of the products [67,68,77], given the fact that people expect to have the highest benefits from their purchases; and between income and traditional products, such as local products, especially coming from small producers [16,33,68,76,79]. The testing for these criteria has been considered through the willingness to pay for products that are certificated, traditional and have a high perceived quality, but also the declared expenditure for them is at least a medium one per week. Therefore, the second hypothesis for this study is the following:

**Hypothesis 2 (H2).** *There is a significant correlation between the income of the respondents and the environmental-related criteria (availability of ecological products, perceived quality, or traditional products), expressed through their willingness to pay more for these products (H2a) and by having at least a medium weekly expenditure for them (H2b)*.

Because several authors mention the country of origin in their research [67,69,76], this characteristic complying with both expectations for lower price [67,68,70] and contribution to supporting local production [76,79], we considered the correlation between income level and the country of origin in the third hypothesis.

**Hypothesis 3 (H3).** *There is a significant correlation between the income of the respondents and the country of origin for milk and dairy*.

Store availability is mentioned constantly in previous studies [70–72], meaning that the consumers would buy what is available if they come to the store with the purpose of buying milk, even if it may not satisfy their ethical or environmental expectations; therefore we expect income and store availability to be strongly correlated, as opposed to a lower correlation between possible health recommendations or long term health benefits of milk consumption and income [68,70].

**Hypothesis 4 (H4).** *There is a lower correlation between the health recommendations of milk and dairy consumption and income of the respondents than between large retail store availability of these products and income of the respondents*.

#### **3. Materials and Methods**

Considering that Romania has a negative trade balance regarding milk and dairy products, as it may be seen in Figure 1, especially regarding cheese and curd, but also for raw milk, as a total for all species that are traded, it presents a particular case for studying the factors that guide Romanian consumers in their choice of purchase and consumption for milk and dairy. Since the import of milk and dairy is at a high rate, how consumers take into consideration the country of origin for these products and their appreciation for the local produced ones is of interest and will be shown later in the study. Additionally, the low level of income and GDP per capita, compared to the steep increase in the harmonized index of consumer prices, earlier presented [12–14], support the choice of the case study considered in this research.

**Figure 1.** Romanian trade balance for milk and dairy between 2016–2020 (thousand US Dollars)**.** Source: International Trade Center [11].

Regarding the method of gathering the information, the quantitative survey was considered, using the structured investigation technique through a self-administered questionnaire [80]. Convenience sampling using the "snowball" method was used as a sampling method [81].

In order to determine the sample size, the Taro Yamane method was used [82], according to which:

$$\mathbf{n} = \mathbf{N} \;/\; \text{(1} + \text{N} \; \* \; \text{e}^2\text{)},\tag{1}$$

where n is the sample size, N is the total population size, and e is the accepted error.

For a total population of 17,592,625 people over the age of 15 years old [83], the size of the determined sample is 847 people, using an error of 3.43%.

The questionnaire contained 29 questions, of which 26 were closed questions and three were open questions. Once developed, the questionnaire was tested on twenty people to gather feedback on understanding the questions and thus improve the quality of the research. Then it was released for the general public.

The variables used in the study of the milk and dairy choice are:


The data were interpreted using a quantitative analysis software SPSS [84] and the semantical differential scale [85] in order to capture and present the main characteristics of the respondents. The answers to the open questions regarding suggestions from the respondents for the milk and dairy producers were interpreted using a map generating software, KH Coder, based on frequency and correlations of the words in the open answers [86].

#### **4. Results and Discussion**

From the total number of participants in this study (847 persons), 96.5% declare themselves as consumers of milk and dairy and 3.5% declare they do not consume these types of products. In order to see the structure of the respondents, in Table 1, the frequency of consumption by gender, age groups and income groups is presented.


**Table 1.** Milk and dairy consumption frequency.

\* y.o. = years old; \*\* lei = monthly income. Source: authors own interpretation of data.

Considering the distribution of the respondents by consumption frequency, we may see that, from the total number of respondents which consume milk and dairy (818), the majority has a frequent consumption. The percentages were obtained by reporting the number of respondents in a gender, age, or income frequency group to the total number of respondents in that category. The results are in line with previous studies [10,46]; Romania is a Balkan country, and therefore has a long-standing tradition of consuming milk and dairy.

There are some differences that may be observed between gender groups, with females having a higher percentage for daily consumption than men, who register the highest percentage in the 2–3 times/week category.

Considering the differences between age groups, the 30–39 years old category registers the highest percentage of respondents in the occasional frequency, followed by the above 50 years old category. Additionally, the 30–39 years old category has the highest percentage of respondents in the daily frequency group. An interesting observation emerges from the age groups distribution; the categories above 30 years old have the highest percentages in the daily and occasional frequency groups. This may be due to a better knowledge of the personal body and its tolerances and needs that come along with age.

Regarding the income groups, the above 6000 lei per month group registers the highest percentage of respondents in the daily frequency group, followed by the 3001–4000 lei/month income group. In addition, the higher income groups, above 3001 lei/month, register increasing percentages for the occasional frequency group.

Considering the preferred type of milk by animal species, the results of the study are presented in Figure 2.

The preferred source for milk and dairy is cows' milk, with more than 70% of the consumers participating in this study declaring they like it very much. The results are in line with previous studies [43,65]. The high preference for cows' milk is also supported by the higher availability in stores compared to milk and dairy from other species, as well as lower prices [65,70,87]. Additionally, the low national production of milk from other species [88] raises questions regarding the provenance of the products found in stores.

The goats' milk is the second most popular in the respondents' preference list, with more than 13% liking it much and very much [10]. The sheep and buffalos register less than 5% of the respondents who prefer it much or very much, while donkey milk registered insufficient answers to be taken into consideration in the analysis, supporting the idea that the lack of availability in stores is a prime barrier in consumption [65,70].

**Figure 2.** Preferred source for milk and dairy by animal species (%). Source: authors own interpretation of data.

The possible differences between men and women considering diverse selection criteria for milk and dairy products are presented in Figure 3.

**Figure 3.** Selection criteria for milk and dairy. Source: authors own interpretation of data.

By using the five-point semantical differential scale [85], the general preference scores were calculated for the female and male respondents of this study.

By calculating the chi-squared test for the correlation of gender and the different choice criteria, with four degrees of freedom and a significance level of 9,49, we point out that there are significant differences between the calculated chi (spread from 0.647 to 9.52 for the different criteria) and the theoretical chi (9,49). Therefore, there is no significant correlation between gender and choice criteria, which refutes the first hypothesis of the study (H1) and presents different results than previous studies [51–53,67].

Considering the descriptive statistics, the most important selection criteria are taste, followed by freshness and term of validity, while the least important are commercials and store offers. The lowest score offers an important insight in the changes of consumer behavior, which is now less influenced by the price offers and pays a higher attention to other selection criteria, pointing to a more educated consumer.

While the freshness, smell, and ingredients have a slightly higher importance for women, the taste, quality/price ratio, term of validity, origin, nutritional value, and price offers are more important for men. The high importance given to the sensorial properties (taste, smell, fat percentage) are important pointers for the fact that consumers are accustomed with this type of product and are able to determine their quality through the sensorial properties, the results supporting previous studies [2].

The willingness to pay for milk and dairy products which present specific environmental or social benefits differentiated by income categories is presented in Table 2.


**Table 2.** The willingness to pay for better milk and dairy (%).

\*\* monthly income. Source: authors own interpretation of data.

The willingness to pay higher prices for products that respond to new social or environmental criteria, therefore proving the respondents' involvement in supporting the community it lives in through traditional products, for example, or the care for the environment through ecologic certificated products, or just wanting a higher quality of the products for its own health, are becoming important aspects studied through consumer behavior changes [1,7].

It is important to notice that the non-willingness to pay has the smallest percentage of the respondents' categories of monthly income. Yet, for the 2001–3000 lei/month and 5001–6000 lei/month, these percentages are above 7%. From the three single options, the perceived superior quality is of the highest appeal to the respondents, meaning that the personal gain is more priced than the social or the environmental one, for all income groups. However, the cumulated answers and for two or all three options register more options than the single ones. More importantly, all three options register higher percentages with the higher income groups, which implies a higher income allows a person to consider the social and environmental implications of its purchasing options, the results being in line with previous studies [16,33,75].

There is a significant link between respondents' income and their willingness to buy milk and dairy products at higher prices, with a probability of 95%. The calculated chisquare has a value of 47.68, being higher than theoretical chi of 43.77 for a significance threshold of 0.05. Therefore, the first part of the second hypothesis is confirmed.

The average amount declared to be spent by the respondents for milk and dairy, by groups of prices and incomes, may be seen in Table 3.

The average amount declared to be spent weekly on milk and dairy by the respondents of this study are medium, between 26 and 75 lei/week, being followed by the lesser amount, less than 25 lei/week. Only few respondents spend amounts higher than 75 lei/week for this type of product. Through the chi-square testing, it was found that the calculated chi of 15.56 is less than the theoretical chi of 21.03 for a significance threshold of 0.05, so there is no significant influence of the respondents' income on the amount allocated for the purchase of such products. Therefore, hypothesis H2b is rejected; there is no correlation between the level of income and the weekly expenditure for milk and dairy.


**Table 3.** Average amount declared to be spent by the respondents for milk and dairy (% of respondents).

\*\* monthly income. Source: authors own interpretation of data.

The importance of the country of origin for milk and dairy by income categories, calculated through the semantic differential [85], is presented in Figure 4.

**Figure 4.** Consideration of country of origin in milk and dairy purchasing by income categories. Source: authors own interpretation of data.

For all income groups the score is higher than 2.9, meaning that the majority take this criterion into consideration. Surprisingly, the lowest and highest income categories have the highest scores, and therefore the highest consideration for the country of origin for the purchased products—the national provenance being preferred by the majority of the respondents.

Considering the chi-squared testing, the calculated chi value of 36.57 is exceeding the theoretical chi value of 36.42 for the significance threshold of 0.05, calculated for 24 degrees of freedom. Income has a significant correlation with the importance that respondents attach to the country of origin of the products they purchase.

Therefore, the third hypothesis is confirmed by the results of the study.

It is observed that the income influences the decision to buy these products depending on the country of origin, with a probability of 95%. Additionally, the origin of the products (industrial farming, traditional farming, ecological farming, own production) presents a high importance for the respondents, being in line with previous studies [33,40,67]. However, it is more important for income categories higher than 4001 lei/month.

The importance of national production is also confirmed by the top ten brands mentioned by the respondents to this study as being their preferred ones. The results are presented in Figure 5. The results oppose that of Yang et al. [69], who presents a higher preference for imported milk and dairy than for the local production for Chinese consumers.

**Figure 5.** Top ten milk and dairy brands preferred by the respondents. Source: authors own interpretation of data.

All mentioned brands, except "local producers" which refers to small producers who sell their products without any brand, but are particularly present in local food markets, have factories spread on the Romanian territory, and therefore have a national understanding for the respondents. However, most of them are part of multinational chains which adapt their production to suite their different local markets and more, and the local origin of the fresh milk is not guaranteed by the factory location. The potential of local production may be extracted from the multiple mentions from the respondents of small local producers as the preferred sources for milk and dairy, being in line with previous studies [38,76].

The comparison of the importance between milk and dairy product availability in large stores and health recommendations (if any nutritional or health-related benefits of milk and dairy consumption coming from clinical physicians are taken into consideration in the choice of products) for them is presented in Tables 4 and 5.


**Table 4.** The importance of products availability in large stores (%).

\*\* monthly income. Source: authors own interpretation of data.

Considering the descriptive statistics, the highest percentages of respondents in each income category considers that the availability of milk and dairy in large stores, such as supermarkets and hypermarkets is very important. Therefore, the unavailability in large stores of a specific product does not mean the customer would not buy anything at all, but it would adapt to the store offer, being in line with previous research [70].

By comparison, the importance of the health-related recommendations in choosing milk and dairy products is much lower. Around a quarter of the respondents consider this criterion to be of some importance in their choice, no matter the income category. While we would expect that the importance of these recommendations would grow along with the increase of income, this appears not to be the case. What is noticeable is the high percentage of neutral respondents, meaning those who have not given this criterion any thought before participating in this study.


**Table 5.** The importance of health recommendations in milk and dairy consumption (%).

\*\* monthly income. Source: authors own interpretation of data.

When assessing the two sides of the fourth hypothesis using the chi-squared test, we observed that for the income influence on large stores availability, the calculated chi value of 30.73 is less than the theoretical chi value of 36.42 for the significance threshold of 0.05, calculated for 24 degrees of freedom. We found that there is no significant correlation between the income of the respondents and the supermarket or hypermarket availability of milk and dairy products.

When considering the second part of the fourth hypothesis, the correlation between income and taking into consideration the health-related recommendations for milk and dairy consumption, the calculated chi value of 16.48 is lower than the theoretical chi value of 36.42 for the significance threshold of 0.05, calculated for 24 degrees of freedom. It is found that there is no association between the respondents' income and the importance given to the health recommendations in the decision to buy milk and dairy products.

Therefore, there is no significant correlation between the respondents' income and the store availability or between income and health-related recommendations, and the fourth hypothesis is infirmed. By seeing the descriptive statistics, the Romanian consumers who participated in this study seem to consider store availability as more important than health-related recommendations when choosing a milk or dairy product. However, more research in this area needs to be done before providing a clear correlation.

Regarding the recommendation expressed by the respondents through an open answered question, the main results were grouped by type of suggestion in Figure 6.

Adding to the quantitative results, the recommendation map shows some similar ideas from the respondents. First, in green, the idea relates to the possibility of increasing the market power of local producers, so they may have contracts with restaurants, hotels, or school cafeterias, through diversification of the product line and an increase of promotion activity. These are pointers to the fact that the local production has considerable development potential if it can keep up with the new tastes and needs of the respondents to this study, being in line with previous studies [76,79]. The second recommendation, in yellow, is a general one, referring to the quality of the raw material used in production. The respondents request that the producers keep the quality of the natural milk and not diminish it through industrial practices or enhance it with artificial additives. In blue, the recommendation goes to small farmers. The respondents suggest that these farmers should cooperate so to have a higher market influence and to sell their products directly to the consumers, not through collectors or industrial dairy factories, being in line with other studies [8,9,79]. The suggestion in red is an environment-related one; the respondents ask for increased attention to recyclable or reusable packaging like glass, as new criteria for sustainable product choice [1,6,7,72,78]. Additionally, one of the preferred local brands stands out especially through their glass packaging. The recommendation in purple is an economic-related one; the respondents suggest fair prices, related to the quality of the products [68], and more care in advertising rather than the aggressive marketing methods that are sometimes used. Another general recommendation is related to the care for the

consumers' health that is expected from the producers, the general feeling of the respondents being that this natural care is missing, with the products put on the market being sometimes perceived as low quality or unhealthy.

**Figure 6.** Respondents' recommendations for milk and dairy producers. Source: authors own interpretation with KH Coder [83].

#### **5. Conclusions, Limitations, and Implications**

The results of the current study point out the market potential of the local Romanian milk and dairy products, with particular attention on the traditional and ecological products, which turn out to be especially important for the Romanian respondents, even for the categories with lower monthly incomes.

The importance given to the sensorial properties of the milk and dairy products is proven by the results and the respondents' recommendations regarding the preservation of the natural qualities of raw milk, pointing out that they have the capacity to recognize products with additives, and therefore such practices might lead to a loss in the market share. Even more, some recommendations refer to products with respect to the consumers' health, raising some signals regarding threats to food safety, which should be looked into carefully by responsible authorities and also producers. Moreover, the food policies aimed at alleviating the income inequalities [51] should include serious considerations on ensuring quality basic food products for the people.

The modifications in consumer behavior are present in the results, with the level of income significantly influencing the willingness to pay for products with higher perceived quality, traditional characteristics, or ecologic certified products. In addition, reusable or recyclable packaging raises particular attention, since the consumers are tending to become more aware of their personal impact over the environment, and therefore tending to engage in making sustainable food choices.

Nevertheless, income has a low correlation with milk and dairy store availability, health-related recommendations for consuming milk and dairy, or the price of the products. Furthermore, gender has no correlation with the proposed selection criteria for milk and dairy. Therefore, income has a lesser influence than we assumed for these basic products, and gender does not differentiate the respondents' selection criteria.

Some limitations for this study come from the choice of a single studied country, as well as the study of a particular moment in time instead of longitudinal research. However, these are future paths for developing the research which we also invite fellow scholars to pursue.

The significance of this study resides in the considerable number of respondents, their answers serving well in forming research hypotheses for a larger, statistically significant study, both in number of respondents and in structure of the respondents. Nevertheless, the results should be of particular interest to marketers and producers in the milk and dairy industry, as knowing the needs and expectations and the purchasing power of the consumers is important in their activity. Therefore, offering a variety of qualitative milk and dairy products of national origin at fair prices and available in large stores should be a priority for the market players in this field. Other actors who should be interested in the results of this study are the public authorities, especially in the food sector. Knowing the fears or uncertainties regarding the food safety of the people is particularly important, as are the practical solutions of providing support for low-income people to have access to quality food products.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, G.-R.L., M.S. and M.C.D.; methodology, M.C.D., G.-R.L. and D.M.I.; software, D.M.I. and M.C.D.; validation, D.M.I. and M.C.D.; formal analysis, G.-R.L. and D.M.I.; investigation, G.-R.L., D.M.I. and M.C.D.; resources, G.-R.L. and D.M.I.; writing—original draft preparation, M.C.D.; writing—review and editing, M.C.D., G.-R.L., M.S. and D.M.I. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research was funded by ADER 24.1.1 project: "Research on development of studies and analyzes, for the substantiation of public decisions and policies, for the marketing of agri-food products in order to ensure the food security and safety for the population".

**Data Availability Statement:** The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

#### **References**


**Alexandra-Ioana Glogovet,an 1, Dan-Cristian Dabija 2, Mariantonietta Fiore <sup>3</sup> and Cristina Bianca Pocol 1,\***


**Abstract:** Food, agriculture, and labeling, affecting the environment are well connected concepts, the balance between them being determined not only by pedological and climatic factors or the development level of agricultural techniques, but also by national governments and international organizations' food processing, trade policies and regulations. In this context, the European Union (EU) encourages the use of different food quality schemes: "Protected Designation of Origin" (PDO), "Protected Geographical Indication" (PGI), and "Traditional Specialty Guaranteed" (TSG) to protect producers of special-quality foods and assist consumers in their purchasing decisions. This review examines existing studies on the impact of these labels on customers behavior. A total of 32 studies were found and systematized. The papers were selected if they featured unique empirical research on consumer perceptions of any of PDO, PGI and TSG labels. Using the search strategy, a literature analysis was performed based on papers extracted from Web of Science, Springer Link, Emerald Insights, and Science Direct. Although these papers highlight quite diversified findings, the internationally used labels play an increasing role in contemporary society and pandemic conditions caused by COVID-19, thus making the quality schemes relevant in consumer decision-making processes.

**Keywords:** "Protected Designation of Origin" (PDO); "Protected Geographical Indication" (PGI); "Traditional Specialty Guaranteed" (TSG); "Geographical Indication" (GI); EU quality labels; consumer behavior

#### **1. Introduction**

Agriculture is of vital importance to the society, environment, and economy of the European Union [1]. Proper environmental conditions support agricultural activities, allowing farmers to use natural resources, create products and earn their living. In addition, agrarian income sustains farmers and families in rural communities, while agri-food strengthens society [1,2].

The next decade, starting with 2021, represents the transition to "smart" food that is more efficient, healthier, and greener, as it is obtained from the "smart" agriculture system [3]. The agricultural policies of the EU are based on specific measures regarding the development of entire food chains, from production and distribution to consumption, aiming at reducing food waste [4]. Public policies will have a pivotal role in protecting the availability, accessibility, and quality of agri-food products [2]. Therefore, agri-food products that are certified with quality schemes represent an ideal food product because they are manufactured from raw materials, being developed according to specific production methods, and technologies in a well-defined geographical area. These products are characterized by natural factors of production, traditions and/or specific historical procedures developed over centuries that cannot be replaced [5].

**Citation:** Glogovet,an, A.-I.; Dabija, D.-C.; Fiore, M.; Pocol, C.B. Consumer Perception and Understanding of European Union Quality Schemes: A Systematic Literature Review. *Sustainability* **2022**, *14*, 1667. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su14031667

Academic Editors: Mariarosaria Lombardi, Vera Amicarelli and Erica Varese

Received: 21 December 2021 Accepted: 27 January 2022 Published: 31 January 2022

**Publisher's Note:** MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

**Copyright:** © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

Thus, the supply chain of environmentally friendly products becomes a preferential reference point for both producers and consumers and allows a redefinition of financial support instruments to increase the efficiency of production and distribution processes, especially those affecting the environment [6]. Therefore, small and medium-sized companies located in different areas of the EU represent the ideal framework for quality food production (such as Geographical Indication or organic), which could move towards an economically and socially sustainable solution [6].

In the European Union, product names are protected by registering them in so called "quality schemes", which means that they entail unique characteristics such as a certain geographical origin, traditional manufacturing technologies and/or long-lasting practices [7]. Quality schemes have the following features: (1) most production stages must be implemented in a delimited geographical area, (2) the recipe after they are manufactured is authentic (mixture of ingredients); the raw materials are original, the production process is traditional and/or contains specific features for that region, (3) are available on the market for at least 50 years and (4) share a part of the gastronomic heritage of a society/community [7,8].

The EU's geographical indication system thus provides protection for products names from various regions around the world, which have some unique features or enjoys a stable reputation, depending on the territory where they are produced. Geographical indications include "PDO—Protected Designation of Origin" (food and wine), "PGI—Protected Geographical Indication" (food and wine), "GI—Geographical Indication" (for alcoholic beverages) [7]. Other quality certification systems highlight the traditional production process ("Traditional Specialty Guaranteed")—TSG—or some products that are made in more challenging areas, such as mountains (mountain products). When considering the characteristics of PDO and PGI, the main differences relate to the proportion of raw materials (at least 85 percent) that are usually common for the area where they come from, but also on the production stages, that must be implemented in the considered geographical region. GI is typical for spirits and aromatic wines [7].

The PDO quality label represents a proper reference for the manufacturing place of agri-food products. Thus, all transformation stages from the raw materials to the final product must take place in a particular region. As for wines, the essential condition is that the raw material (grapes) comes exclusively from the site where the wine will be produced [7]. The PGI label pinpoints the connection between a certain geographical region and a certain product brand. In this situation, at least one of the production steps must be implemented at the place of origin. Concerning PGI-certified wines, 85% of the raw materials (grapes) must have their origin only in the geographical area where the wine will be produced [7].

The "Traditional Specialty Guaranteed" (TSG) emphasizes many traditional aspects, such as the composition and ingredients, a specific recipe, without being necessary connected to any specific geographical area. The name of a registered TSG product protects it from being falsified or misused [7]. TSG certified agri-food products could be manufactured by any producer who respects this production method. Their 'specific' character refers to the characteristics that differentiate them from other foodstuffs belonging to the same category. Even if agri-food products certified with the TSG quality scheme often come from a particular country or region, their international reputation might result in the interest of producers from other countries in them [7].

By allowing producer groups to mark and label the origin of their products, quality schemes provide a means to protect traditional products' integrity and prevent and avoid abuse and counterfeiting [9]. Each of these certifications is represented graphically through logos, after which the certified products can be recognized (Table 1).

Through these logos (Table 1), agricultural producers can communicate the product's characteristics and quality attributes to consumers, thus ensuring fair competition, intellectual property rights, and an integrated internal market [10,11]. Consequently, the main benefits for consumers are identified as follows: producers of agri-food products

certified with quality schemes are required to provide reliable information on the origin of their products. They must guarantee that the products are authentic goods, not fakes or imitations (confirmed to the final consumer by the logo attached to the product packaging and charging a higher price than other foods in the same category). Thus, by purchasing certified agri-food products, the consumer can recognize products from their region or other regions [12,13]. In Europe, there are numerous agricultural products and alcoholic beverages certified with European quality schemes. The table below (Table 2) provides an official statistic containing the number of products registered and protected with quality schemes from each country. The first position is occupied by Italy. Figure 1 shows the situation of PDO/PGI/GI/TSG products by country in descending order (status—registered, all application type).

As Figure 2 shows, the interest in consumer-focused studies is concentrated across European countries. This fact is because most of the agri-food products and the alcoholic beverages certified with European quality schemes are from the territory of the European Union.

In the light of the above-mentioned arguments, the purpose of this paper is to provide an outline of what is acknowledged about the perception, willingness to pay, and buying behavior of food products certified with PDO, PGI, and TSG schemes. At the same time, there is a lack of studies linking the origin of PDO/PGI/TSG to healthy eating in the context of COVID 19-pandemic today. This review can serve as a starting point for discussions about the utility and advantage of these quality schemes as a marketing tool for the stakeholders involved (from producers to final consumers) to promote market transparency and food quality in pandemic times.

The following section discusses the materials and methods employed. The third section describes the results, divided between the jurisdiction and methodologies used by the reviewed studies. They are sorted according to the declared perception of consumers, preferences, recognition, and willingness to pay for certified agri-food products, purchasing and consumption behaviors towards certified agri-food products, and online purchasing of certified agri-food products. The fourth section presents critical discussions, while the final section pinpoints the conclusions for theory, the implications for market participants and public institutions, along with the limitations and further research directions.

**Table 1.** The different quality schemes of the EU.

Source: [7].


**Table 2.** Agricultural Products, Foodstuffs and Alcoholic Beverages—Status: Registered.

Note: \* Agricultural Products, Foodstuffs and Alcoholic Beverages—Status: Registered until 29 January 2022. Andorra and Iceland: 1 food PDO/PGI quality scheme; the Russian Federation: 1 Spirit Drinks quality scheme; Serbia and Switzerland: 1 Wine quality schemes; Belarus: 2 food PDO/PGI quality scheme. Source: [14].

**Figure 1.** Statistic of PDO/PGI/GI/TSG products sorted by country. Source: Own development. Note: Agricultural products, foodstuffs and alcoholic beverages registered until 16 January 2022.

**Figure 2.** Geographic heatmap based on revised literature jurisdictions. Source: Own development. Note: The range of 1 by 8 is the maximum number of revised studies from a country.

#### **2. Materials and Methods**

Using the search strategy reported by Campos et al. [15] and Grunert and Aaachman [16], a literature analysis was performed through a combination of the following keywords (Figure 3) in Web of Science, and others relevant international databases according to their international visibility and authors library access (Springer Link, Emerald Insight, Science Direct). The main research directions identified are composed of the consumers' perceptions about certified agri-food products, preference, recognition, willingness to pay, and purchasing and consumption behavior of certified agri-food products. More recent studies discussing the online purchasing of certified agri-food products are also reviewed.

**Figure 3.** Keywords cloud. Source: Own development.

The initial search generated 79 papers, of which 37 titles fit the considered criteria (see Table 3), therefore being further analyzed. The publications were evaluated to pinpoint if they deal with one or more of the registered EU quality schemes. The papers were selected only if they featured unique empirical research on consumer perceptions of any of PDO, PGI and TSG labels. These publications were retained for further analysis only if they fulfilled simultaneously the eight methodological criteria proposed by Campos et al. [15]

and Olbrich et al. [16]. The final set of papers included in the present systematic literature review consist of 32 publications.

**Table 3.** The methodological criteria.


Note: Y states for Yes; N states for No; Y/N states for Not applicable. Source: [15,16].

#### **3. Results**

In implementing the research scope, the main results of the conceptual framework are reviewed. The results are divided between the jurisdiction and methodologies used by the reviewed studies; and they are sorted according to the following: the declared perception of consumers from the identified papers about certified agri-food products, preferences, recognition, and willingness to pay for certified agri-food products, purchasing and consumption behaviors towards certified agri-food products, and online purchasing of certified agri-food products.

#### *3.1. Jurisdiction and Methodologies*

The 32 revised articles (Table 4) originate from the following jurisdictions: Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Germany, and South Korea. The online questionnaire represents the most used study tool. The papers also used PAPI and CAWI surveys, Eurobarometer surveys, online consumer databases, and household journals conceived by consumers participating in the study. Regarding the analyses applied, cross-sectional analysis, Partial Least Square path modelling, multi-group analysis, Structural Equations Modelling, Web content analysis, ANOVA, and eMICA analysis were mainly used. The samples on which the studies were conducted are various and range from 150 respondents to 35,000 respondents. The certified agri-food products with quality schemes on which the studies were carried out are mainly olive oil, wine, meat, and cheese. Most of the studies reviewed focused on all three labels: PDO, PGI, and TSG. The rest of the studies performed analyses based on agri-food products certified either with PDO or TSG.

**Table 4.** Journals and citations of the reviewed literature.


#### **Table 4.** *Cont.*



\* Total citations in Google Scholar on 20 January 2022. N/A if no citation was reported.

#### *3.2. Perception about Certified Agri-Food Products*

To obtain market success, products must benefit from a positive overall image among target segments, exhibiting a proper added value and/or providing certain qualities that meet or exceed consumers' expectations [5,17]. Consumers are regarded as a subject more interested in the symbolic or cultural value of certified agri-food products than in their intrinsic functions and utilities [18]. Consumers are considered active players in the market, where they exercise their freedom to move in search of products, but also gain experiences through which they can express their identity [5]. Looking for options to fulfill their expectations and desires, consumers are looking for food quality in terms of product origin, uniqueness, respect for the environment, animal welfare, traditional manufacturing process, taste, providing growth opportunities for small businesses operating in the niche market, the so-called "restricted food", a term that refers to local, certified foods [19]. Other papers [20–22] reflect that agri-food products certified with quality schemes are perceived positively by consumers, as they contribute to improving their health condition, their quality of life, strengthening them and ensuring that with increasing age consumers are still fit. As regards the geographical delimitations, consumers from southern European regions tend to associate more often the term "traditional food" with their culture or history [23]. Agri-food products are consumed on some typical occasions, like on certain holidays and/or seasons, knowledge about that being generally transmitted from one generation to another. Such products are usually manufactured precisely after some certain procedures, being part of the gastronomic heritage of a region or an ethnic group [19], with little or no processing/handling of the original receipt and known for its sensory properties. Furthermore, these products are often associated with a clear delimited geographical area [19]. On the other hand, consumers from central and northern Europe tend to focus mainly on practical issues, such as convenience, health, or the ease and speed of purchasing food [24]. Some consumers consider PDO/PGI labels to be organic, while every second consumers are unsure whether PDO/PGI certified foods are produced without fertilizers and other chemicals [25,26].

#### *3.3. Preference, Recognition, and Willingness to Pay for Certified Agri-Food Products*

The recent literature indicates a renewed consumer interest in certified agri-food products [19,27]. A concern about consumers' perception of certified products is the willingness to pay higher prices than for the non-certified alternatives [28]. These consumers realize that "origin" cannot be always considered a determining factor in consumer choices compared to cost, safety, and nutrition [29]. The concepts that help explain the correlation between quality labels and willingness to pay depend on factors such as the geographical area investigated, the consumer's residence concerning the production area, consumer demographics, GI label awareness, and product type [29]. At the same time, consumers who know the region to which the certified products refer or feel a certain attachment towards them, tend to be more optimistic about the products labeled PDO/PGI/TSG, thus also exerting a higher willingness of paying even a price premium [30–32]. Because consumers identify certified products with customs and heritage passed down from generation to generation, traditions cannot be exported. These certified products outside their "area of influence" may not have the emotional attachment of experience [31,33]. Studies measuring the awareness and recognition of quality labels among European consumers conclude that consumers from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands, but also France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal have a higher likelihood of recognizing quality labels and their logos [34,35]. This is due to the collaborative activities between European producers, which target consumers in these countries.

#### *3.4. Purchasing and Consumption Behavior of Certified Agri-Food Products*

The reviewed studies set out the different concepts that explain consumers' motivations to buy traditionally produced agri-food products, certified with quality schemes. Regarding the decision to purchase certified agri-food products by young consumers, while recent studies reveal a relatively small significance of EU quality schemes in food purchasing decisions taken by young consumers [36,37]. Young consumer behavior is strongly influenced by globalization, social media, online behavior, and current trends, as they frequently do not differentiate between quality schemes such as PDO, PGI, and TSG [37]. Young consumers' most important determinants of food choice are product prices, freshness, and shelf life of products, but also convenience [33,37]. Consumers attribute a higher value to a PDO label than to a PGI. The preference for buying the PDO label over the PGI one might be explained by the fact that consumers tend to perceive PDO as a certification that firmly guarantees the production, processing, and preparation of agri-food products in a well-established geographical area [38,39]. Perceived quality associated with extrinsic attributes (such as quality, brands, labels, design, information on use and benefits, authenticity, commitment to the environment, cultural ties) significantly influences the purchasing of certified agri-food products [22,27]. Older consumers with higher education and above-average incomes show an increased preference for certified products with quality schemes [21].

#### *3.5. Online Purchasing of Certified Agri-Food Products*

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has developed as the new frontier for organizations in various industries, as well as agriculture, thus being considered a strategy that will bridge the gap between producers and consumers [40,41]. Therefore, the agri-food sector needs to increase its competitiveness, and be able to respond quickly to the ever-changing consumer needs and desires, thus satisfying him/her and properly communicating the extrinsic and intrinsic added values of certified agri-food products through online stores developed for modern customers [42,43]. Social networks represent a channel from which consumers take relevant information for their next purchase decisions; consumers are often more influenced and trust strangers and online influencers than official representative of companies [44,45]. The shopping decision is strongly influenced by online reviews and recommendations from blogs, forums and/or social networks [46]. Agricultural cooperatives take information about consumers, which they integrate into their communication strategies, and inform customers about certified agri-food products [47–49]. Such organizations are usually aware of the importance that the territory of origin (physical, sensory, and cultural) of certified agri-food products and production techniques plays for consumers, thus representing strong values that might trigger consumers preferences [42]. Furthermore, agricultural cooperatives must go beyond their traditional presence, thus

encouraging online interaction and collaboration, connectivity, and giving consumers the possibility to find and share information and gain knowledge about certified agrifood products [50]. For instance, cooperatives that produce and sell olive oil, fruit, and wine are more recently aware of the importance that their online communication plays for consumers purchase intention [50–52]. Online shopping causes consumers to behave differently concerning the intangibility of the product [53,54].

While in on-site shopping, the information comes from the sensory examination of the product, online shopping is determined by other factors: the customer's intention to buy, the influence of friends and family, consumer personality, but also knowledge and curiosity [53,55]. The attitude of buying online food products is also improved by extrinsic factors, such as the quality of the website (design, content, and navigation), product availability, ease of use, which positively affect the purchase intention [54,56–58]. Consumers who purchase certified agri-food products online would like to have access to information on the environmental impact and sustainability of products, in addition to the unique properties and characteristics of agri-food products [53,59–61].

The aspects and findings presented in the previous sub-sections of the Results are summarized in Table 5.

**Table 5.** Overview of representative papers according to different assessment criteria.



**Table 5.** *Cont.*

Note: ✓ is marking the presence of the criteria; - is marking the absence of the criteria.

#### **4. Discussion**

Even though the studies covered use various methodologies and provide contradictory results, this systematic review reveals several common features that stand in line with previous research [16,62–65], indicating that the understanding about certified agri-food products are mixed. In line with previous studies, were identified consumers that consider that the food quality is not verified [25,26]. Thus, there are consumers that trust the meaning of these certifications and choose to buy a more traditional healthy food product [20,21,23,24,35,66].

The "area of influence" is one of the most crucial factors for selling certified products; the emotional attachment of experience that each product comes with could help consumers refine the natural taste. This represents a major objective for certified product, to keep its taste, smell, and/or nutritional qualities. Several studies [19,23,24,67] showed that the culture of the geographical delimitations influences the perceptions about certified agri-food products. The certified agri-food products have an advantage for consumers who know the product's region, so the certification proves that the product is created strictly in that region it kept its originality. In southern Europe tend to associate them with the terms "traditional food" and "brand-name"; this is seen more often in combination with the concepts, culture, or even history, heritage, and customs passed down from one generation to another. From the past, we can learn about the types of food that our ancestors were eating without any chemicals for growing. The central and northern Europe regions tend to focus more on the practical benefits of product convenience, health, or purchase access in another area of Europe.

The "origin" of the product is not always the determining factor in consumer choices. Many consumers consider that the nutritional aspects, cost, and safety sometimes come first when choosing the right product for their needs. Education, income, and globalization are factors that influence the consumption behavior of certified agri-food products. Consumers with above-average income and higher education show more interest in the certified product with quality schemes. On the other hand, we have the "young generation" the consumers strongly influenced by globalization and the current trends. They do not differentiate between certified agri-food products. The most critical factors that determine the young consumer to purchase are nutritional factors, freshness, and price. Young consumers caring about their health choose the most suitable product to pay as economical as possible and get the best outcome for their budget [21,27,36,37,68].

In both the on-site and online environment, we can find different factors that help the consumers choose the right product for their needs. In the on-site situation, we see distinct influences from extrinsic and intrinsic influential factors. Most of the time, the extrinsic factors that influence the purchasing decision of the certified agri-food product are the purchasing environment around the products, such as the shelf arrangement and even the type of store. Regarding intrinsic factors, we have the smell, package, nutritional information about the product, the price, the colors. On the other hand, in the Online, we have a different set of influential factors that are much more of a technical nature, such as the User Experience (UX) of the website, the speed, the colors, and most important aspects like the delivery duration, information about the product (description of the quality schemes and logos, area of production, etc.), the online support of the website [47–49,51–54]. These are some of the factors that help in choosing the right product online. One of the essential elements that online shopping offers to customers is package delivery. In 2022, the world is starting to change towards a new era of packaging where cheap and efficient is not enough anymore. A package should be ergonomic, safe, recyclable, and, most important, a storyteller for the brand and its products.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer preferences have leant toward certified foods whose origin is known. Thus, the PDO label begins to become a choice for consumers concerned about their health and a diet that supports their immune system [66,69–71]. Moreover, the traditional shopping system has been altered, so consumers tend to buy healthy food online [72,73]. Although the price of certified agri-food was higher, there is a preference for certified food products with quality schemes among the consumers [71,74]. Also, by consuming products of this type—of controlled origin, certified by the EU, the health can be maintained, and the body's immunity can be increased. In COVID-19 and pandemic restrictions, the consumers' food must be safe when human movement is restricted due to regulations. Thus, they must have an appropriate quality, respectively, to have a controlled origin [66,69,70].

#### **5. Conclusions**

In 2021, perception of success in the food market is about exceeding the consumer expectations, providing them with much better quality than they have asked, providing package, information, and a premium feeling about the product. These details help to reach a positive opinion about the certified agri-food products. EU quality labels were introduced as a consumer decision-making tool. Still, they are also a way of controlling food, as the logo's appearance ensures that the product can be traced back to a specific manufacturing area and to a specified know-how process. EU quality schemes can thereby potentially reduce confusion about food purchases, assuring the customer of the certified agri-food products' uniqueness and nutritional qualities. The on-site and online environment is trying to draw attention to more specific aspects that can bring quality to food products, such as certifications, animal welfare standards, and respect for the environment. In both climates, one can highlight different types of influence trying to make the final customers self-generate the mindset that "eating healthy" might be understood as "living healthy". The influential factors are all about sharing as much quality information as possible with the customer: nutritional information, region of production/origin, price, package, colors. The "young generation" is powerfully influenced by globalization, social media, Internet, green behavior, and current trends, through which they can be educated about the importance of consuming quality products, what effect it has over their body in the long term, and what conduct they should adopt to have a healthier life in a healthfuller community.

#### *5.1. Implications for Market Participants and Public Institutions*

Nationally sustained by different post-COVID-19 strategies, the PDO, PGI, and TSG certifications would have, as a result, the increased level of health of the population. One of the solutions would be to encourage local producers to apply for this certification. The food products with the certification PDO, PGI, TSG have a better impact on consumers' health because of their pure ingredients and the lack of artificial chemicals. Consuming a healthy, non-altered, and natural product is one of the leading health benefits of these products. Moreover, these review results are helpful to different government agencies and companies to improve their promotion strategies towards these types of certifications that verify quality and tradition.

#### *5.2. Limitations and Further Directions of Research*

There are certain limitations to our research. The search strategy may have omitted pertinent material that brings the possibility that removed articles include information that could affect our conclusions. Given the prevalence of the PGI and PDO certification schemes, more research into the TSG quality certification scheme is required. More research is necessary on consumer behavior regarding PGI, PDO, and TSG food products, considering the variances between nations or areas. Since there is a focus on examining certified products susceptible to some form of agro-industrial production, such as meat, cheese, wine, and olive oil, perception and consumption behavior of certified fruit or vegetable varieties could provide a viable path for further directions of research. In addition, more research is needed to link certified food products with the European quality schemes to the health benefits they can provide in pandemic times, relying on educating consumers about the value and benefits of these certified products with quality schemes.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, A.-I.G. and C.B.P.; methodology, A.-I.G. and C.B.P.; validation, C.B.P., D.-C.D. and M.F.; formal analysis, A.-I.G.; investigation, A.-I.G.; resources, A.-I.G. and C.B.P.; writing—original draft preparation, A.-I.G.; C.B.P.; D.-C.D.; writing—review and editing, A.-I.G.; C.B.P., D.-C.D. and M.F.; visualization, C.B.P.; D.-C.D. and M.F.; supervision, C.B.P. and D.-C.D. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.

**Data Availability Statement:** Not applicable.

**Acknowledgments:** The authors would like to express their gratitude to all reviewers who provided helpful suggestions for improving our work.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.

#### **References**

