Perception And Acceptance Of Goat Cheese In Comparision With Sheep And Cow Cheese €“ An Empirical Study

Goat milk production is a dynamic and continuously expanding branch, which determines the life of millions of people, as well as constitutes an important part of the national economies of many countries (SILANIKOVE et al., 2010). Goat milk and the cheese made from it, was venerated in ancient Egypt, with some Pharaohs supposedly placing these foods among the other treasures in their burial tombs (SMITH, 2006). Across the globe, goats can be kept almost everywhere, even poor surroundings. Goats can play an important role in the human nutrition of the continuously increasing human population. Goats are able to provide high quality products under diverse climate conditions and in extreme environments. Globally, more people drink milk from goats than from any other animal (SILANIKOVE, 1994). Goat milk plays a decisive role in feeding starving and malnourished people in developing countries. At the same time in developed countries and also in Hungary these products are “luxury†consumer goods. Due to its favourable effects on human health, goat milk has found a niche for itself in the trend towards healthy nutrition, as well in developed countries. The main objective of our empirical research was to analyse the respondents’ perception and acceptance towards goat milk cheese in Debrecen, Hungary through blinded testing of cow, sheep and goat cheese. The empirical research has been carried out in the autumn, 2018 and beginning of 2019 with a sample of 202. Based on the results it can be stated, that respondents had almost the same opinion on the tested cheeses made from cow, sheep and goat milk, which is in contrary with the findings of some previous studies that goat milk products have a “special smell or flavour. Based on the correlation test it can be stated, that there is no significant correlation between the age of respondents and the affordable cheese price, (how much respondents would pay for it) and between the income and the cheese price. The affordable price proved to be the highest for the goat cheese which may reflect its perceived high quality.