Work

Mental Associations With Different Origins of Olive Oil: A Case Study With Brazilian Consumers

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT This study investigated Brazilians' mental associations with olive oil from different origins and identified motivations, barriers, and individual factors influencing the purchase of Brazilian olive oil. In the word association task, respondents were randomly assigned to one of five stimuli (“Olive oil,” “Brazilian olive oil,” “Spanish olive oil,” “Portuguese olive oil,” or “Italian olive oil”). In the completion task, they completed the sentence “I would buy a Brazilian olive oil if….” Olive oil is widely associated with health and well‐being, regardless of origin. However, Mediterranean oils were more strongly linked to quality and perceived value than Brazilian products. Price was the main barrier to purchasing Brazilian olive oil, while quality and hedonic attributes acted as the principal motivators. Younger participants showed greater price sensitivity, whereas higher‐income individuals valued quality, and women valued hedonic aspects. These findings highlight the importance of improving communication, trust, and accessibility to strengthen the market position of Brazilian olive oil.

Source: Journal of Sensory Studies

DOI: 10.1111/joss.70202

Authors: Carla Machado de Araujo Lopes, Gastón Ares, Rosires Deliza

Institutions: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Universidad de la República de Uruguay, Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos

Language: English

Topic: Sensory Analysis and Statistical Methods

Subfield: Food Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,030

Funders: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico