Cherries rank on top of European consumers' preferences

16 May 2023
1250

The seven-nation European project BreedingValue is aimed at enhancing the value of fruits such as strawberry, blueberry and raspberry, and involves seven nations Italy, France, Germany, Spain, UK, Finland and Turkey.

One of the activities of the project, conducted between March and July 2022, and led by the Institute of Bioeconomics of the CNR, with the support of European partners, was to engage consumers through a multilingual online survey to understand the liking of the fruits studied in the project, compared to other popular fruits.

The cherry in second place

More than 900 consumers participated in the survey, and the most popular fruit among the 18 proposed was strawberry, with raspberry in fourth place and blueberry in fifth. Excellent placings then for these 'up-and-coming' fruits.

In second place was the cherry, with an average rating of 6.1 out of 7. 

The cherry is, among the most liked fruits, in third place in Turkey, second place in France and the United Kingdom, almost equal to the strawberry for Spanish consumers, and first place for Italian consumers (rating 6.4 out of 7). 

In Germany, the whole podium is for the berry: strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, in that order, with the cherry in fourth place. 

Only in Finland is the cherry not among the top 10 most popular fruits, but the difference between the opinions of consumers in the different countries gives an idea that the online survey was conducted carefully and with a desire to offer honest individual judgements.

The survey, it is important for the research, to segment consumers according to preferences and expectations, highlighted the high appreciation for berries, but also showed how the cherry, together with the peach (in third position

according to international ratings ... and second in Italy ahead of the strawberry), is an important reference when it comes to taste, quality and the pleasure of eating fruit.

Ranking of the proposed fruits in order of 'international' liking

  1. Strawberry
  2. Cherry
  3. Peach
  4. Raspberry
  5. Blueberry
  6. Watermelon
  7. Orange
  8. Apricot
  9. Blackberry
  10. Grape
  11. Banana
  12. Apple
  13. Pineapple
  14. Plum
  15. Pear
  16. Kiwi
  17. Pomegranate
  18. Grapefruit

Ranking of the preferences of the approximately 350 Italian participants

  1. Cherry
  2. Peach
  3. Strawberry
  4. Apricot
  5. Raspberry
  6. Blueberry
  7. Blackberry
  8. Orange
  9. Watermelon
  10. Grape
  11. Pineapple
  12. Apple
  13. Banana
  14. Plum
  15. Pear
  16. Kiwi
  17. Pomegranate

Cherry Times - All rights reserved

What to read next

Technical meeting on cherry tree varieties and defence: preview of results from Agrion Foundation

Events

12 Jul 2024

Agrion researchers Davide Nari and Valentina Roera presented the latest developments in cherry and apricot variety comparisons, while Francesca Pettiti and Luca Nari showed updates from the Forficula Auricolaria and Drosophila Suzukii trials.

Danese, ad-hoc refrigeration and energy efficiency

Post-harvest​

26 May 2023

Danese Group has been active in the refrigeration systems sector for over 30 years. In this interview, Matteo Danese analyses with Cherry Times the solutions developed for companies in the cherry sector.

In evidenza

Cherries from Peru: a new competitor in the global market

Markets

01 Apr 2025

Peru explores cherry production with the aim of entering the Chinese market before Chile. The first exports are expected as early as next season, but experts estimate up to 10 years for significant volumes.

How altitude influences sweet cherry quality: study on four cultivars

Quality

01 Apr 2025

Altitude changes the quality of cherries, affecting organic acids and phenolic compounds. A study in Turkey on four cultivars grown at 200 and 800 m revealed changes in the nutritional profile, improving flavour and antioxidant properties of the fruit.

Tag Popolari