LEGALITY VERSUS INFORMALITY IN THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF COLONIAL CHEESES IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL: THE CONSUMER AT THE CENTER OF THE DEBATE ; LEGALIDAD VERSUS INFORMALIDAD EN LA COMERCIALIZACIÓN DE QUESOS COLONIALES EN EL SUR DE BRASIL: EL CONSUMIDOR EN EL CENTRO DEL DEBATE ; LEGALIDADE VERSUS INFORMALIDADE NA COMERCIALIZAÇÃO DE QUEIJOS COLONIAIS NO SUL DO BRASIL: O CONSUMIDOR NO CENTRO DO DEBATE

This study aimed to explore the level of importance attributed to sociocultural aspects, beliefs and preferences, food safety, and state regulation in the purchase of Colonial Cheese (QC). The New Institutional Economics theoretical framework was used to examine the aforementioned factors in a convenience sample of 121 QC consumers in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The results showed a distinction of behavior by gender, age, income, and family composition, helping to understand the behavior of consumers of traditional products in the region. Male consumers attributed greater importance to the place of production and the QC maturation process, and women to adequate hygiene processes. Consumers with higher incomes attributed greater importance to the region of origin and considered the QC more nutritious. Trust in the producer and the organoleptic characteristics of the product stand out as the most important factors for choosing the QC, although 78% of consumers consider the 'food inspection' to be important or very important. Despite the government's efforts to regulate the production and commercialization of cheese, informality in the market persists because QC producers find support in consumers' inclination for tradition, preservation of cultural heritage, and trust in the farmer. ; Este estudio tuvo como objetivo explorar el nivel de importancia atribuido a los aspectos socioculturales, creencias y preferencias, seguridad alimentaria y regulación estatal en la compra de Queso Colonial (QC). Se utilizó el marco teórico de la Nueva Economía Institucional para examinar los factores antes mencionados, en una muestra de conveniencia de 121 consumidores de QC en Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Los resultados mostraron una distinción de comportamiento por género, edad, ingreso y composición familiar, ayudando a comprender el comportamiento de los consumidores de productos tradicionales en la región. Los consumidores masculinos atribuyeron mayor importancia al lugar de producción y al proceso de ...