About project

The project is focused on scientific research into the level of recognition, understanding, and sensory recognition of agricultural and food products with protected designations of origin (PDO), protected geographical indications (PGI), and traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) among key stakeholders in the hospitality sector and end consumers in the Republic of Croatia.

Special emphasis is placed on the hospitality sector as an important channel for promoting certified domestic products within the tourism offer.

The research is conducted in four Croatian regions and includes surveys of hospitality management, operational staff, and consumers, as well as sensory analysis of selected products – wine, olive and pumpkin seed oil, cheeses, and cured meat products – using validated sensory methods and the work of professional, trained, and consumer panels. The collected data are analysed using quantitative methods in order to determine differences in product perception depending on regional, socioeconomic, and demographic characteristics.

The aim of the project is to provide scientifically based insights and recommendations to improve education, communication strategies, and market visibility of products with protected quality labels, to encourage their greater use in the hospitality sector, and to strengthen their recognition and consumption among end consumers, with public availability of results in accordance with the principles of open science.