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An Online Survey Study of Consumer Preferences on Aquatic Products in China: Current Seafood Consumption Patterns and Trends

Yaqin Hu, Chunhong Yuan, Kefeng Yu, Yinghong Qu, Shunsheng Chen, Xichang Wang and Ikuo Kimura

The domestic demand for aquatic products in China has increased greatly, from consumption of 4.5 kg per person in 1970 to 31 kg per person in 2009. Little attention has been paid to Chinese consumer preferences on aquatic products. This study seeks to address this question through an online survey targeting university students to investigate the family and personal consumption preferences on aquatic products. This online survey involved 1038 students who are studying in 10 universities located in coastal and inland cities on mainland China. The results showed that 49.9% of respondents’ families bought fish once a week. Fish markets (47.2%) and supermarkets (21.8%) were the main sources of purchase due to good freshness (48.6%) and shopping convenience (45.8%). Morethan half of all respondents (55.8%) preferred fish over meat. Among them, 60.4% of respondents like freshwater fish with a good awareness of freshness and taste. Regarding the selection of cooking methods, respondents showed a clear favor for braising, steaming and stewing over frying and grilling. About two thirds of respondents had no experience on eating raw fish. However, many of them showed interest in raw fish such as salmon and tuna. This study provided preliminary information of Chinese consumption patterns on aquatic products for understanding current and future consumption trends of China’s aquatic market, and may be used as a reference for aquatic product processing industry.