INTERNATIONAL CHEESES IN THE FOCUS OF CONSUMERS - CONNOISSEURSHIP, SELECTION AND PREFERENCES

International cheeses present an important factor in gastronomy of many catering establishments. The expansion of the market influenced the expansion of the great variety of cheeses among consumers. Branding, origin protection of some types of cheese, its packing and exploitation on the market enabled the expansion of cheeses all over the world. This expansion is important because it facilitates the selection and safety for buyers, while increasing market demands as well as expanding to new market branches for the manufacturers. The subject of this study is international cheeses that are available to domestic market, as well as the preferencies of the consumers. Our task is to depict the basic connoisseurship of international cheeses in the focus of the consumers , as well as the factors that influence their shopping preferences. Our aim is to establish the levels of that connoisseurship and if it influences consumers’ preferences in buying some types of cheeses.