Analysis of Purchase Intention for Biopreservative-Treated Chicken and Consumer Segmentation Using Unsupervised Machine Learning

Biopreservatives are emerging as a promising alternative to conventional food preservation methods. However, there is limited empirical evidence integrating validated psychometric instruments with advanced unsupervised segmentation techniques to identify heterogeneous consumer profiles regarding biopreserved chicken consumption. To address these limitations, self-organizing maps (SOMs) have been widely used as unsupervised learning tools that reduce dimensionality, preserve topological relationships, and facilitate the visualization of latent structures in multivariate datasets. This study aims to analyze the factors influencing the acceptance of biopreservation in chicken consumption through a strategic segmentation based on unsupervised machine learning and behavioral dimensions. This methodological design enables the capture of behavioral heterogeneity, the identification of strategic consumption profiles, and the generation of empirical evidence to support future research and communication strategies related to biopreservation technologies in similar consumer contexts. In this study, 323 instances were topologically organized into 16 clusters, grouping individuals with similar behavioral patterns. The descriptive analysis of clusters revealed highly differentiated consumer profiles in terms of Consumer acceptance, cold chain practices, and Knowledge of food microorganisms. The high-acceptance exploratory segment achieved the maximum score (5.00) in knowledge of beneficial microorganisms (V14), acceptance of their use in chicken preservation (V15), and familiarity with lactic acid bacteria (V16). The three-dimensional structure identified through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) not only provided statistical validation of the instrument but also established a conceptual framework for interpreting the SOM’s topology. From a practical perspective, the findings highlight the relevance of consumer heterogeneity and suggest that consumer knowledge may play an important role in the acceptance of biopreservation technologies. These findings provide useful insights for future studies aimed at understanding the factors that influence consumer acceptance of biopreservation technologies.