EVALUATION OF CONSUMER BENEFITS AND ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF USING FLORIST PRODUCTS IN THE MEAT PROCESSING INDUSTRY

Abstract

The article provides a scientific and economic justification for the feasibility of integration processes of floriculture and the meat processing industry. The relevance of the study is due to the global transformation of consumer behaviour with an orientation towards healthy lifestyle trends, the concept of preventive nutrition and the search for new properties of food products. The research methodology was based on an integrated approach using empirical, statistical, economic-mathematical, comparative, abstract-logical methods. The analysis of the structure of consumer preferences confirms the rapid increase in demand for natural phytocomponents, in particular from flowers, and the willingness of consumers to pay a price premium for the naturalness and functional value of food products is determined. It is noted that the use of various flower ingredients contributes to the enrichment of food products with antioxidants and polyphenols and the enhancement of their organoleptic potential without the use of artificial dyes and flavors. It was found that when involving local flower resources, logistics costs are minimized and the cost of finished products is optimized. It was determined that despite the predicted increase in the cost of raw materials due to the introduction of phytocomponents from flowers into the recipe, the possible increase in marginal profit reaches 94% due to premium pricing and an increase in the shelf life of finished products due to the antioxidant effect of plant polyphenols. The work notes the importance of using local flower raw materials, which contributes to the formation of stable demand for domestic floriculture products, ensures diversification of the assortment in high-margin premium segments of the functional meat products market, expands the possibilities of deep processing of raw materials within the country and the transition to a production model with high added value. For meat processing enterprises, this approach is an effective tool for import substitution of colour stabilizers, artificial preservatives and phosphates, which allows to level currency risks and optimize costs in conditions of modern market instability. The originality of the research lies in the synergy of floriculture and the meat processing industry, and the justification for the transformation of flowers into functional food raw materials.