This paper is placed on the theoretical perspective of Economic Sociology and some contributions of the industrial economy in order to express the importance of consumption in the analysis of quality market of cheese. It intends to reflect the relation between quality and industrial segmentation and niches of consumption strategies through the classification of groups of cheese consumers on established relations between feeding‑food. The investigation was based on applications of closed questionnaire in municipal markets of São Paulo, beyond some undertaken in extended social nets. Upon the data, it was proceeded multivaried analysis considered economic class as dependent variable. Results show a relation with the food quality inverse of social pyramid, mainly B and C Classes. In consequence, it is pointed the lack of formal devices of quality in the dominant structure of cheese market that could express quality notions from consumers. This conclusion points towards the valorization of Brazilian handmade cheeses as a way to reduce the dependence on foreign cheese denominations, to the increase of cheese consumption in general and to the visibility of quality market of the product, both in Brazil and in the international scenario.
Consumption; cheese; quality markets
