Percepção do consumidor em relação aos produtos diet e light

Abstract

The people who consume foods rich in energy and poor in nutrients that contribute positively to health, combined with a sedentary lifestyle can develop obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, stroke and heart attack. On the other hand, some consumers seek a more balanced diet, either because they are health-conscious or because they want to keep a good physical shape. The diet and light products were developed to meet the demand of individuals affected by NCDs and obesity, as well as those who look for fitness. Diet product refers to food for special purposes, and they are for both individuals who need diet with restriction of nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and sodium; as for those who want to control the intake aiming at controlling the weight. The light product refers to the 25% minimum reduction of some ingredient compared to the traditional counterpart. The production of this type of food increases every year in sale volume. The information on the labels of such products still generates doubts to consumers. This project investigated the perception of consumers regarding diet/light products, using a qualitative approach (Focus group sessions) as well as quantitative, from the Focus Group findings. The qualitative study investigated the level of understanding regarding such as products, the consumers perception of the risks and benefits associated with the consumption of diet and light, as well as the negative and the positive points perceived by them. Non- consumers of diet and light were also interviewed and the reasons for the non-consumption were discussed. The quantitative approach focused on calorie-reduced jams (strawberry and guava in the version diet, light, zero sugar) and the control product (traditional) as case study. For that, a questionnaire was developed and applied, in which 102 individuals of different ages, genders and social classes took part. In addition, participants evaluated the acceptance of all versions of the fruit jellies (strawberry and guava) coded with three digit numbers (blind condition), only observing the packages and observing the packaging together with tasting the product. Results suggest that the level of consumer knowledge on diet and light products is deficient. Taking into account the label influence on product evaluation, the results indicated that the information on the version of the jam (diet, light, zero or traditional) affected the consumer product acceptance and sensory characterization. The traditional and diet strawberry jam versions were more liked by consumers when evaluated in blind; however, with information (looking at the jar of the jams) no difference was found among versions. Considering the guava jams, the traditional, light and zero versions reached higher acceptance means under informed condition when compared to blind. Differences on the frequency of mention of the sensory attributes were observed among the three evaluation conditions for the two jam flavors.