Η αντίληψη των Κυπρίων καταναλωτών ως προς τα λειτουργικά τρόφιμα εντος της κυπριακής αγοράς

Abstract

Since ancient times, diet plays an important role in the life of every living organism and humans. Nowadays, we have moved from the initial intention of adequacy into the era of modern optimal nutrition with a view towards ensuring maximum well being, optimal health and psychological satisfaction whilst decreasing the risk of disease in humans. The primary purpose of food is to provide nutrients in sufficient quantities to meet the nutritional needs of an individual. However, new scientific data and the need for new food which is real and ongoing, support the hypothesis that some foods and their ingredients have beneficial physiological and psychological properties beyond the provision of essential nutrients. For these foods, the term "functional foods” was developed. Functional foods are all natural or fortified foods that provide additional health benefits when consumed at effective levels, as part of a balanced diet on a regular basis. In recent years they have gained dynamically in the market due to the increased demand and availability. For the needs of this dissertation project information was used from the literature and both qualitative and quantitative research was conducted. The aim was to measure the trend and the perception of consumers, consumer behavior and to investigate the factors influencing the choice and consumer behavior for functional foods. Based on the above, and due to the fact that there were not enough primary data available, a specific questionnaire was designed with 19 questions. A total of 200 questionnaires were completed in retail outlets during the period February-March of 2013. The results of the survey demonstrated that most respondents were not aware of functional foods (41%). Consumers had partial knowledge about functional foods because of some factors affecting the above consumer knowledge. Some of the factors were the level of education, age and gender. They factors that influence consumer choice were also examined with household size, gender, age, education level and economic status of the household being the most important. In conclusion, the consumers in Cyprus seem to trust functional foods and have them into their diet on a weekly basis mainly for preventive reasons.