Author(s): Nikolett Németh
Title: Consumer habits of food supplements from the perspective of food safety
Source: International Scientific Days 2016. The Agri-Food Value Chain: Challenges for Natural Resources Management and Society
Document Type: Scientific paper
ISBN: 978-80-552-1503-7
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15414/isd2016.s10.04
Publisher: Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra
PY, pages: 2016, 792-803
Published on-line: 2016-06-24
Language: eng
Abstract: The topicality of the subject has been shown by the fact that the number of food supplements has been increasing in the last few years. These products are different from the traditional food products and the risks associated with them may also differ from the traditional food risks. On one hand, the typical food risks still apply; on the other hand dietary supplements can have significant nutritional risks since they contain special ingredients which may be dangerous if they are not consumed properly. Meanwhile, on the market customers are given significant amounts of information about food supplements, but this information sometimes can be misleading and may influence consumer habits. The aim of our research therefore is to examine the consumption patterns of adult dietary supplements users, highlighting some of the determinants of food safety as well, such as quality, availability of information and risks.Within the framework of primary research, focus group interviews were conducted and a survey was also used. Based on both the focus group and the survey results, it can be seen that uses of food supplements are judged differently by the respondents. Consumers of food supplements are motivated by different reasons and they attach different degrees of importance to the roles of these products. In data processing, factor- and cluster analysis were used to segment consumers based upon how they consider the use of food supplements. Four homogenous groups were identified among the respondents in the market of food-supplements and the research examined which consumer characteristics were applicable to each group. Within each group the elements of marketing-mix were also identified and analysed.
Keywords: functional food, segmentation, consumer behaviour, information, risks
JEL Classification: Q13
Rights: Open Access :: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence
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