RESUMEN
An increasing number of consumers demand healthier, more convenient, and sustainable food products, including rice, a staple worldwide. Food manufacturers have responded to this trend by considering food's intrinsic and extrinsic aspects. This study evaluated the importance of variety, processing, and claims on willingness to try ready-to-eat rice (RTE-rice). It also analyses the influence of consumer attitudes on the importance of attributes and willingness to try. The results showed that processing significantly influenced willingness to try RTE-rice, revealing consumers' greater preference for whole grain than milled rice with added bran. Claims had the least relevant importance. However, low glycaemic index had a positive impact, indicating its potential to influence consumer purchasing attitudes and promote healthier rice consumption. Additionally, three groups were created based on attitudinal factors. Naturalness-oriented and convenience-oriented groups were more likely to try RTE-rice. However, the reasons that motivate them may be different; this latter could be the ease of the service offered, while for the group focused on naturalness, they may have perceived through the ingredients and claimed that the product, despite being convenient, can bring benefits, thus perceiving them as natural.
RESUMEN
Current consumption drivers, particularly those related to health and wellbeing, have been influencing trends for the lower consumption of cereals, particularly rice, due to their typical high glycaemic index (GIs) and consequent impacts on obesity. To satisfy this consumer concern, more food innovations that promote healthy eating habits are required. Such innovations must be consumer-oriented to succeed, understanding the dynamics of consumer habits and responding to consumer expectations. This study explored these habits, from acquisition to consumption practices, and the expectations of the European market from the perspective of the major European consumer, Portugal, to obtain insights that support the development of low glycaemic index (GI) rice products. A mixed-methods approach was applied. For the first quantitative questionnaire, 256 Portuguese rice consumers aged 18-73 years were recruited. Twenty-four individuals were selected according to their gender and rice consumption profiles for in-depth interviews. The results confirmed that rice was the main side dish for the participants and was mainly consumed at home, cooked from raw milled rice. The drivers of consumption differ according to the provisioning process stage. In the acquisition stage, participants reported benefits from the rice's dynamic market by comparing products on price, brand, and rice types. In the preparation stage, participants reported the adequacy of the recipe and occasion, while in the consumption stage, participants enhanced their sensory preferences, depending on the rice dish. Although the GI concept was unknown to half of the participants, it was perceived as interesting and positive for healthy eating. Consumers showed concern about the taste and naturalness of the product, preferring it to be as close to a homemade dish as possible. The negative perceptions we verified were interpreted to be due to a lack of knowledge about the GI concept. Therefore, awareness actions and informative campaigns are recommended to promote low-GI rice products.
RESUMEN
Rice and cereal consumption has become a concern for consumers due to usually high glycaemic indexes (GI), which is a critical issue for a balanced and healthy diet. Therefore, the development of new products with low GI is an important target of the industry, particularly in countries with high consumption. This study assesses consumers' perceptions about "rice" and "rice with low GI" and evaluates the effect of consumers' rice consumption profiles through the application of a free word association technique in a structured self-administered electronic questionnaire with 256 Portuguese consumers (the European market with the highest per capita consumption of rice by far). The frequency of rice consumption was evaluated, and the consumption profile was determined through a hierarchical cluster analysis, with 9% identified as daily consumers. The response words were categorized by the triangulation technique, and the association between the word categories and dimensions, sociodemographic characteristics, and consumption profile were determined. Respondents most frequently associated "rice" with rice dishes, its sensory attributes, and nutrition, highlighting the satisfaction of nutritional and hedonic needs. Consumers revealed positive expectations in relation to the functionality of "rice with low GI". The consumers' rice consumption profiles, sex, age, and educational levels influenced their perception towards "rice" and "rice with low GI". This study provides important insights for the industry to develop a consumer-oriented, low GI rice product.
RESUMEN
The knowledge of the food pattern of a population is crucial for establishing nutritional and epidemiological profiles, as well as for controlling the market of foodstuffs and to help in the management of stock of staple foods. This study aims to evaluate food consumption and its association with the underlying motives for consumers' food choices, through the application of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) followed by a Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ). Face to face interviews were conducted with 503 participants, recruited at their homes, workplaces, health centers and other central locations in Cape Verde, only including subjects aged ≥18 years, without a self-reported history of chronic diseases. Food frequency analysis, as well as exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) were used to determine dietary patterns and nonparametric statistical tests for comparisons and associations of variables. The EFA yielded 4 patterns termed as: "Traditional", "Western", "Balanced" and "Energetic". Using an FCQ structure of 9 factors, three different groups were obtained from hierarchical clustering. (Cabral, de Almeida, & Cunha, 2017). The results show that Cape Verdean inhabitants follow global diet trends (towards the so-called "westernization"), however, in a more moderate rate if compared to other developing country populations. Consuming "junk food" is infrequent in Cape Verde, which appears to be due to limited availability and accessibility of this type of food. The rural coastal population remains more attached to traditional foods, consuming local products and traditional dishes, whereas in the urban population, one may notice the "westernization" of consumption. The application of an FFQ in combination with the FCQ provided in-depth information on eating attitudes and behaviors.