Comparison of consumer and nutritional behaviours of respondents aged 55 and older living in selected regions of Poland and France: BIO LIFE project – pilot studies

Abstract

The survey studied individuals aged 55 and older living in the Wielkopolska province of Poland and the Lorraine region in France to analyse and to compare consumer and nutritional behaviours. The results provided data on the nutritional behaviours and factors influencing the nutritional choices in these groups and found differences with its potential impact on consumer behaviour in both communities. The route to-and-from a shop, the weight of purchased products, and insufficient legibility of labels were found to be the most significant problems faced by the respondents in both countries. The quality and health aspects of food products were an important factor influencing the choice of food. A significant difference was noted between the approach of the Polish and the French respondents towards labelling food products with details concerning the recommended group of consumers; the French group was clearly reluctant to purchase food products with such labelling. In both studied groups, a frequent habit was observed of eating between meals. However, according to the responses by the tested individuals, fruits were most often chosen as snacks. The studies also revealed that the elderly preferred dishes with a strong and distinctive taste. These survey are a valuable source of information for local support centres for entrepreneurship, regional policy planning and local food producers. However, the scope of studies should be expanded to include groups from different regions and countries on a more representative group.