FUNCTIONAL FOOD – A CHALLANGE FOR THE CONSUMER, OPPORTUNITY FOR PRODUCERS

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Pro-health trend dominates all over the world, as well in Poland. Nutrition education is present from the early stages of our lives, which gradually creates healthy food conscious consumer. They are led to choose their nutrition in a way to prevent diseases of affluence, therefore there is a need for functional foods. Nowadays, together with the lack of definition of those products and with absence of dedicated to them law, consumers experience problems with identifying this type food correctly. Producers, on the other hand, are obligated to conduct complicated and expensive research to be able to set functional foods on the market. The social attitudes towards necessity and price of those products seems positive. Current feasible trends could be a chance for agribusiness and manufacturers to step in, listen to the consumers doubts and troubles and prepare products that not only would be an answer for markets needs, but also would meet diet recommendations. Such conjoint actions, together with well designed marketing strategy could build a market ready for getting functional food regularly in the future. There is also a need observed among consumers to design special mark, helping in distinguish between functional and conventional products.