Slovakians' adversarial attitude towards consumption of functional food.

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the behaviour of Slovak consumers in terms of consumption in the field of functional food. The survey was initiated in all regions of Slovakia. The sample involved 1,373 families which consisted of respondents aged 18-92 years. Friedman's test and subsequent post-hoc analysis were used to determine the reasons why people buy (or do not buy) a specific type of food. The survey deals with functional foods. Additionally, another classification method, namely a decision tree, was used. Decision trees help to identify factors influencing the choice of food by buyers. Based on this method, it can be stated that Slovak households still do not trust the functional foods bought in shops and are not interested in purchasing these foods. In short, it could be assumed that the millennium generation would dominate households, and that they will probably prefer foods, in a higher degree of choice, as being pre-prepared foods. Therefore, food sales will move in this direction, although traditional patterns of behaviour, determined by the role of the mother in the family, still dominate. This trend can be reinforced by the lack of cooking skills and confidence among the younger generation, which will lead to reduced cooking and is considered barriers to healthy eating.