Krystyna Gutkowska Professor, PhD, DSc
Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW-WULS), Department of Food Market and Consumer Research, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, 159C Nowoursynowska Street, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
krystyna_gutkowska@sggw.edu.pl z ORCID 0000-0002-0873-8478
Jacek Czarnecki, PhD, Eng.
Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW-WULS), Department of Food Market and Consumer Research, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, 159C Nowoursynowska Street, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Jacek.czarnecki@pl.nestle.com z ORCID 0000-0002-3974-1602
Abstract:
In order to identify the attitudes of consumers towards innovative food products, including functional foods, qualitative research was carried out in 2019 to find out what are the components of these attitudes in relation toinnovative food, on the example of functional food, in the conditions of the growing global tendency to care forhealth and convenience. As a result of the research carried out using the focus group interview (FGI) methodology,it was found that innovative food is associated with a new taste or packaging, increased nutritional value, as well as health related attributes. Often, in studies, consumers also referred to the reduction or complete elimination of allergenic ingredients and other chemical ingredients, e.g. preservatives, flavor enhancers. Consumers accept these innovations in different ways, generally showing skepticism about “improving” food by enriching it withvarious ingredients, while positively referring to changes related to the reduction in the content of nutrients considered harmful to health, e.g. fat, sugar or salt. It was also noted that innovativeness treated as a personality trait is accompanied by such features as: openness, tolerance, optimism, life satisfaction, while people lackingtendency to accept innovation are usually pessimistic about the world, attached to tradition or thrifty. It was also noted that consumers similarly perceive innovative and functional food, indicating that functional products arefood with a specific health purpose, with a modified composition. The interviewees also indicated that it is possible to increase the interest of consumers in purchasing new food products or functional food through, interalia, well targeted marketing messages, and it is necessary to take into account the legal regulations regarding their wording when formulating them. This applies in particular to the possibility of using nutrition and health claims in the case of products enriched with ingredients with a declared health-related effect.
Consumer attitudes towards innovative food products including functional products — implications for marketing in terms of nutrition and health claims
Krystyna Gutowska Professor, PhD, DSc, Professor at the Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences of theWarsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Poland — she has focused on the multidimensional researchof the food market with a special inclusion of the consumers’ attitudes towards various types of food, including the food of improved quality, nutritional value and health-promoting characteristics, as well as innovative and functional. In this field of research she realized many research projects financed from both domestic and foreign sources. She published (both as the only author and as a co-author) over 300 articles in the reviewed Polish and foreign journals, she was also an author and co-author of 15 monographs. Scientific career: 1979 Master of Sociology — Faculty of Social Sciences at the Warsaw University; 1985 — PhD ofthe Agricultural Sciences — Faculty of Economics and Agriculture at the WULS — SGGW; 1998 — PhD ofhigher degree of the Economic Sciences — Economics of Consumption — the Faculty of Economics and Agriculture, SGGW; 2005 — scientific degree of the professor of economic sciences.
Jacek Czarnecki, PhD, Eng, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW-WULS), Department of FoodMarket and Consumer Research, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Poland — is an expert in thefield of food law, safety and quality of food and communication directed at consumers. In the Nestlé company, while leading the Regulatory & Scientific Affairs department for Poland and the Baltic states he is responsible for the scope of the food legislation and scientific relations. He is leading the area of completeness and quality of the basic data in the processes of development of formulas, making of labels and conveyance of the technical information about products. He closely cooperates with the Nestlé office in Brussels, as a coordinator of the EU-related issues, branch for Poland. He takes a role of a vice-president of The Polish Federation of Food Industry Union of Employers where he leads the Committee for the Legislation and Safety of Food. Within this organisation he co-creates a quarterly Food Lex, by being a member of the editorial board.He is also a vice-president of the Polish Association of Employers of the Food Industry in the Lewiatan Confederation. He works in the Federation of Associations Advertisement Counsil, as well as in other organisations of the economic self-governance. Connected with the Faculty of Human Nutrition at the WULS— SGGW, where he finished his studies and in 2019 received his PhD degree and with which he activelycollaborates as a member of the Faculty’s Programme Counsil.