FOOD ATTRIBUTES OF FORTIFIED FOODS: AN ANALYSIS OF CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR

The issue of food security, in the face of threats as resource scarcity, climate change, population growth, pollution etc confronts the agri-food systems all over the world with the challenge of pursuing resilience and sustainability. Western populations do not currently experience food shortages, but others do not have enough food available and some others suffer from hunger. Besides, a topic gaining much attention is the malnutrition condition of the global population. International research present fortification as a novel approach to promote public health in the fight against severe nutritional deficiencies (vitamin A, iron, and zinc), particularly in developing Nations, in the context of micronutrient malnutrition. Consumers’ acceptance of fortified products are receiving more and more attention from the institutional, scientific and industrial sphere. The present survey aims at investigating the level of consumer’s knowledge regarding fortified products, the factors influencing their purchasing decisions, their food value systems in terms of sensory evaluation and economic valuation compared to conventional ones and the traits influencing the higher willingness to pay for these foods.. to identify The investigation on the factors that may influence the propensity and frequency of fortified products’ consumption bases on a survey sample. Specifically, following the administration of an ad hoc questionnaire, the methodology comprehend statistical analyses: the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) that synthetized the food values and the consumption motivations comprised in the questionnaire and a non-hierarchical Cluster Analysis to categorize fortified products consumers. The investigation conducted identified the Italian customer profile of fortified food product.