THE CONSUMPTION OF FRESH-CUT VEGETABLES: FEATURES AND PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR

The consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as responding to a nutritional need, often represents a real hedonistic experience, based on the interaction between flavour and aroma which can hardly be preserved in a product transformed or imitated by surrogates. It therefore becomes very important that the needs of "convenience" are always associated with the maintenance of nutritional and sensory quality, to better respond to the needs of the consumer.Apparently the market responds well, so although there is still a large number of consumers to be "conquered" it is necessary to continue towards a better quality and safety of products, as well as the content in services, without neglecting the aspects of sustainability. This study aims at identifying the behaviour of consumers of fresh-cut vegetables by evaluating their attitudes in a market that is now strongly oriented towards finished products with high quality standards.