Functional foods: consumer perception in the Federal District, Brazil

Functional foods are part of a new concept of food, which when consumed together with a healthy, balanced and usual diet, promote health benefits. However, the dissemination of information on functional foods through governmental, scientific, and marketing agencies, among others, has led consumers to different interpretations of this food. The aim of this study was to analyze how consumers in the Federal District, Brazil, are interpreting the information, effects, and risks of functional foods on health. A survey was carried out with 111 respondents, containing a structured interview script for data collection. The questions in the script went through validation of semantics, content, and statistics, and the constructs (trust, medication, media, need, reward, and risk) were assessed by consumers using a seven-point Likert scale. Consumers believe in the beneficial effect that functional foods can have on health, and see it as a cure or disease prevention effect. The process of disclosing information about functional foods should be reevaluated at all levels, both governmental and commercial, so that the information is clearer and understandable for everyone. The relationships between socioeconomic variables were analyzed using Chi-squared tests and the consumers’ perception of functional foods through Pearson's correlation coefficient. The Chi-squared tests indicated highly significant associations (p