Consumer perception on processed fruit peels as dietary additives: a preliminary study on minimising fruit wastes

Background and Objectives: Research has shown the role of healthy diets in the prevention of both chronic and infectious diseases. With the current increase in the occurrence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), people need to make healthy food choices. This study aimed at generating data on consumer fruit peel preferences, food choice motives and consumer perception of product quality to enable the design and production of acceptable processed fruit peel sprinkles which will be used as food additives. The objectives of this research include: to ascertain consumers' acceptance of new products (dried, powdered fruit peels) and to determine the most preferred fruits and flavours. Methods: An online questionnaire was used for this cross-sectional survey carried out in South Africa. The questionnaire link was circulated in the different provinces for 4 weeks (June 2021); it was structured to gather socio-economic data, nutrition knowledge, overall perception/acceptance of processed fruit peel products by the respondents and factors that influence consumer choices. Descriptive statistics were used in the statistical analyses. Results: The surveyed population consisted of 517 participants from the nine South African provinces with Gauteng, North West and KwaZulu-Natal accounting for over 70% responses. About 70% of the participants also had a tertiary education and most of the participants showed good nutrition knowledge (85%); they were aware that fruit peels contain useful micronutrients and antioxidants which promote good health and can also assist in weight loss (67%). 'Sweetened' (36%) was the most suggested flavor for the proposed product, followed by 'Natural' i.e. no flavor additives (24%) and 'Chilli' (11%). About 90% of the participants were interested in learning how to process the fruit peels for consumption purposes. Conclusion: Consumers showed keen interest in the consumption of processed fruit peels, with demand for citrus fruit peel products being the highest. Processing and consumption of fruit peels should be encouraged and promoted in order to strengthen the immune system especially during this pandemic, with the reduction of fruit wastes being a key target.