Minimally Processed Vegetables: Consumer Profile, Consumption Habits, and Perceptions of Microbiological Risk

Abstract

This study was conducted to characterize the profile of Brazilian consumers of minimally processed vegetables (MPV) by analyzing consumption habits and perceptions of microbiological risk. An online survey with 27 closed-end questions was administered using Google Forms. The survey consisted of questions regarding participants’ demographic characteristics, consumption of fresh vegetables and MPV, and perception of the microbiological risk associated with the consumption of MPV. The majority of the 1,510 participants (77.5%) were women, 42.3% were 26 to 40 years of age, 42.3% were married, 19.7% were students, 54.4% had a graduate degree, and 39.4% had a monthly family income between 5 and 15 times the minimum wage. Most participants (95.3%) reported consuming fresh vegetables, but only 45.4% reported the consumption of MPV. Among MPV consumers, convenience and practicality were the main determining factors (77.8%) in the purchase of these products. The high price of MPV was the main limiting factor (66.4%). Pearson’s chi-square test indicated that only monthly family income was positively associated with the consumption of vegetables and the perception of microbiological risks related to MPV. These data contribute to a better understanding of the profile of Brazilian MPV consumers and will be important as an exposure assessment component of vegetable risk assessment models.