Bioactive food ingredient acceptance of health conscious consumers in two adjoining subcouncils of the city of Cape Town

Abstract

Globally, and in South Africa, consumers have become concerned about living healthier lifestyles as well as acquiring an understanding of health and using self-medication as disease preventative measures. This has resulted in an expanding consumer interest in functional foods and the non-nutrient bioactive ingredients in foods that support health. The aim of this study therefore was to determine: (i) the level of awareness, knowledge and understanding (i.e. acceptance) of functional foods and a number of bioactive food ingredients of health conscious consumers in two adjoining subcouncils of the City of Cape Town and (ii) the demographic, health and lifestyle characteristics and other socioenvironmental influences affecting their acceptance of bioactive ingredients in functional foods to describe the consumer market for functional foods and the bioactive food ingredients investigated. For the purpose of this study two groups of respondents representing the health conscious consumer were purposefully sampled. One hundred and thirty nine respondents representing the health conscious market, which includes gym subscribers and dietary supplement users, anonymously and voluntarily participated (67% response rate) from the two subcouncils, De Grendal and Blaauwberg, representing a higher economically active segment of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality.