Polish Consumer Preferences and Awareness about Products Containing Caffeine
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15678/krem.18791Keywords:
products containing caffeine, quality of products, consumer study, consumer preferencesAbstract
Objective: The main objective of this article was the recognition of food choices, consumption of products containing caffeine and purchasing habits regarding products containing caffeine on the Polish market. The article characterises Polish consumers’ preferences toward caffeine-containing beverages (CCBs) such as coffee, tea, yerba mate and energy drinks.
Research Design & Methods: The research was conducted by means of CAWI (computer-assisted web interview) and a personal interview. A closed ended question questionnaire was used during the research, and there were 400 respondents of both genders. The Pearson chi-square test of independence was applied to assess the association between categorical variables.
Findings: The research demonstrated that CCBs, such as coffee and tea, are the most preferred sources of caffeine. Significant differences related to age and gender of respondents when it comes to preference for caffeine in coffee and tea were determined. Respondents most frequently chose beans coffee, and leaf tea in bags, which was related to the age and education or the place of residence. The majority of respondents qualified coffee, yerba mate and tea as pro-health products.
Implications / Recommendations: The indication of recommendations when it comes to the increase of consumer awareness about the influence that coffee has on the human body and its diversified amount in CCBs, which has an impact on rational consumption. Main actions in this area should be focused on providing reliable information on product labels by food producers in order to ensure food safety and customer satisfaction with the reliable identification of purchased products.
Contribution: The main source of caffeine coming from CCBs is coffee, recognised as a drink demonstrating pro-health properties, and its frequency of consumption increases with age. The research proves high awareness of consumers when it comes to CCBs properties. The problem which arises is their increasing consumption.
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