Actitudes Y Preferencias Del Consumidor De Frutas Y Hortalizas en Estado Fresco: Ciudad De Valdivia. Region De Los Rios

Abstract

The consumption of fruit and vegetables, both locally and internationally, does not meet the recommendations of health organizations. As a result, several private and public initiatives promote adequate consumption habits and products that can provide the necessary elements for a right nutrition. In this context, the objective of this research was to characterize and analyze the behavior of fresh fruit and vegetables consumers in the city of Valdivia.The methodology used to obtain the data included a semi-structured survey applied to 416 consumers of six commercial shops in Valdivia (2 markets, 2 groceries and 2 supermarkets) during September, October and November 2008. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic methods.Results show that the vegetables that exhibit the higher consumption (more than 82%) were lettuces, tomatoes and carrots, with 55% of the consumers stating that they eat these products on a daily basis. In the case of fruits, bananas and red apples were preferred by consumers with a comsumption level of 82% and 65%, respectively.