Awareness, Knowledge, and Interest about Prebiotics—A Study among Romanian Consumers

Abstract

The consumer awareness towards healthier diets and the impact of nutrition on health has triggered an increase in the production and commercialization of foods with health claims. The scientific literature classifies these food products as functional foods, with a role in promoting health and preventing diseases, and they had a market share of almost 200 million EUR in 2019. Prebiotics are considered functional foods, referring to substrates that are selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit, as defined by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. Several health benefits are associated with the consumption of prebiotics; however, specific requirements must demonstrate the causality between the specific ingredient and the claimed effect. Health claims associated with food products are assessed in the European Union and need to be supported by rigorous scientific evidence before being authorized and permitted on the market. Consumers’ perception of this topic is influenced by the various stakeholders involved. The current work aimed to study the consumers’ perception and interest and to assess the knowledge on the prebiotic concept in Romania. The consumer interest level was quantified by using the web-based data tool Google Trends, and a questionnaire-based investigation was designed. The collected data were analyzed with the help of the SPSS program, and crosstabulation was used to identify the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on diet choice and awareness of prebiotics. A total of 303 persons answered the online applied questionnaire, grouped as young consumers (15–24 years old) and adults (25–64 years old). Even if most responders were familiar with the term of prebiotics (74% of total responders), some results were contradictory regarding their knowledge. The work emphasized the need to carry out educational campaigns and inform consumers on the relationship between certain food ingredients and health outcomes in a clear way and based on a rigorous assessment of the scientific evidence.

Limosilactobacillus reuteri in Health and Disease

“…The Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains are the microorganisms most used for food probiotication and supplements, and a growing number of new strains are achieving the role of probiotics [ 3 ]. Prebiotics are closely associated with probiotics, and refer to compounds that are resistant to digestion but fermentable in the gut and able to stimulate the growth of probiotics [ 4 ].…”

Microencapsulation and Bioaccessibility of Phenolic Compounds of Vaccinium Leaf Extracts

“…Moreover, variations in pH across the stomach and intestinal phases may induce significant changes in phenolic structure and physicochemical properties [66]. Chlorogenic acids (acyl-quinic acids) are frequently found as secondary metabolites generated by plants, especially in coffee, and possess several health-related prebiotic effects [67][68][69]. These acids comprise a phenolic compound connected by way of an ester bond to a part of quinic acid.…”

Polysaccharide-Based Edible Gels as Functional Ingredients: Characterization, Applicability, and Human Health Benefits

“…An outcome of a greener economy and a healthier diet is the adoption of biopolymers, such as PEGs in the production of edible food packaging, which besides protecting the shelf-life and improving the overall characteristics of foodstuff, are also able to confer beneficial health effects to consumers [ 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 ]. A multitude of research is based on the applicability of these polysaccharides-based biopolymers in the food industry [ 72 , 118 , 119 , 120 ], together with the incorporation of bioactive compounds derived from diverse by-products such as tomato [ 121 , 122 , 123 ], berries [ 124 , 125 ], apple, carrot, red-beet [ 126 , 127 ], and other vegetable and fruit sources [ 95 , 124 , 128 , 129 ].…”

“…Figure 5 shows the possible impact of prebiotics in human health [ 15 ]. However, several ongoing studies still exist to understand their specific effect on the gut and their beneficial after-effects [ 116 , 142 , 143 ]. This subchapter gives an overview of PEG benefits on gut microbiota, intestina microecology, and the “bridge effect” in obesity.…”

“…Gibson and Roberfroid first conceived this “prebiotic” notion in 1995 [ 145 ]. It encompasses non-digestible elements which are easily fermented by the colon ecosystem and also have the positive effect of encouraging the activity and growth of some particular gut microorganisms, being advantageous to the physical function of the gastrointestinal tract [ 116 ]. As the world consumes multiple forms of carbohydrates, these can be used by the commensal microbiota, and polysaccharides are mainly assimilated in the colon, especially by the beneficial probiotic bacterias from the Lactobacillus sp.…”