Consumers’ attitudes toward refrigerated ready-to-eat meat and dairy foods

Abstract

The constant variation of people’s lifestyle has been linked to changes in people’s eating habits. The consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) food products, such as fresh vegetables, salads, dairy, pre-cooked meat, or pre-cooked meals, has increased in all western countries. This study aims at characterization of the Portuguese consumers’ attitude toward chilled RTE meat and dairy foods consumption. The study was performed using a questionnaire survey disclosed through an internet platform. The sample consisted of 350 individuals, who voluntarily answered the questionnaire. The survey included questions to characterize the Portuguese purchase and food safety attitudes related to dairy and meat RTE food products. The questionnaire also included questions for the sociodemographic characterization of the sample involved. According to the results, it is not clear to the customers as which is the safer refrigerated RTE food selling format, pre-packed or foods on request. The participants consider refrigerated RTE dairy and meat food products safer when purchased at the delicatessen department in the supermarket than those purchased at open markets or bazaars. With respect to the customers’ habits, they usually purchase RTE dairy or meat food products mainly from the supermarket, and in pre-packed format. Globally, the results reveal that Portuguese consumers are conscious and follow assertive attitudes toward food safety, contributing to maintain the refrigerated food chain, even when they take the product home.

Ready-to-Use Vegetable Salads: Physicochemical and Microbiological Evaluation

“…People's eating habits are influenced by the population's lifestyle, and it seems that nowadays, life is much more hectic with people having less free time; therefore, readyto-use products are more and more preferred [1,2]. Ready-to-use products do not require additional preparation before being consumed and can be found on the market in a wide variety, like fresh-cut fruits, salads and vegetables, cooked meat and poultry, smoked/salted seafood, smoked/salted meat, and dairy [1].…”

“…People's eating habits are influenced by the population's lifestyle, and it seems that nowadays, life is much more hectic with people having less free time; therefore, readyto-use products are more and more preferred [1,2]. Ready-to-use products do not require additional preparation before being consumed and can be found on the market in a wide variety, like fresh-cut fruits, salads and vegetables, cooked meat and poultry, smoked/salted seafood, smoked/salted meat, and dairy [1]. Ready-to-use vegetable salads are minimally processed products [3], by sorting, cutting, washing/disinfection, rinsing, centrifugation, packaging in air or a modified atmosphere, refrigeration and transport, which are finally consumed in a short period of time [4,5].…”