Probiotic foods: consumer perception and attitudes

Abstract

Summary The objective of this study was to evaluate the perception and the attitudes towards probiotic foods of the population in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four hundred and twenty (100.0%) people were interviewed in small‐, medium‐ and large‐sized supermarkets located in various parts of the city of Rio de Janeiro. One hundred and twenty‐two (29.05%) people defined probiotic foods correctly. Ninety‐one (21.67%) were unable to mention a single example of a probiotic food. The results of this study indicate the need for an elementary easy‐to‐understand educational programme using accessible language in order to fix the concepts related to these products.