Understanding heterogeneity among elderly consumers: an evaluation of segmentation approaches in the functional food market

It is beneficial for both the public health community and the food industry to meet nutritional needs of elderly consumers through product formats that they want. The heterogeneity of the elderly market poses a challenge, however, and calls for market segmentation. Although many researchers have proposed ways to segment the elderly consumer population, the elderly food market has received surprisingly little attention in this respect. Therefore, the present paper reviewed eight potential segmentation bases on their appropriateness in the context of functional foods aimed at the elderly: cognitive age, life course, time perspective, demographics, general food beliefs, food choice motives, product attributes and benefits sought, and past purchase. Each of the segmentation bases had strengths as well as weaknesses regarding seven evaluation criteria. Given that both product design and communication are useful tools to increase the appeal of functional foods, we argue that elderly consumers in this market may best be segmented using a preference-based segmentation base that is predictive of behaviour (for example, attributes and benefits sought), combined with a characteristics-based segmentation base that describes consumer characteristics (for example, demographics). In the end, the effectiveness of (combinations of) segmentation bases for elderly consumers in the functional food market remains an empirical matter. We hope that the present review stimulates further empirical research that substantiates the ideas presented in this paper.

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A Theoretical Framework on the Determinants of Food Purchasing Behavior of the Elderly: A Bibliometric Review with Scientific Mapping in Web of Science

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10030688 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 688

Author(s):

Khaled Alhammadi ◽

Luna Santos-Roldán ◽

Luis Javier Cabeza-Ramírez

Keyword(s):

Elderly Population ◽

Web Of Science ◽

The Elderly ◽

Purchasing Behavior ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

The Past ◽

Bibliometric Review ◽

Food Market ◽

The Common ◽

Elderly Consumers

The past few years have seen significant demographic changes in most regions, including an increased elderly population. Subsequently, elderly citizens comprise an important market segment of consumers, with the food industry one of the most affected areas in this context. However, food market managers previously believed that elderly consumers’ needs were stereotyped in nature. The lack of focus on this sector, therefore, left elderly consumers as an untapped market, without realizing the financial independence of this segment regarding their nutrition. This research will attempt to provide the key determinant factors on elderly consumers’ behavior related to food. For that purpose, a complete literature review of more than 123 papers regarding these concepts has been carried out. Once analyzed, we highlight the common insights to give clear guidance for supermarket managers and food manufacturers to have a better knowledge of the reasons behind elderly people’s food acquisitions.

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Design of novel functional food products enriched with bioactive extracts from holothurians for meeting the nutritional needs of the elderly

LWT ◽

10.1016/j.lwt.2019.03.097 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 109 ◽

pp. 55-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

J. García ◽

D. Méndez ◽

M. Álvarez ◽

B. Sanmartin ◽

R. Vázquez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Food ◽

Food Products ◽

The Elderly ◽

Nutritional Needs

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The Impact of Attitude, Consumer Innovativeness and Interpersonal Influence on Functional Food Consumption

International Business Research ◽

10.5539/ibr.v9n4p79 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 79 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Filiz Bozkurt Bekoglu ◽

Ahu Ergen ◽

Burcu Inci

Keyword(s):

Food Consumption ◽

Functional Food ◽

Functional Foods ◽

Demographic Variables ◽

Detailed Knowledge ◽

Interpersonal Influence ◽

Consumer Innovativeness ◽

Food Market ◽

The Impact ◽

Expensive Process

<p>There is a growing demand towards functional foods which give the consumers a chance to have a healthier diet without changing their current habits. Due to this appealing benefit, functional food market is rapidly growing and there is a raising interest in consumer research regarding functional foods. The main purpose of this study is to explore the impact of attitude towards the necessity of functional food, interpersonal influence and consumer innovativeness on functional food consumption. The secondary purpose is to find out whether functional food consumption varies according to demographic variables. The study covers 695 consumers living in İstanbul. The results show that people who believe functional foods are necessary, who are influenced by other people and who are innovative, are more likely to consume functional foods. It is also found that functional food consumption is higher among single and lower among educated people. Developing a new functional food is an expensive process and the companies need to have detailed knowledge on the products, consumer expectations and motives. So, it is believed that this study will contribute to explore functional food market and consumers in Turkey.</p>

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Nutritional needs as a determinant of the growing functional food market

Problemy Drobnych Gospodarstw Rolnych / Problems of Small Agricultural Holdings ◽

10.15576/pdgr/2018.4.5 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 5-18

Author(s):

Kamila Daniek ◽

Keyword(s):

Functional Food ◽

Nutritional Needs ◽

Food Market

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Functional Food—Consumer Motivations and Expectations

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18105327 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 5327

Author(s):

Kinga Topolska ◽

Adam Florkiewicz ◽

Agnieszka Filipiak-Florkiewicz

Keyword(s):

Functional Food ◽

Consumer Attitudes ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Nutritional Knowledge ◽

Future Perspectives ◽

Research Papers ◽

Adequate Knowledge ◽

Food Market ◽

And Behavior ◽

Insight Into

This review provides insight into consumer attitudes toward functional food (FF), with the purpose of better understanding the needs and behavior regarding this kind of product. A total of 47 articles were selected for this paper. The available studies from last 20 years differ according to the focus (awareness, attitudes, motivations, willingness, acceptance by consumers) and methodologies used. Several factors, including socio-demographic, cognitive and attitudinal ones, seem to be serve as the basis for the acceptance of functional products. The research papers showed that nutritional knowledge is the most important of these. Older people are more interested in functional products than younger consumers, because of their stronger belief in the health benefits of FF. Moreover, women are more open to compromise between taste and health properties. Claims concerning the disease preventative properties of FF are the most attractive for consumers. This review focuses also on future perspectives for the functional food market. Adequate knowledge and evidence-based communication seem to be the most promising ways to increase consumers’ interest in these kinds of products.

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Salmonids as Natural Functional Food Rich in Omega-3 PUFA

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11052409 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 2409

Author(s):

Wojciech Kolanowski

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Fatty Acid ◽

Functional Food ◽

Fat Content ◽

Salmonid Fish ◽

Omega 3 ◽

Pufa Content ◽

Human Diet ◽

Fish Fillets ◽

Food Market

Salmonids are valuable fish in the human diet due to their high content of bioactive omega-3 very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (VLC PUFA). The aim of this study was to assess the omega-3 VLC PUFA content in selected salmonid fish present on the food market regarding whether they were farm-raised or wild. It was assumed that farm-raised fish, by eating well-balanced feed enriched with omega-3 PUFA, might contain omega-3 VLC PUFA in levels similar to that of wild fish. Fat content, fatty acid composition and omega-3 VLC PUFA content in fish fillets were measured. Farm-raised salmon from Norway, wild Baltic salmon, farm-raised rainbow trout and brown trout were bought from a food market whereas wild trout (rainbow and brown) were caught alive. The fat content in fish ranged from 3.3 to 8.0 g/100 g of fillet. It was confirmed that although wild salmonid fish contain 10–25% more omega-3 VLC PUFA in lipid fraction, the farm-raised ones, due to the 60–100% higher fat content, are an equally rich source of these desirable fatty acids in the human diet. One serving (130 g) of salmonid fish fillets might provide a significant dose of omega-3 VLC PUFA, from 1.2 to 2.5 g. Thus, due to very high content of bioactive fatty acids eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosapentaenoic (DPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) in their meat, salmonid fish currently present on the food market, both sea and freshwater as well as wild and farm-raised, should be considered as natural functional food.

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NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America ◽

10.1016/s1042-3699(20)30893-1 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 199-206

Author(s):

Maria G. Boosalis ◽

Nancy J. Stiles

Keyword(s):

The Elderly ◽

Nutritional Needs

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Information processing by elderly consumers: a five-decade review

Journal of Services Marketing ◽

10.1108/jsm-09-2019-0368 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Gianluigi Guido ◽

Marco Pichierri ◽

Cristian Rizzo ◽

Verdiana Chieffi ◽

George Moschis

Keyword(s):

Information Processing ◽

Design Methodology ◽

State Of The Art ◽

Relevant Literature ◽

Academic Research ◽

The Elderly ◽

Marketing Strategies ◽

Content Type ◽

Processing Activity ◽

Elderly Consumers

Purpose The purpose of this study is to review scholarly research on elderly consumers’ information processing and suggest implications for services marketing. Design/methodology/approach The review encompasses a five-decade period (1970–2018) of academic research and presents relevant literature in four main areas related to information processing: sensation, attention, interpretation and memory. Findings The study illustrates how each of the aforementioned phases of the information processing activity may affect how elderly individuals buy and consume products and services, emphasizing the need for a better comprehension of the elderly to develop effectual marketing strategies. Originality/value The study provides readers with detailed state-of-the-art knowledge about older consumers’ information processing, offering a comprehensive review of academic research that companies can use to improve the effectiveness of their marketing efforts that target the elderly market.

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Technological and Functional Assessment of Riboflavin Enriched Probiotic SoyCurd

Fermentation ◽

10.3390/fermentation7020047 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 47

Author(s):

Kapil Singh Narayan ◽

Sakshi Gaurkhede ◽

Virat Sharma ◽

Ankur Kumar ◽

Bharat Bhushan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lactic Acid ◽

Functional Assessment ◽

Functional Food ◽

Acid Production ◽

Functional Foods ◽

Lactic Acid Production ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Probiotic Strains ◽

And Control ◽

Test Cultures

Preparation of soymilk-based product with probiotics is reasonably a novel approach in the field of fermented functional foods. The aim of this study was to develop riboflavin enriched fermented soy curds with either or combination of the two riboflavin producing probiotic strains of Lactobacillus plantarum i.e., MTCC 25432 (BBC32B) and MTCC 25433 (BBC33), and to compare the technological and functional properties of its developed products. Acidification rate and lactic acid production were enhanced with L. plantarum and its combination in a shorter time to reach pH 4.7. Hardness and cohesiveness were significantly (p < 0.05) higher for fermented soymilk by co-culture of L. plantarum followed by individual strains. Similarly, higher G′ (6.25 × 102 Pa), G” (2.30 × 103 Pa) and G* (8.00 × 102 Pa) values observed for the combination of both L. plantarum strains showed that the gel formed was firmer and had solid character. The riboflavin content of product developed with a combination of test cultures was significantly higher (342.11 µg/L) than individual cultures and control. The final product had a higher probiotic count (more than 9 log cfu/mL), which is also required for functional food containing probiotics.

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