Keywords
unprocessed and minimally processed foods
plant-derived foods
demand
Poland
How to Cite
Abstract
This article aimed to identify the purchase motives for plant-derived unprocessed and minimally processed foods (UMPF) by individual buyers in Poland, considering their gender and age, and to segment these motives. The research was conducted on a sample of n = 1,000 using a survey method, with the CATI technique. However, the study of UMPF purchase motives could include a sample of n = 875 respondents who purchase UMPF. Relevant explanations are provided in the executive summary and methodology. Data was subjected to quantitative analyses. The methods used were mean score analysis, comparative analysis, Pearson's chi2 independence test, V-Cramer's contingency coefficient, and exploratory factor analysis. Four research hypotheses were verified. As a result of the analyses, it was proven that three groups of motivators shape the motivation to purchase UMPF: health-promoting factors (of greatest importance), pragmatic factors (of moderate importance), and marketing factors (of least importance). In addition, both the gender and age of respondents were shown to significantly differentiate the motives for purchasing UMPF. The results of factor analysis, however, revealed different structures of latent factors determining purchase motivations according to gender and age, which made it possible to distinguish two main segments of consumers with similar hierarchies of motives: the first, including women and post-working-age people, and the second, including men and people of working age. The results obtained can be used to develop social campaigns to promote UMPF consumption.
References
Ali, M., Ullah, S., Ahmad, M. S., Cheok, M. Y., & Alenezi, H. (2023). Assessing the impact of green consumption behavior and green purchase intention among millennials toward sustainable environment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(9), 23335-23347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-23811-1
Alzamora, S. M., López-Malo, A., Tapia, M. S., & Welti-Chanes, J. (2016). Minimally Processed Foods. In B. Caballero, P.M. Finglas & F. Toldrá (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Food and Health (pp. 767-771). Academic Press.
Ashby, S., Kleve, S., McKechnie, R., & Palermo, C. (2016). Measurement of the dimensions of food insecurity in developed countries: A systematic literature review. Public Health Nutrition, 19, 2887-2896. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980016001166
Bansal, V., Siddiqui, M. W., & Rahman, M. S. (2015). Minimally Processed Foods: Overview. In M. Siddiqui & M. Rahman (Eds.), Minimally Processed Foods. Food Engineering Series (pp. 1-15). Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10677-9_1
Bartkiene, E., Steibliene, V., Adomaitiene, V., Juodeikiene, G., Cernauskas, D., Lele, V., Klupsaite, D., Zadeike, D., Jarutiene, L., Raquel, P. F., & Guiné, R. P. F. (2019). Factors affecting consumer food preferences: food taste and depression-based evoked emotional expressions with the use of face reading technology. BioMed Research International, 4, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2097415
Bedyńska, S., & Cypryańska, M. (2007). Zaawansowane sposoby tworzenia wskaźników: zastosowanie analizy czynnikowej oraz analizy rzetelności pozycji. In S. Bedyńska & A. Brzezicka (Eds.), Statystyczny drogowskaz. Praktyczny poradnik analizy danych w naukach społecznych na przykładach z psychologii (pp. 134-161). Warszawa: SWPS Akademica. (in Polish).
Bolha, A., Blaznik, U., & Korošec, M. (2021). Influence of intrinsic and extrinsic food attributes on consumers’ acceptance of reformulated food products: a systematic review. Slovenian Journal of Public Health, 60(1), 72-78. https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2021-0011
Boustani, N., & Guiné, R. (2020). Food choice motivations and perception of a healthy diet in a developing Mediterranean country. Open Agriculture, 5(1), 485-495. https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2020-0048
Brzeziński, J. M. (2021). Testy istotności różnic i wskaźniki wielkości efektu ES. Wybrane zagadnienia. In J.M. Brzeziński (Ed.), Metodologia badań psychologicznych, (pp. 205-234). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. (in Polish).
Chan, E., & Zhang, L. S. (2022). Is this food healthy? The impact of lay beliefs and contextual cues on food healthiness perception and consumption. Current Opinion in Psychology, 46, 101348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101348
Chen, P. J., & Antonelli, M. (2020). Conceptual Models of Food Choice: Influential Factors Related to Foods, Individual Differences and Society. Foods, 9(12), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9121898
Chen, X., Zhang, Z., Yang, H., Qiu, P., Wang, H., Wang, F., Zhao, Q., Fang, J., & Nie, J. (2020). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and health outcomes: a systematic review of epidemiological studies. Nutrition Journal, 19, 2-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-020-00604-1
Cînpeanu, O. C., Tarcea, M., Cojan, P., Iorga, D., Olah, P., & Guiné, R. P. F. (2019). Perception of healthy eating among Romanian adults. Journal of Interdisciplinary Medicine, 4(2), 77-86. https://doi.org/10.2478/jim-2019-0008
Czernyszewicz, E., Komor, A., Białoskurski, S., Wróblewska, W., Pawlak, J., & Goliszek, A. (2022). Trendy konsumpcyjne na rynku żywności – wybrane zagadnienia. Radom: Instytut Naukowo-Wydawniczy Spatium. (in Polish).
De Corato, U. (2020). Improving the shelf-life and quality of fresh and minimally-processed fruits and vegetables for a modern food industry: A comprehensive critical review from the traditional technologies into the most promising advancements. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 60(6), 940-975. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2018.1553025
Di Renzo, L., Gualtieri, P., Pivari, F., Soldati, L., Attina, A., Cinelli, G., Leggeri, C., Caparello, G., Barrea, L., Scerbo, F., Esposito, E., & De Lorenzo, A. (2020). Eating habits and lifestyle changes during COVID-19 lockdown: an Italian survey. Journal of Translational Medicine, 18(1), 229. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-020-02399-5
Dimitrova, T., Ilieva, I., & Angelova, M. (2022). Exploring Factors Affecting Sustainable Consumption Behaviour. Administrative Sciences, 12(4), 155. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12040155
Duarte, P., Teixeira, M., & Silva, S. (2021). Healthy eating as a trend: consumers’ perceptions towards products with nutrition and health claims. Revista Brasileira de Gestão de Negócios, 22(1), 405-421. https://doi.org/10.7819/rbgn.v23i3.4113
Duralia, O. (2023). Food consumption behaviour-influencing factors and trends. Studies in Business and Economics, 18(2), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.2478/sbe-2023-0027
Fanzo, J., Bellows, A. L., Spiker, M. L., Thorne-Lyman, A. L., & Bloem, M. W. (2021). The importance of food systems and the environment for nutrition. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 113(1), 7-16. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa313
Fardet, A., & Rock, E. (2020). Ultra-processed foods and food system sustainability: what are the links? Sustainability, 12(15), 6280. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12156280
Ferrão, A. C., Guiné, R. P. F., Ferreira, P., & Ferreira, M. (2020). Influence of environmental and political determinants on food choices in a sample of Portuguese population. Current Nutrition & Food Science, 16(5), 689-697. https://doi.org/10.2174/1573401315666190723150841
Godos, J., Bonaccio, M., Al-Qahtani, W. H., Marx, W., Lane, M. M., Leggio, G. M., & Grosso, G. (2023). Ultra-processed food consumption and depressive symptoms in a Mediterranean cohort. Nutrients, 15(3), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030504
Goetzke, B., Nitzko, S., & Spiller, A. (2014). Consumption of organic and functional food. A matterof well-being and health? Appetite, 77, 94-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.02.012
Gomes, B. A. F., Alexandre, A. C. S., de Andrade, G. A. V., Zanzini, A. P., de Barros, H. E. A., Silva, L. M. d. S. F., de Costa, P. A., & Boas, E. V. d. B. V. (2023). Advances in processing and preservation of minimally processed fruits and vegetables: A review—Part 2: Pysical methods and global market outlook. Food Chemistry Advances, 2, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focha.2023.100304
Gravel, K., Doucet, É., Herman, C. P., Pomerleau, S., & Bourlaud, A. (2012). “Healthy,” “diet” or “hedonic”? How nutrition claims affect food-related perceptions and intake? Appetite, 59(3), 877-884. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2012.08.028
GUS. (2022, October 20) Sytuacja demograficzna Polski do 2022r. https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/ludnosc/ludnosc/sytuacja-demograficzna-polski-do-roku-2022,40,3.html (in Polish).
GUS. (2023, October 3) Prognoza ludności na lata 2023–2060. https://demografia.stat.gov.pl/bazademografia/TrwanieZycia.aspx (in Polish).
Gutjar, S., de Graaf, C., Kooijman, V., de Wijk, R. A., Nys, A., ter Horst, G. J., & Jager, G. (2015). The role of emotions in food choice and liking. Food Research International, 76, 216-223. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2014.12.022
Hagen, L. (2020). Pretty healthy food: How and when aesthetics enhance perceived healthiness. Journal of Marketing, 85(2), 129-145. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242920944384
Harb, A. A., Shechter, A., Koch, P. A., & St-Onge, M. P. (2023). Ultra-processed foods and the development of obesity in adults. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 77(6), 619-627. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-022-01225-z
Hawkes, C., Smith, T. G., Jewell, J., Wardle, J., Hammond, R. A., Friel, S., Thow, A. M., & Kain, J. (2015). Smart food policies for obesity prevention. Lancet, 385(9985), 2410-2421. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61745-1
Hung, Y., Grunert, K. G., Hoefkens, C., Hieke, S., & Verbeke, W. (2017). Motivation outweighs ability in explaining European consumers’ use of health claims. Food Quality and Preference, 58, 34-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2017.01.001
Januszewska, R., Pieniak, Z., & Verbeke, W. (2011). Food choice questionnaire revisited in four countries. Does it still measure the same? Appetite, 57(1), 94-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2011.03.014
Jerzyk, E., Kaczmarek, M., Nestorowicz, R., Mruk-Tomczak, D., & Rogala, A. (2024). Pandemia a dobrostan żywieniowy konsumentów w Polsce – analiza porównawcza. Marketing i Rynek, 31(5), 16-31. https://doi.org/10.33226/1231-7853.2024.5.2 (in Polish).
Joshi, A., Kale, S., Chandel, S., & Pal, D. (2015). Likert Scale: Explored and Explained. British Journal of Applied Science & Technology, 7(4), 396-403. https://doi.org/10.9734/BJAST/2015/14975
Karpyn, A., McCallops, K., Wolgast, H., & Glanz, K. (2020). Improving consumption and purchases of healthier foods in retail environments: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(20), 7524. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207524
Lemos, T. C., Coutinho, G. M. S., Silva, L. A. A., Stariolo, J. B., Campagnoli, R. R., Oliveira, L., Pereira, M. G., Mota, B. E. F., Souza, G. G. L., Canella, D. S., Khandpur, N., & David, I. A. (2022). Ultra-processed foods elicit higher approach motivation than unprocessed and minimally processed foods. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.891546
Leng, G., Adan, R. A. H., Belot, M., Brunstrom, J. M., de Graaf, K., Dickson, S. L., Hare, T., Maier, S., Menzies, J., Preissl, H., Reisch, L. A., Rogers, P. J., & Smeets, P. A. M. (2017). The determinants of food choice. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(3), 316-327. https://doi.org/10.1017/S002966511600286X
Li, X., Zhang, R., Hassan, M. M., Cheng, Z., Mills, J., Hou, C., Realini, C. E., Chen, L., Day, L., Zheng, X., Zheng, D., & Hicks, T. M. (2022). Active packaging for the extended shelf-life of meat: Perspectives from consumption habits, market requirements and packaging practices in China and New Zealand. Foods, 11(18), 2903. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11182903
Liu, A. G., Ford, N. A., Hu, F. B., Zelman, K. M., Mozaffarian, D., & Kris-Etherton, P. M. (2017). A healthy approach to dietary fats: understanding the science and taking action to reduce consumer confusion. Nutrition Journal, 16(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-017-0271-4
Louzada, M. L., Baraldi, L. G., Steele, E. M., Martins, A. P., Canella, D. S., Moubarac, J. C., Levy, R. B., Cannon, G., Afshin, A., Imamura, F., Mozaffarian, D., & Monteiro, C. A. (2015). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and obesity in Brazilian adolescents and adults. Preventive Medicine, 81, 9-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.07.018
Marty, L., de Lauzon-Guillain, B., Labesse, M., & Nicklaus, S. (2021). Food choice motives and the nutritional quality of diet during the COVID-19 lockdown in France. Appetite, 157, 105005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.105005
Mascarello, G., Pinto, A., Parise, N., Crovato, S., & Ravarotto, L. (2015). The perception of food quality. Profiling Italian consumers. Appetite, 89, 175-182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.02.014
Mojsiewicz, M., Batóg, B., & Wawrzyniak, K. (2008). Application of factor analysis in behavioral segmentation on the base of semiometric scale. Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, 7(1), 23-32. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10031-008-0012-0
Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Levy, R. B., Moubarac, J. C., Louzada, M. L., Rauber, F., Khandpur, N., Cediel, G., Neri, D., Martinez-Steele, E., Baraldi, L. G., & Jaime, P. C. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition, 22(5), 936-941. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018003762
Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Levy, R., Moubarac, J. C., Jaime, P., Martins, A. P., Martinez, E., Baraldi, L., Garzillo, J., & Sattamini, I. (2016). NOVA. The star shines bright. World Nutrition, 7(1-3), 28-38. https://www.worldnutritionjournal.org/index.php/wn/article/view/5
Moreb, N. A., Albandary, A., Jaiswal, S., & Jaiswal, A. K. (2021). Fruits and vegetables in the management of underlying conditions for COVID-19 high-risk groups. Foods, 10(2), 389. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10020389
Motoki, K., & Togawa, T. (2022). Multiple senses influencing healthy food preference. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 48, 101223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101223
Nardocci, M., Leclerc, B. S., Louzada, M. L., Monteiro, C. A., Batal, M., & Moubarac, J. C. (2019). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and obesity in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 110, 4-14. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0130-x
Nestorowicz, R., Jerzyk, E., & Rogala, A. (2021). Dobrostan żywieniowy a działania marketingowe na rynku żywności. In H. Mruk & A. Sawicki (Eds.), Marketing. Koncepcje i doświadczenia (pp. 282-302). Pelplin: Wydawnictwo Bernardinum. (in Polish).
Ogundijo, D. A., Tas, A. A., & Onarinde, B. A. (2022). Age, an important sociodemographic determinant of factors influencing consumers’ food choices and purchasing habits: An English University Setting. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 858593. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.858593
PAHO. (2015). Ultra-processed food and drink products in Latin America: Trends, impact on Obesity, Policy Implications. https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/7699
Pandey, B., Reba, M., Joshi, P. K., & Seto, K. C. (2020). Urbanization and food consumption in India. Scientific Reports, 10, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73313-8
Panek, T. (2009). Statystyczne metody wielowymiarowej analizy porównawczej. Warszawa: Szkoła Główna Handlowa w Warszawie. (in Polish).
Plasek, B., & Temesi, Á. (2019). The credibility of the effects of functional food products and consumers' willingness to purchase/willingness to pay - review. Appetite, 143, 104398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2019.104398
Poti, J. M., Mendez, M. A., Ng, S. W., & Popkin, B. M. (2015). Is the degree of food processing and convenience linked with the nutritional quality of foods purchased by US households? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 101, 1251-1262. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.100925
Prescott, J., Young, O., O’Neill, L., Yau, N. J. N., & Stevens, R. (2002). Motives for food choice: A comparison of consumers from Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and New Zealand. Food Quality and Preference, 13, 489-495. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-3293(02)00010-1
Renner, B., Sproesser, G., Strohbach, S., & Schupp, H. T. (2012). Why we eat what we eat? The eating motivation survey (TEMS). Appetite, 59(1), 117-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2012.04.004
Rodríguez-Pérez, C., Molina-Montes, E., Verardo, V., Artacho, R., García-Villanova, B., Guerra-Hernández, E. J., & Ruíz-López, M. D. (2020). Changes in dietary behaviours during the COVID-19 outbreak Confinement in the Spanish COVIDiet study. Nutrients, 12(6), 1730. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061730
Saari, U. A., Damberg, S., Frömbling, L., & Ringle, Ch. M. (2021). Sustainable consumption behavior of Europeans: The influence of environmental knowledge and risk perception on environmental concern and behavioral intention. Ecological Economics, 189, 107155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107155
Schliemann, D., Woodside, J. V., Geaney, F., Cardwell, C., Michelle, C., McKinley, M. C., & Perry, I. (2019). Do socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics predict food choice motives in an Irish working population? British Journal of Nutrition, 122(1), 111-119. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114519000941
Seferidi, P., Scrinis, G., Huybrechts, I., Woods, J., Vineis, P., & Millett, C. (2020). The neglected environmental impacts of ultra-processed foods. The Lancet Planetary Health, 4(10), 437-438. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30177-7
Sethi, S., Nayak, S. L., Joshi, A., & Sharma, R. R. (2020). Sanitizers for fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. In M.W. Siddiqui (Ed.), Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables: Technologies and Mechanisms for Safety Control (pp. 99-119). USA: Academic Press Cambridge. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816184-5.00005-7
Sidor, A., & Rzymski, P. (2020). Dietary choices and habits during COVID-19 lockdown: experience from Poland. Nutrients, 12(6), 1657. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061657
Steinhauser, J., Janssen, M., & Hamm, U. (2019). Who Buys Products with Nutrition and Health Claims? A Purchase Simulation with Eye Tracking on the Influence of Consumers’ Nutrition Knowledge and Health Motivation. Nutrients, 11(9), 2199. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11092199
Syme, S. L. (1986). Strategies for health promotion. Preventive Medicine, 15(5), 492-507. https://doi.org/10.1016/0091-7435(86)90026-5
Testa, R., Schifani, G., & Migliore, G. (2021). Understanding consumers’ convenience orientation. An exploratory study of fresh-cutfruit in Italy. Sustainability, 13(3), 1027. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031027
Valverde, M. T., Marín-Iniesta, F., & Calvo, L. (2010). Inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in conference pear with high-pressure carbon dioxide and effects on pear quality. Journal of Food Engineering, 98(4), 421-428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2010.01.022
Vermeir, I., Weijters, B., De Houwer, J., Geuens, M., Slabbinck, H., Spruyt, A., Van Kerckhove, A., Van Lippevelde, W., De Steur, H., & Verbeke, W. (2020). Environmentally Sustainable Food Consumption: A Review and Research Agenda From a Goal-Directed Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1603. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01603
Wallace, T. C., Bailey, R. L., Blumberg, J. B., Burton-Freeman, B., Chen, C. Y. O., Crowe-White, K. M., Drewnowski, A., Hooshmand, S., Johnson, E., Lewis, R., Murray, R., Shapses, S. A., & Wang, D. D. (2020). Fruits, vegetables, and health: A comprehensive narrative, umbrella review of the science and recommendations for enhanced public policy to improve intake. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 60(13), 2174-2211. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2019.1632258
Westbury, S., Ghosh, I., Jones, H. M., Mensah, D., Samuel, F., Irache, A., Azhar, N., Al-Khudairy, L., Iqbal, R., & Oyebode, O. (2021). The influence of the urban food environment on diet, nutrition and income and health outcomes in low-income countries: a systematic review. BMJ Global Health, 6(10), e006358. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2021-006358
Zheng, L., Sun, J., Yu, X., & Zhang, D. (2020). Ultra-processed food is positively associated with depressive symptoms among United States Adults. Frontiers in Nutrition, 7, 600449. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2020.600449
Zink, D. L. (1997). The impact of consumer demands and trends on food processing. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 3(4), 467-469. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid0304.970408
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Economics and Environment