Uruguayan consumers' perception of functional foods

As the markets for functional foods increase, studying and understanding consumers' perception of functional foods is essential to develop products that have a good consumer acceptance. The objective of this work was to provide a first insight into Uruguayan consumers' perception of functional foods. A survey with 200 consumers was performed. The participants were not familiar with the term "functional food," as only 37% related the term with the real concept behind it. However, the participants showed a positive attitude toward the functional foods concept. Preferred areas of action of functional foods at a generic level were not reflected in the ratings of perceived healthiness and willingness to try yogurt with different enrichments, probably because they did not associate the components with their health effect. These results suggest that the use of health claims would be essential to ensure the success of functional foods.