ABSTRACT
Do consumers know what organic processed food is and are they able to correctly identify it? This article aimed to address these questions in Brazil. We used the snowball methodology to disseminate the questionnaire (1,690 answers) containing 21 questions regarding: 1. frequency of consumption, 2. self-assessment of knowledge regarding organic processed food, 3. ability to identify the organic label, 4. knowledge regarding the organic processed food identity standards, 5. socioeconomic profile. Participants’ self-assessed knowledge showed positive associations with both the knowledge regarding identity standards and the ability to identify organic labels. Younger, more educated participants who were responsible for domestic purchases were more likely to correctly identify organic processed food. No compelling evidence was found that frequency of organic processed food consumption affected the performance on the questionnaire. We also found evidence that regions of residence affect the level of knowledge and ability to identify organic processed food.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Center for Organization Studies (CORS), as well as the Group of Studies and Research on Strategy and Vertical Coordination (GEPEC) for providing a rich environment for the development of this study. This work was supported by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) under Grant [number 407 498/2016-8]. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for their valuable contributions. Any remaining inaccuracies and mistakes are the sole responsibility of the authors.
Notes
1 Approximately USD 1,800 to USD 3,000, considering the average exchange rate prevailing during the research period.