PREPARATIONS PREFERENCES, PERCEPTION OF NUTRITIONAL VALUE, AND ACCEPTANCE OF ELABORATED PRODUCTS AND TRANSGENIC BEANS BY BRAZILIAN CONSUMERS

Resumo

This study evaluated the perception of Brazilian consumers regarding the nutritional value, preparation/consumption preferences, and acceptance of genetically modified (GM) beans. An opinion survey was carried out using an electronic questionnaire from Google®. From the total of 873 participants, more than 44% said they eat beans more than 5 times a week and describe beans as a yummy, traditional, and nutritious food. For them, beans are a food rich in iron (93%) and a source of protein (83%), that is not related to fattening (73%) and do not cause abdominal discomfort (82%). Regarding the possibility of consumption diversification, the Brazilian consumer would not buy beans ready for consumption (51%), such as canned beans (58%). On the other hand, most of the consumers would eat products made with bean flour (78%), e.g., pasta and snacks (65%) and pâté for appetizers (57%). As for the consumer's perception of GM products, the majority (87%) claimed to know that industrialized products have GM ingredients, such as soy or corn. There was an evident low acceptance (46%) of the term "transgenic" (and 36% of consumers were fearful). The results demonstrated that when consumers access more information about the quality and nutritional value of the product, the greater the trust and acceptance of GM beans.