Exploring the lebanese consumers understanding of milk products and non-dairy alternatives: findings in a developing country

Abstract

Little is known about consumers’ behavior toward purchasing and consuming dairy products vs. nondairy alternatives in developing countries. Hence, this paper investigated consumers’ understanding of milk products and non-dairy alternatives. Data was collected during March 2018 through a selfadministrated structured questionnaire conducted in North Lebanon (n = 180). Questions assessed Lebanese consumers’ comprehension of products composition, nutrition knowledge, purchase behavior, consumption frequency, barriers that forbid them from consumption, and their interest in innovative products. Other questions tackled the availability of products in the market and their sensory attributes. The collected quantitative data were analyzed via using the SPSS program (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 21.0). Results substantiate the need for awareness initiatives or activities tailored to expand the knowledge of consumers regarding the health benefits of non-dairy products. At present, it should be helpful to work on new projects to develop local non-dairy products that can be considered satisfactory by consumers and of possible interest to the general community. Implications for the future are to improve Lebanese consumers’ understanding and promote their use of food nutrition labels.