Fatores que afetam o consumo do Solanum Lycopersicum L. (tomate): um estudo comparativo entre consumidores do Nordeste e Sudeste do Brasil

Abstract

In recent years, the theme 'tomato and health' has grown considerably worldwide and could be a powerful argument for leveraging the consumption and production of this vegetable and its derivatives. Accordingly, the present study sought to investigate factors affecting tomato consumption among consumers in the Northeast and Southeast of Brazil. The proposed study has a descriptive, exploratory and quantitative character. The data collection instrument used was the online questionnaire, developed on the Google Forms platform, developed using an 11-point metric scale, based on the Likert scale (Range from: 0- unimportant factor to 10-very important factor). It was identified that the tomato is preferably consumed “in natura” by the interviewees, highlighting the importance of the external appearance of the fruit. The interviewees stated that they had little or no regular knowledge about the nutritional benefits of the fruit. Preferred places to buy tomatoes are supermarkets by respondents in the Northeast and greengrocers in the Southeast. There was a difference in purchasing prospects between consumers in the Northeast and Southeast regarding product quality and fruit coloration, and respondents in the Northeast are more demanding than consumers in the Southeast in relation to this. question.