Functional food perception of gastronomy and culinary arts department students

Abstract

Purpose: While it is planned that this study will affect the sectoral development by increasing the awareness level on functional foods, it is also thought that students who receive culinary and gastronomic arts education will contribute to the functional food product development processes. The aim of this study is to understand and reveal the knowledge, attitudes and observations about functional foods, which are considered important for quality of life, on the application, consumption and future-oriented new product development studies by gastronomy students who will shape food and consumption awareness, and to gain a large market share in today's developing conditions to contribute to the development and awareness of the phenomenon of functional foodand to provide useful information to other academicians and researchers who will conduct research on this path. When the causes of changes in the field of nutrition in today's world are examined, many social, economic and environmental factors exist. Although the habit of natural nutrition is often tried to be preferred among individuals, it is inevitable to expand natural food sources with the combination of food and technology facts. New product profiles have been completely changed, enriched, or by reducing a few features, and by adding minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, prebiotics, probiotics or enzymes suitable for the conditions of the day, many new and more effective alternative products have been created. In addition to being known as functional food, these products are also called and known as food supplements or enriched food. The decrease in natural nutritional conditions and other environmental factors have led to innovation by combining the perception of healthy nutrition with technology in today's world. Individuals have started to use supportive food products at every stage of their life, from infancy to adulthood and advanced age. The pandemic has provided more opportunities for supportive food products to spread and gain a foothold in the market because, in terms of personal health, strengthening the immune system costs less than the expenditures of the disease. Especially the devastating effect of epidemics has increased the demand for supportive food products. Making functional products, the content of which is changed and enriched as needed, more effective and more suitable for future generations in terms of content will only be possible with the right analysis. It is important that many young people, including student groups studying gastronomy and culinary arts, improve their knowledge levels and recognize functional foods. While it is aimed to improve the sectoral development by increasing the awareness level on functional foods, it is also aimed to emphasize the importance of the related subject in human nutrition, so that the students who receive gastronomy and culinary arts education can contribute to the functional food development processes.

Methods: The data used in this study were obtained through questionnaires from 102 members of the gastronomy and culinary arts department. Questionnaire technique was used as the data collection tool. Within the questionnaire directed to the participants, 11 questions were asked to measure the perception of functional food. The term “functional food” in the questions for the participants was explained within the survey process. The data were obtained by interviewing 28 of the participants on the phone between 1st March and 12th April 2022. Interviews via telephone lasted between 15 to 25 minutes. The answers given to the questions during the interview were transferred to the questionnaire. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the remaining 74 participants. All of the data obtained were transferred to the internet environment and analyzed through the SPSS program. ANOVA test was used to analyze the perception factors of the students from the gastronomy and culinary arts department about functional foods. At the point of inclusion of the participants in the research, only being a student of gastronomy and culinary arts was considered. In this context, all of the participants included in the research were students of Afyon Kocatepe University Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department. Ease of access to the participants was taken as a basis in the selection of the data universe.

Results:Individuals have started to use supportive food products at every stage of their life, from infancy to adulthood and advanced age. The pandemic has provided more opportunities for supportive food products to spread and gain a foothold in the market. Because strengthening the personal defense system in terms of personal health costs less than the effects of the disease. Especially the devastating effect of epidemics has increased the demand for nutritional supplements. Making functional products, whose content is changed and enriched as needed, more effective and more suitable for future generations, will only be possible by analyzing the product correctly. At this point, it is important for student groups studying gastronomy and culinary arts to improve their knowledge levels and recognize functional foods.