Malaysian Consumer Knowledge and Preferred Information Sources in Selecting Functional Foods

Author(s): Siti Hasnah Hassan, and Yanti Ameira Mustapha

Keywords: Functional food, personal information sources, impersonal information sources, knowledge, Malaysia

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Abstract: The functional food market is rapidly expanding, with manufacturers promoting the perceived health benefits of food products to specific consumer groups. Therefore, this study seeks to understand whether consumers have adequate knowledge when choosing functional foods in Malaysian food and if there is a significant difference in knowledge concerning functional foods among the Malays, Chinese and Indians. This study also explores the information sources that consumers use in developing their knowledge and choosing different types of functional food. Data was collected from 600 Malaysian consumers through a self-administered survey. Analysis of Variance and confirmatory factor analysis using Structural Equation Modelling were conducted to test two propositions of this study. The results obtained indicate that consumers have adequate knowledge of functional food; that there is a significant difference in the level of knowledge concerning functional foods among the Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnic groups. The study also identified the communication channels – personal (family, relative, experience and friends) and impersonal (mass media, salesperson, packaging, and the Internet) sources that can be used by food practitioners, government agencies and food marketers to communicate the accurate health benefits of functional food. Proper dissemination of accurate health promotional information will increase the consumption of functional foods in Malaysia's multi cultural society.

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