Factors affecting food decisions made by individual consumers

Food decisions made by individuals affect the healthfulness of their food intakes and influence the success or failure of food products in the consumer-oriented food marketplace of today. Because consumers develop their own systems of deciding what to eat and how to follow the Food Guide Pyramid, it is difficult to know which factors or combinations of factors that influence those decisions are most important. Some of these factors that influence consumer food choices are discussed in this paper. These include cultural factors, psychological factors, lifestyle factors, and food trends. Barriers to food decisions that follow Food Guide Pyramid recommendations for healthy diets are identified. These are barriers related to food, consumer food behavior and dietary guidance. Approaches are summarized for modifying consumer food decision-making behavior in the direction of healthful diets that follow the Food Guide Pyramid. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.