Sourdough bread: Consumer perceptions and attitudes

Faced with new market trends and consumer desires for healthier and more natural products, the bakery sector has sought innovative alternatives to remain attractive to the public. This project aimed to study the beliefs and attitudes of consumers about their consumption and nutritional aspects of sourdough bread (SB). An online survey was conducted to assess consumer knowledge about the product using Google Forms. The questionnaire evaluated issues related to consumer knowledge about the characterization of SB, purchase intention, and the influence of bread labeling on consumer perceptions and attitudes. It also assessed the profile of SB consumers and their consumption frequency, as well as the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents (gender, age, education level, and state). The data were analyzed by the IBM SPSS Statistics software version 22. The results indicated that the consumption and purchase of natural fermentation bread were in several aspects, such as sensory and healthiness more natural products. It should be noted that consumers' knowledge of the production process is recurrent, 85.86% of participants know about the subject, and 53.6% identify its specific characteristics. This study will contribute to the development and commercialization of products made through sourdough fermentation, as well as help raise consumer awareness about the benefits and healthiness of the product.