CONSUMER KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE REGARDING STINGLESS BEE HONEY IN KLANG VALLEY, MALAYSIA

There are significant differences in attitude and consumption of stingless bee honey among different income group in Negeri Sembilan. However, there is limited study conducted on consumer knowledge, attitude and practice of stingless bee honey consumption in Klang Valley with good proximity of public transport. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to identify consumer knowledge on stingless bee honey, to identify consumer attitudes and to identify consumer practice on stingless bee honey. A crosssectional survey involving 301 respondents was conducted using an online questionnaire, assessing knowledge, attitudes, practices and consumer preference. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 29.0. Questions 3, 6, and 8 were designed as control questions to assess the respondents' exact knowledge of stingless bee honey. Only 22.3% respondents knew about high moisture content of stingless bee honey (Question 3) and 85.6% respondents wrongly believed stingless bee honey does not need refrigeration to preserve its quality (Question 6). This indicates limited knowledge about stingless bee honey among Klang Valley consumers. Respondent consumption frequency on stingless bee honey is also relatively low (2.39±0.78) which indicates a need for increased awareness on the health benefits of stingless bee honey to encourage more regular usage. There was a significant difference in stingless bee honey consumption between different income groups. Respondents earning over RM5000 highly practiced the consumption of stingless bee honey (9.56±2.28) due to having more disposable income. This study may benefit stingless beekeepers in providing understanding on consumer knowledge, attitude and practice towards local stingless bee honey.