IMPACT OF PROCESSED FOOD INDUSTRY ON CONSUMER

Abstract

This paper is undertaken to examine the processed food industry and how it keep on manipulating the consumer becoming addict to it. In theory most food is processed as any food that’s natural state is tempered be it washing or freezing for future, here we are focused on how the big companies get us hooked on their products. Even supplying us with so many substitutes that we are made to believe we have made a right decision in consuming the product, they exploit the lack of consumer awareness and product knowledge to a extent that consumer are not even aware they are tricked by the companies. All the companies use various marketing gimmicks to reel in consumers, but they did not just stop there relying on specific formulas to get people addict to them like including cyclooctenes, a group of chemicals that deliver a toasted, maple like smell; lactones, such as delta-Dodecalactone, which render a creaminess and buttery like rich milk aroma. The objective of this study was to get analysing all these different tactics and how people are influenced by them as main decision is of the consumer to buy those products, focusing on the consumer behaviour and how aware are they about the product they consume. A sampling method has been used and surveys has been circulated online, using previous studies as basis of reference for this research as well.