# Exploring Demand: Challenges and Opportunities for Free-From and Organic Foods in Portuguese Market
## 3 Results
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\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline  & **Crude OR (95\% CI)** & **Adjusted * OR (95\% CI)** \\ \hline Gender & & \\ Men & 1 & 1 \\ Women & 2.16 (1.77; 2.63) & 1.88 (1.51; 2.34) \\ Age (years) & 0.98 (0.98; 0.99) & 0.99 (0.98; 1.00) \\ Education & & \\ Elementary (1–9 y) & 1 & 1 \\ Secondary (10–12 y) & 2.04 (1.36; 3.09) & 1.74 (1.14; 2.66) \\ Higher school (>12 y) & 2.10 (1.42; 3.10) & 1.56 (1.04; 2.34) \\ Household with children & 1 & \\ No & 1.12 (0.95; 1.34) & \\ Tse & 1.12 (0.95; 1.34) & \\ Household income & & \\ The current income allows for a & 1 & \\ comfortable living/allows for living & & \\ It is difficult/very difficult to live on & 0.96 (0.77; 1.20) & \\ the current income & & \\ Study or work on food and nutrition & & \\ No & 1 & 1 \\ Yes & 0.77 (0.63; 0.95) & 0.74 (0.60; 0.91) \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} OR—odds ratio; CI—confidence interval; *—ORs adjusted for gender, age, education and study or work on food and nutrition.  
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Table 2: Socioeconomic characteristics associated with the purchase of free-from products. Figure 3: The main drivers in the choice of a free-from product (\(n\)). This pattern was not significantly different according to gender, education, income, or having children in the family, but the older participants answered more frequently that if they have the choice, they always opt for OPs (\(<\)35 years: 9.4%; 35-49 years: 16.4%; \(>\)49 years: 20.9%, \(p<0.001\)). The people who study or work in the food and nutrition field answered more frequently, \"As a rule, I never buy organic products\" (14.8% vs. 10.2%, \(p=0.002\)). We also investigated the degree of consumer confidence in OPs available on the market. When we asked if when they see a product on sale that claims to be organic, they trust that it really is, about two-thirds (67.1%) answered \"I've wondered if there might be steps in your production that don't respect fully organic production\". Only 21.4% believed in the claim and 11.5% did not. The women (22.8% vs. 16.6%, \(p<0.001\)), more educated participants (elementary: 16.4% vs. secondary: 16.1% vs. high school: 23.8%, \(p=0.002\)), and people who study or work in the food and nutrition field (31.0% vs. 18.8%, \(p<0.001\)) believe more frequently that OPs are really organic. The participants with a lower income answered more frequently, \"I've wondered if there might be steps in your production that don't respect fully organic production\" (73.0 vs. 65.8%, \(p=0.009\)). The older people believed less in the claim of OPs (\(<\)35 years: 24.1%; 35-49 years: 21.0%; \(>\)49 years: 18.8%, \(p<0.001\)). The respondents were aware that the claim \"to have organic ingredients\" does not mean that the product is 100% organic (78.7%), and, largely, they considered important the existence of a QR code on OP packaging guaranteeing that the OP really is organic, through which the necessary care taken throughout the production chain could be seen (85.1%). Lastly, we wanted to describe some of the consumers' perceptions regarding OPs (Table 4). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c} \hline \hline  & **Agree** & **Neither Agree** & **Disagree** \\  & & **nor Disagree** & **Disagree** \\ \hline  & & \(n\) (\%) & \\ \hline Eating organic food has a positive & & & \\ impact on health. & 1771 (78.1) & 393 (17.3) & 104 (4.6) \\ Organic food has more vitamins. & 945 (41.7) & 848 (37.4) & 475 (20.9) \\ It’s safer to buy organic products in & 396 (17.5) & 809 (35.7) & 1063 (46.9) \\ supermarkets than in high street shops. & & & \\ I believe that by eating organic food, I’m & 1836 (81.0) & 334 (14.7) & 98 (4.3) \\ the soil at the same time. & & & \\ If we all start buying more organic & & & \\ products, the supply of these products & 1637 (72.2) & 376 (16.6) & 255 (11.2) \\ will increase in the future, at more & & & \\ attractive prices. & & & \\ I believe that the consumption of organic & & & \\ products would increase if there was & 1691 (74.6) & 357 (15.7) & 220 (9.7) \\ more information about their benefits. & & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
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