Knowledge and Attitude towards Label Claim and Health Benefits of Dark Chocolates among Customers of Oman—Cross-Sectional Survey
Nirmala Halligudi *
College of Pharmacy, National University of Science and Technology, Muscat, Oman.
Mullaicharam Bhupathyraaj
College of Pharmacy, National University of Science and Technology, Muscat, Oman.
Saleem Desai
Department of Chemistry, Rani Channamma University Belagavi, Karnataka, India.
Alaa Mohammed Bait Ateeq
College of Pharmacy, National University of Science and Technology, Muscat, Oman.
Saja Yaareb Abdullah
College of Pharmacy, National University of Science and Technology, Muscat, Oman.
Muna Salim Al Rahbi
College of Pharmacy, National University of Science and Technology, Muscat, Oman.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Dark chocolate is one of the most studied foods in the recent period due to its potential effects and health benefits. Admittedly, people's attitudes and acceptance of dark chocolate are still unknown. The cross-sectional study was aimed to determine the usage and effect of dark chocolate on health. It also aimed to study the attitude of young adults in Oman towards the consumption of dark chocolate and to discover the most preferred brands of DC in the Omani market. The study was conducted from spring 2020 to Fall 2021 in Oman. Two types of surveys were conducted. Firstly, a product survey was done to compare some brands according to the price, ingredient, expiry date, and country of origin. Secondly, across sectional-based survey was done focusing on the health benefits of consuming dark chocolate. Three hundred and forty-five (345) respondents participated in completing this survey. The results proved that many people are now aware of the health benefits of dark chocolate. The majority of the participants expressed their knowledge of the health aspect of dark chocolate and their interest in choosing the best product by examining the ingredients - especially the cocoa percentage- of the product before purchasing.
Keywords: Dark chocolate, health benefits, attitude, label claim, polyphenols.