1.1 Introduction
A fruit is a ripened ovary together with seeds of a flowering plant. Fruits are the means through which flowering plants disseminate seeds (Lewis, 2002). In cuisine when food items are called “fruits” the term is most often used for those plants fruits that are edible, sweet, and fresh examples are: apples, and oranges. Fruits are important for the wellbeing of the body as they possess important macro and micronutrients, vitamins and fiber needed by man. The role of fruits in the prevention of diseases has been documented by Kalia and Gupta (2006).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Fruits present an important part of the human diet in almost any culture of the world. There is also a long tradition in the view that fruits and vegetables should be consumed because of their nutritional and health benefits. The consumption rates of fruits and vegetables are still low or insufficient in many countries. Therefore, health promotions have been initiated recommending eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables per day. However, as daily experience shows, such initiatives to improve the nutritional quality of our diet have been proven unsuccessful when the products to be promoted did not meet sensory qualities as well as many other consumer expectations. This would mean over the long term, that the consumer will like, accept and select fruits and vegetables beyond the mere health-driven argumentation.
The nutritional and economic values of edible fruits are very much recognized among the human populations. However, significant prevalence of diseases resulting directly from consumption of parasitological contaminated fruits make it alarming, worrisome and a scientific cause of concern. Indigenous fruits are known to play major role in the nutritional livelihood of Nigerians, especially in the rural areas and cities where there is poor socio-economic condition (Adeboye et al., 2008). Consumption of raw or unhygienically prepared vegetable is considered a risk factor for human parasitic infection (Orlandi et al., 2002).
According to Muinde et al (2005) and Barro et al (2006), the possibility of illnesses and food borne outbreak arising from Ready to Eat fruits (RTE) fruits consumption were high due to poor hygienic practices by fruit handlers, numerous possible routes of contamination and non-involvement of food and health regulatory authorities in certifying the safety in consumption of RTE fruits (Kalia et al., 2006; Muinde et al., 2005; Barro et al., 2006).
The companies should be dynamic and should update themselves according to the changing needs of the customer. Coming to our study customer perceptions can give a lot of inputs and scope for improvement, lots of customers across all the ages, income groups and occupations visit the store. Different customers have different experiences and perceptions towards the store, understanding these differences and rendering what the customers need is very vital for the survival and the growth of the store. In this study we are attempting to understand the customer perceptions so that the store can improve upon in the areas where the customers do not have good perceptions. Ascertaining customer's perception becomes very complicated when it comes to retailing, as it is a part of service sector. Lot of complications are involved in ascertaining the perception like firstly, retailing is a service and secondly, it is very difficult to understand how the customers perceive. So understanding the customer's perception helps the store to improve itself in many areas.
Therefore, in Uyo Metropolis where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Consumer's Perception for Fruit Handling Practice.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that a lot of people are concerned these days about the presence of parasites of medical importance in fresh fruits. Intestinal parasitic helminthes and protozoa infections are among the most common infections world-wide. In spite of the fact that the mortality rate among these infections is rather low in the case of Ascaris lumbricoides two per 1,000,000 people due to the high prevalence, these infections are regarded as a serious public health problem.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the Consumer's Perception for Fruit Handling Practice in Uyo Metropolis. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To identify the level of fruit handling practice among retailers in Uyo Metropolis;
- To find out how consumers feel about the display arrangement of the fruits;
- To explore the consumers’ perception of fruit and fruit product innovations; and
- To examine the factors inhibiting the fruit handling practice among retailers in Uyo Metropolis.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Are there factors inhibiting the fruit handling practice among retailers in Uyo Metropolis?
- How do consumers feel about the display arrangement of the fruits?
- What is the consumers’ perception of fruit and fruit product innovations?
- What is the level of fruit handling practice among retailers in Uyo Metropolis?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There are no significant factors militating against consumers’ perception towards fruit handling practice among retailers in Uyo Metropolis
- H1: There are significant factors militating against consumers’ perception towards fruit handling practice among retailers in Uyo Metropolis
1.7 Significance of Study
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on Consumer's Perception for Fruit Handling Practice in Uyo Metropolis, Akwa Ibom State.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
