Online trade of products of animal origin in southeastern Brazil: a user profile analysis, sanitary aspects and consumer rights

Introduction: The internet's expansion has opened possibilities for the food trade. However, its actors do not always comply with current regulations, creating a potential risk to consumers or public health. Objective: To analyze the user profile of online trade of animal products and discuss sanitary and consumer rights risks. Method: In a sample of 192 users from the Brazilian southeastern region, an electronic questionnaire was applied with options to choose between labeled and unlabeled products, and with a survey of social information. Results: A preference for labeled products was identified, mainly for reasons of presentation/packaging or data on the label. When the option chosen was the unlabeled product, it was evident that motivations were related to believing that such products would be natural/crafted. However, the knowledge about the registration needs of these products did not follow this trend. Among those interviewed, 41.2% had never heard about the inspection stamps. There was no significant association between this knowledge and schooling or family income; in most of the associations, there was no association between the choice of a labeled or unlabeled product and these same variables. Conclusions: The user of this type of online trade has a profile characterized by an insufficient knowledge about product inspection and registration, in all income and schooling ranges. Therefore, sanitary and consumer rights education is necessary at all levels of society.