Nor'easter Spring/Summer 1995
by Julie Zeidner
New York Sea Grant
As one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, the Hispanic population represents a significant consumer market for fish and shellfish products. In a New York Sea Grant-sponsored study, Cornell researchers tried to identify some of the beliefs and preferences about fish and shellfish that exist within the Hispanic population of metropolitan New York. "It is important to learn more about Hispanic households in order to meet the needs of this growing population," said Carole Bisogni, Cornell University associate professor of nutrition. "Knowledge of traditions, perceptions, and beliefs concerning the foods Hispanic consumers eat will help health professionals and nutrition educators better tailor educational programs to this audience, and will allow marketers to better meet their needs."
Understanding the nutritional needs of Hispanics is becoming increasingly important as this minority population continues to grow in the United States. The word "Hispanic," as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is "a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race." According to the 1990 Census, there are 22.3 million Hispanic people, composing 9 percent of the nation's population - a 53 percent increase since 1980. By the year 2020, Hispanics are expected to make up about 15 percent of the population, making this the largest minority group in the United States. The majority of Hispanics living in the United States reside in four states: 34 percent in California, 19 percent in Texas, 10 percent in New York, and 7 percent in Florida. Eighty-seven percent of Hispanics live in urban areas. 1990 Census reports indicate that 2.8 million Hispanics live in the metropolitan New York City area, with more than 380,000 Hispanics residing in Manhattan and more than 380,000 in Queens - the two boroughs that were the focus of the Cornell survey.
Another important reason for studying the food consumption practices and nutrition needs of Hispanics is that recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show that Hispanic Americans may be at greater risk than the average American population for weight gain and diabetes, said Bisogni. The Cornell study fits into the goals of the Healthy People 2000 National Health Objectives aimed at reducing the prevalence of overweight among Hispanics to no more than 20 percent of adults, and the prevalence of diabetes to no more than 25 per 1,000.
Seafood, high in nutrients and low in fat, could be an important part of the Hispanic diet. Since studies of consumer perceptions of fish and shellfish to date have primarily been on samples in which the Hispanic population was not well represented, it is not known if Hispanic consumers hold similar or different perceptions and concerns about fish and shellfish than the general population.
"Data related to fish consumption by Hispanic consumers who live in the Northeast is very limited, so it is difficult to compare statistics on how our findings differ from past years or from findings of other groups," Bisogni said. Seafood consumption among the general population has essentially remained static in the United States for the past 50 years, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. The average American consumed 15.2 pounds of fish and shellfish in 1994, which was less than 8 percent of the total for all high-protein animal foods consumed in the United States - the highest totals went to beef and pork.
Previous studies of Hispanic consumers by Diva Sanjur, Cornell University nutrition professor, determined that the food habits of immigrants undergo adaptation in the United States as these individuals are exposed to different selections of foods, as well as new shopping and cooking techniques. For example, those Hispanic consumers who came from an agrarian lifestyle are often more accustomed to shopping frequently at local vendors for fresh foods, but in this country, they encounter the modern supermarket and its abundance of packaged foods.
In time, the Hispanic population may be picking up the preferences and habits of the larger population and eating fattier foods, Bisogni said. "Among young Hispanics, especially, there may be peer pressure to eat at places like McDonald's," said Bisogni, noting that a focus area for nutritionists could be helping Hispanics maintain their traditional food preferences in the United States. The newest Cornell survey, conducted by Bisogni and Sea Grant scholar Stephanie Weinstein, a graduate student in nutritional sciences at Cornell University, aims to better understand the Hispanic consumer. Other members of the Cornell research team included Sanjur; Barbara Knuth, a Cornell University natural resources professor; and Joe Regenstein, Cornell University food science professor.
Bisogni and her colleagues' survey sample included households with Hispanic surnames in Manhattan and Queens randomly selected by Survey Sampling, Inc. of Connecticut. Individuals of Hispanic descent (373) completed the 14-page mail survey that was available in English and Spanish.
Cornell researchers felt that their survey reflected a good sampling of the Hispanic population since their socio-demographic statistics were similar in several ways to the 1990 Census for metropolitan New York. A follow-up phone survey of the nonrespondents indicated that nonrespondents were less likely to consume seafood.
"As nutritionists, we tend to think of Hispanics as one group, but in actuality the Hispanic group includes individuals from a wide variety of countries," Bisogni said. More than six in 10 Hispanic citizens nationwide identify themselves as Mexican, about one in 10 as Puerto Rican, and about one in 20 as Cuban, according to the 1990 U.S. Census. However, the Hispanic population is becoming increasingly more varied, with growing numbers from the Dominican Republic, Columbia, Ecuador, other parts of South America, and elsewhere. To understand the factors influencing seafood consumption, it is important to study the phenomenon regionally. Some of the factors influencing whether Hispanics purchase seafood may have to do with their country of origin, and whether they grew up in a coastal or inland region. In New York City, they might purchase more seafood simply because they have good access to it, whereas in inland areas like upstate New York and central New England this may not be the case.
The Cornell research team faced a dilemma in trying to survey such a diverse audience. While survey respondents share a common language, they may identify finfish species by different names depending on the country and region they are from. Since collecting data on a species basis was difficult, researchers asked survey respondents about more general types of fresh fish and canned fish: tuna, sardines, and salmon; ceviche; dried salted cod (bacalao); smoked fish; and shellfish, such as clams, mussels, oysters, crabs, lobster, scallops, and shrimp. Survey respondents ate more tuna than any other product (the same as the population at large, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service) due to its affordability and widespread availability. Shrimp was the other most commonly consumed product. Frying was a popular method for preparing fish and shellfish, but many survey respondents said that they prepared fish in other ways, including broiling, baking, grilling, barbecuing, or steaming.
Researchers had assumed that socioeconomic characteristics, such as income, might be important since studies conducted on the general population found that price is often a barrier to seafood consumption. In this survey of Hispanic consumers, price did not appear to be a barrier. Though 77 percent of survey respon- dents agreed that fresh fish and shellfish were expensive, the majority (75 percent) believed they were still worth buying. Ninety-seven percent of respondents ate seafood and reported consuming some kind of seafood an average of 3.3 times in the two weeks preceding the survey.
Another important survey result indicated that seafood was a traditional part of the Hispanic diet. Studies have shown that one barrier to seafood consumption among the general public is that they do not eat seafood as children. Two-thirds of the survey respondents reported that seafood was part of their country's or family's traditional diet. Focus group discussions prior to the fish and shellfish survey indicated that religious practices frequently influenced Hispanic seafood consumption. For example, during the Lenten period before Easter, Catholics often consume more fish and seafood. When asked if they did eat more seafood during Lent, 67 percent of survey respondents agreed.
To determine the factors that influence the role of fish and seafood in the Hispanic diet, the survey also asked consumers to state their preferences and perceptions related to access, quality, safety, health and nutrition, and satisfaction related to seafood.
Home is the most common place for consuming seafood, with restaurants a fairly distant second. Hispanics have larger household sizes than non- Hispanics, and some reports hypothesized that a larger household size would lead Hispanics to eat more frequently with their families and less often at restaurants, compared to the general U.S. population, said Weinstein, citing a 1993 Food Technology study.
Asked where they purchase seafood most often, the vast majority of survey respondents (81 percent) said they purchase their fish or shellfish at a specialty fish market, compared to the supermarket (13 percent), a small bodega or convenience store (1.4 percent), or by catching it themselves (1 percent).
In metropolitan New York, there are numerous fish markets accessible to Hispanics, and 80 percent of survey respondents agreed that there was a fish market close to their home. More than 73 percent said they were usually satisfied with the quality of fish and shellfish available. The researchers, too, "were impressed by the wide variety and favorable quality of retail seafood in Manhattan," said Weinstein. A large majority of respondents (between 79 and 92 percent) ranked marketplace conditions satisfactory for such things as presentation of fish and shellfish on ice, adequate lighting, variety, and adequate service by sales staff. Hispanic consumers said that the amount of in-store demonstrations, recipes, and samples offered in fish stores was less satisfactory. Forty-eight percent of those surveyed also noted that species names were not given in Spanish often enough.
Hispanic consumers frequently reported that they were positively influenced by the taste of seafood products. More than 85 percent of respondents felt that fish and shellfish were tasty, and up to 90 percent of the respondents agreed that fish and shellfish add variety to their diet.
The majority of respondents had positive beliefs concerning the nutritional value and healthfulness of fish and shellfish. Ninety-two percent of the respondents consider fish good for their family's health, and between 91 and 94 percent agreed that fish is nutritious and a good source of protein. A high percentage of respondents also noted that fish contains many vitamins and minerals, and that cod liver oil is good for your health. Concerns about seafood safety and contaminants in certain marine and fresh waters that caused consumers to be more cautious about eating seafood reached a peak in the early '90s, but more recent surveys show that this concern is no longer generally associated with seafood consumption. Sea Grant programs in the Northeast have supported studies to understand general public perceptions about seafood that would influence consumption and purchase habits. A 1990 survey of 256 Rhode Island consumers by Joan Gray Anderson, University of Rhode Island associate professor of consumer affairs, found that less than 20 percent of those who ate seafood viewed it as being very safe, and just over 40 percent thought seafood was only somewhat safe. The survey respondents cited their biggest concerns over pollution, toxins, food poisoning, and inadequate handling of seafood products.
Concern about pollutants in seafood was also voiced by Hispanics surveyed. Eighty-one percent of survey respondents said they were concerned that fish and shellfish may come from polluted waters, and another 74 percent felt that some types of fish may contain chemical pollutants. However, only 35 percent believed that fish or shellfish might be unsafe to eat.
While 64 percent of respondents said they thought that cooking seafood thoroughly would reduce health risks by killing bacteria or viruses, another 53 percent were unaware that raw fish, such as Japanese-style sushi, could cause illness.
"Despite concerns expressed about seafood safety, it does not appear to be as important as other factors influencing seafood consumption among this sample of Hispanic consumers," Weinstein said.
Concerns about seafood safety also did not appear to be a significant factor for most consumers in 1994, when 760 New York and New Jersey consumers were surveyed for an aquaculture marketing study. Conducted by Ken Gall, New York Sea Grant seafood specialist, and Linda O'Dierno, fisheries and aquaculture program coordinator with the N.J. Department of Agriculture, and supported by the Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center, the survey found that only 5 percent of the respondents thought there was a need for more information or assurances about product safety.
"Consumers are strongly motivated to eat seafood because they enjoy the taste of certain products, and they have a sense that seafood is a healthy, low fat food choice," Gall said. "Most consumers want information that can help them make informed decisions about their seafood selections."
The most frequently identified reason for choosing seafood in the Gall/O'Dierno study was taste (92 percent). The second reason was the healthfulness of seafood. Still, concerns about seafood nutrition and safety call up the need for improved sensitivity among food and nutrition educators, as well as scientists and industry groups, to respond to the product information needs of Hispanics, Bisogni said.
Another part of this study tried to address knowledge, habits, and practices concerning sportfish consumption. Only 27 percent of respondents were aware of fish consumption advisories on certain recreationally caught fish. Only 11 percent of the respondents said they actually caught the fish themselves, and nearly all of these respondents said the fish was eaten in the household. However, a large percentage of those eating sport-caught fish, about 75 percent, said they used safe preparation methods like trimming fat, dark areas, and skin off the fish, to reduce the amount of potentially toxic contaminants in them.
The perceptions and preferences highlighted in this survey could help retailers make changes in product selection, displays, and information for their Hispanic clientele. Nutrition educators at Cornell Cooperative Extension, Sea Grant, and other organizations will find this work useful for better targeting educational programs and counseling efforts for Hispanic consumers.
Communications about health and safety issues related to seafood should target Hispanic populations because interest in these issues is high, Bisogni said. The survey also pointed out the need for expanding efforts to inform Hispanic households about the state fish consumption advisories since awareness of health advisories for sport-caught fish was low among respondents. While most said that they removed skin and trimmed fat from self-caught seafood as recommended by the advisories, most of the respondents fried the fish - a preparation method nutritionists do not recommend because of the higher fat content.
"Educators, industry, and policy-makers must make a special effort to understand the cultural background of the particular segments of the population they intend to serve," said Bisogni. She noted that her study demonstrated that the respondents' country of origin and historic practices have a strong influence on their food preferences and consumption patterns in the United States.
"When the needs of the Hispanic population are better addressed, Hispanic consumers should be able to take advantage of the taste, convenience, and health benefits that fish and shellfish have to offer," Bisogni said.
Julie Zeidner is Communicator for New York Sea Grant.
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