Background: Following a lifelong gluten-free diet may be very difficult for the involved individuals, especially when visiting restaurants and other dining establishments Aims: With respect to the growing popularity and public interest in the gluten-free diet and other specific food allergies, the objective was to determine what are the current consumer preferences of celiacs when eating out and what is their view on the relevant food offer in the public catering sector. The other objective was to examine the dependence of the selected traits important for the consumer behavior in the decision-making process when choosing dining facilities. Method: We used a comprehensive comparative research with a combination of quantitative and qualitative research, using in-depth individual interviews with celiacs in the Czech Republic. Results: We interviewed 603 celiac consumers. We demonstrated the positive correlation between the economic status and selection of dining facilities in the case of public catering, between the frequency of eating out in a restaurant and available discounts and special offers and the selection of the dining facility type, as well as other factors influencing the purchase of a particular food.
Key words: Catering service, celiac disease, food safety, gluten, gluten free diet.
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