The influence of socio-demographic factors on patterns of thyme and thyme products consumption: the case of a Mediterranean country

Abstract

Thyme intake assessment is gaining significance because thyme is becoming a global staple food and its use has been on the rise. In our study, a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was developed to assess thyme intake in Lebanon. Out of the total 1555 adult participants, 1523 persons (97.9%) consumed at least one thyme product among the14 assessed thyme-containing products. The mean consumption of thyme products was estimated to be 425.5 g/day, providing an estimated 31.4 g/day of thyme. Thyme pie had the highest mean intake (72.5 g/day) and represented the highest thyme contribution (10.4 g/day) among all thyme products, while crackers with thyme had the lowest mean intake (3.7 g/day) and the lowest thyme contribution (0.2 g/day). The mean consumption values for thyme products were significantly different between participants of different genders, age categories, socio-economic and demographic levels. This study highlighted the importance of a food frequency questionnaire as a tool for data collection about the consumption patterns.