In the research study, the issue was analyzed of how buyers perceive the term of a novel food product. Also, the respondents’ perception was assessed of some selected novel food products with different characteristics. The results were presented of the initial research survey that covered two provinces (The Province of Lublin and the Province of Masovia). By taking into account the respondents from two provinces, it was possible to comparatively analyse their opinions on the novel food products. Based on the results of the initial survey, it was possible to report that the consumers surveyed equated, primarily, the ‘novel food product’ term with a product which would have met their new needs (23 %). A large group of respondents linked the novel food product to a product modified in different ways (21 %). Of the various characteristics referring to novel food products, the respondents chose, most frequently, those with a higher value for the buyer (such as the characteristics of the products categorised as special foods); the respondents perceived them as the best. Thus, the products the novelty of which was the effect of their modified composition were relatively higher rated by the respondents compared to the food products identified as novel on the basis of their modified packages. However, the results of the factor analysis indicated that the survey participants perceived the modifications to types or forms of packaging as the best, even though the participants rated them relatively low. Therefore, the end buyers surveyed perceived the novel food products with visible modifications more positively than the novel products with changes in the composition of the product (such as enriched composition or an increased value for the buyer).