Food Quality and Preference最新文献

Despite the high global richness of food plants, only a small portion is effectively used as food by human populations. Although most wild food plants (WFPs) are underutilized as food, they can contribute to food security and biocultural conservation through sustainable management. The goal of this research was to identify the best terminological presentation of a novel food product and to understand the factors that influence the expectations concerning products made with WFPs. This research was conducted using an online questionnaire, with a final national sample of 724 people. The participants answered questions about their socioeconomic profile, food neophobia, previous knowledge, and expectations regarding the taste and appropriateness of native fruit juices. The questions were randomized, so that a person would not receive the same picture or product name more than once. The results show that taste expectancy decreases in relation to products associated with WFP names and forest environments. Food neophobia is the variable that influences expectations the most. To ensure biocultural conservation and cultural valuation, WFP popularization programs should maintain the original (popular) name of the species. However, to help more distant consumers develop familiarity, the flavor, shape, color, or texture of these products can be associated with those of conventional plants.

Altered sensory processing is common in older adults, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) psychopathology and food neophobia contribute to adverse health outcomes in older adults. Yet, the relationships, particularly longitudinal relationships, between sensory processing, ARFID psychopathology, and food neophobia, as well as their associations with satisfaction with food-related life (SWFL), remain unexplored in older adults. A sample of Chinese older adults (N = 202; 45 % men; M_age = 59.35 years) completed an online survey at baseline (T1) and 12 months later (T2); atypical sensory sensitivity, ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and SWFL were measured with self-report questionnaires. Cross-lagged and mediation regression analyses were conducted to examine the prospective associations between T1 atypical sensory sensitivity and T2 ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and SWFL. The results revealed that higher T1 atypical sensory sensitivity predicted higher T2 ARFID psychopathology and food neophobia and lower SWFL. The results also showed that the relationship between T1 atypical sensory sensitivity and T2 SWFL was mediated by T2 picky eating and food neophobia. These findings suggest that atypical sensory sensitivity may be a risk factor for ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and poor SWFL in older adults. Future studies with larger samples and experimental designs are needed to further explore the mechanisms linking atypical sensory sensitivity and ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and SWFL in older adults.

The mycelium of mushroom-forming fungi represents an underappreciated protein source that can be cultivated on agricultural rest-streams and industrially prepared substrates. Consumer food options include unprocessed fresh mycelium or products derived from purified mycelium protein. Both the use of rest streams and the association of fresh mycelia with moulds can create a tension between potentially disgusting and naturalness cues. The current paper investigates this tension in a 3 (substrate: manure, wood, glucose) by 3 (level of processing: unprocessed mycelium cake, purified mycelium protein powder, burger from mycelium protein) experimental survey (N = 449). Results show that substrate source has limited impact on disgust but a slightly greater influence on perceived naturalness. Level of processing has a significant effect on both disgust and naturalness. As expected, social value and attitude based on benefit-risk trade-off inform acceptance. While effects of disgust and naturalness on benefit-risk attitude and social value balance each other, a direct effect of disgust on acceptance remains, underscoring the pivotal role of disgust in shaping consumer acceptance. This suggests for mycelium producers there is freedom of choice of substrate as it has limited effect on consumer acceptance.

This study focuses on food traceability, defined as the ability to track a product from raw material to end consumer using an identification code. By reviewing 49 studies from 2005 to 2022, this research aimed to understand the determinants influencing consumer purchases of food products with traceability systems. The results of the review enabled the development of a conceptual model with hypotheses and variables to be empirically tested. Data were collected via an electronic questionnaire, which received 263 responses from 21 Brazilian states. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the hypothesized relationships. The findings confirmed that confidence in food producers and the government has a positive influence on consumer perceptions of food safety. Additionally, knowledge, pro-environmental behavior, perceived health benefits, and food safety positively impact consumers’ intentions to purchase traceable products. Most food traceability studies have predominantly focused on developed countries. This study seeks to expand existing knowledge and contribute to formulating more informed and adapted strategies, offering comprehension for more effective traceability practices in developing markets. It also makes a significant contribution to the fields of food safety and consumer behavior by empirically examining the relationships among consumer confidence, government perceptions, environmental concerns, health perceptions, food safety, and purchase intentions. The managerial implications highlight critical areas for building positive relationships with consumers and addressing their growing needs.

Inaccurate beliefs about product attributes may lead consumers to omit items from consideration in complex choice environments that they would have wanted to consider if their beliefs were accurate. Inaccurate beliefs about food attributes are well documented. Here, we examine how consumers’ beliefs about health, taste, and price attributes of food products affect the set of products they consider during the choice process. We analyze the set of products participants considered in an experiment on food choice in a choice environment featuring dozens of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. We examine the role that participants’ beliefs about health, taste, and price attributes of products in each potential set play in predicting attention to products. Our findings show that beliefs about taste and health significantly influence people’s choices of the product set to view. Believing that products in a particular set were relatively healthier or tastier than products in an alternative set positively predicted the choice to view that set of products. This has important implications for policies that require product comparison to be effective, such as information on nutrition facts panels or changing relative prices via taxes or subsidies. If individuals hold inaccurately negative health beliefs about a product, they may omit that product from consideration, which will prevent them from comparing that product with alternatives they do examine. Thus, belief-driven inattention to products may reduce the effectiveness of policies aiming to promote healthier food choices through the application of taxes or subsidies by preventing comparison of nutritionally diverse products.

Understanding cross-cultural variation in perception is essential for identifying culture-specific factors impacting product acceptability. While immigrants may initially maintain their preferences, acculturation levels vary. To understand to what extent immigrants can be used as a proxy to model overseas markets, this study investigated short (CHS) and long-term (CHL) Chinese immigrant responses to plain yoghurts compared to New Zealand (NZ) Europeans (E). Three groups (CHS, CHL and NZE, n = 222) evaluated liking of, emotional response to, and sensory perception of 10 plain yoghurts. Groups liked yoghurts similarly. Notably, NZE rated emotions lower than both immigrant groups, with a few exceptions. Both Chinese groups rated most emotions similarly, but CHL rated some closer to NZE. Positive emotions correlated with higher liking scores. However, cross-cultural differences existed for ‘guilty’ which was associated with yoghurts liked by NZE; and for ‘wild’ and ‘mild’ associated with yoghurts disliked by both immigrant groups. Citation proportions for some sensory attributes differed among all groups, dependent on the sample. But level of acculturation between immigrant groups was limited. Sweetness, vanilla, stone fruit and cream flavours, smoothness, and creaminess drove liking across all groups, whereas only the Chinese valued umami, undoubtedly due to positive associations with it. Some effects of acculturation for long-term immigrants were evident, but responses were often closer to their short-term counterparts. Therefore, immigrants in general provide a useful proxy for measuring consumer responses in early stages of product development for this overseas market, but with consideration of their residence time in the host culture.

In everyday life, the environment that surrounds us plays a key role in perception and emotions. Environments can influence positively or negatively food perception and liking. However, very few studies have investigated the interaction between our five senses in specific contexts. The aim of the present study was to explore multisensory interactions in context using auditory and gustatory stimuli. A hundred and eleven participants were recruited and tested in one out of three different contexts: 1) laboratory condition, 2) in a bar context, and 3) in an auditorium (playing classical music). For the bar and auditorium context, the sessions took place in an immersive room. For each context, participants were asked to taste one beer while listening to a musical excerpt, and to rate liking, harmony, and familiarity of the beer-excerpt association. In addition, liking and familiarity of the beers and the excerpts were rated separately. Results showed that 1) the harmony evaluation of beer-excerpt pairs could be separately explained by the sensory characteristics of beers and the music; 2) Participants in the musical context evaluated the pairs differently: pairs were more harmonious, preferred and judged more familiar in the musical context than in the laboratory and the bar contexts. The present study helps understanding the sensory dominance of one sense over the other senses and gives insights for marketing research as it shows that context not only influences consumer behavior but also products evaluation.

This paper proposes an updated, contemporary definition of Sensory and Consumer Science. We do so based on survey results from 221 professionals, meaning that the definition represents more than our personal views. Specifically, the proposed definition is: “Sensory and Consumer Science is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses sensory-only research and consumer-centric studies, focusing both on responses to specific products and consumer behaviour more generally. While the field is primarily centred on food, it also extends to non-food items. Researchers employ both quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct their studies. Sensory and Consumer professionals engage in both basic academic research and applied commercial research, operating within an increasingly global and multicultural context.” All aspects of this definition were endorsed by a majority of the professionals participating in the surveys, and some aspects were nearly universally accepted. A longer version of the definition is also proposed, which helps to explain/elaborate on the different elements. We urge further discussion and refinement of the short and long definitions. This may lead to further variants that are narrower/broader in scope depending on personal and professional preferences and context.

Food well-being is critical in food marketing and sustainability, yet identifying its key sources and validating them against overall well-being remains challenging. Food marketers struggle to assess contributable factors in strategic decisions. Enhancing Food well-being boosts consumer happiness and sustainability, but lacks a standardized evaluation method. This study introduces a novel Food Well-Being Index (FWBI) embedded in a nomological net using composite-based structural equation modeling to identify key sources of consumer happiness and compare performance across composite variables to promote healthier and more sustainable eating habits. Data from 401 participants are analyzed using partial least squares composite structural equation modeling. Participants provide ratings on 56 statements in the questionnaire, forming the basis for the indicators. An importance-performance matrix analysis is applied to capture important indicators and their performances.

Results reveal individual and environmental well-being as the most salient drivers of food-related happiness, while social well-being demonstrates higher performance. These dimensions are underpinned by motivations for health and environmental responsibility and moderating food well-being to encourage sustainable consumption behaviors.

This empirical study contributes to marketing research and practice in three ways. First, it calibrates the FWBI and identifies key indicators of food well-being. Second, it validates the relevance of food well-being and its impact on overall well-being. Third, it conducts an importance-performance matrix analysis, illustrating how managers in different sectors can use the FWBI to identify essential aspects in food production, design, and retailing, and improve products and services. Therefore, this study has significant implications for sustainability-oriented marketing strategies

Approaches to climate labelling are gaining significant importance in food marketing. Labels that are based on carbon offsets are becoming increasingly popular. However, offsetting-labels have been criticized as misleading and are subject to accusations of greenwashing. The proposal of the EU Green Claims Directive therefore requires companies to substantiate claims. This study employs a consumer survey (n = 2,109) using a between-subjects and within-subjects design to explore how German participants evaluate the climate impact of six food products (ranging from low to very high) through five distinct climate labels: (1) ‘climate-neutral’ (without any declaration), (2) ‘climate-compensated’, (3) ‘climate-neutral and CO₂-compensated product’ (declaration according to the proposed EU Green Claims Directive), (4) informative labels indicating the actual climate impact as a numeric carbon footprint (kg CO₂eq/kg of food) or (5) as an interpretative traffic light-like label. Except for the numeric indication of the carbon footprint (4) and the traffic light (5), all climate labels significantly skewed perceptions of a food’s climate impact positively, compared to the control group without any label. The effect was sometimes even stronger for highly involved consumers. In contrast, the interpretative traffic light climate label helps to correctly assess the climate impact. In summary, green claims such as ‘climate-neutral’ can be misleading by fostering a false perception of a food’s climate impact, even when the compensatory character is explained or justified close to the claim. This challenges the approach of the draft European Green Claims Directive, which posits that additional information (‘substantiation’) is sufficient to avoid misconceptions.