Food Quality and Preference最新文献

The frequent misinterpretation of “best before” labels among consumers is linked to substantial amounts of food waste generated in the US and the EU. To counteract this problem, the European Commission plans to revise current regulations of date marking. Among other initiatives, it is considered to use “Look-Smell-Taste” (LST) labels on food packaging, which depict visual cues motivating consumers to engage in sensory food assessments. Against this background, this paper aims to investigate the LST labels’ effectiveness in reducing consumers’ food waste behavior using an online- and a food lab experiment. The studies examine selected date marking options varying in their wording and presence of the LST label with regard to their potential (1) to increase the overdate acceptance and actual product use, as well as (2) to motivate the sensory assessment of dairy products that passed the “best before” date. Findings show that LST labels did not significantly increase the overdate acceptance, the actual use of expired products, or consumers’ engagement in sensory assessment. Participants did however indicate their preference for date marking options with LST labels over text-only options. The paper provides insights into current and future attempts to reduce food waste related to date marking and recommendations for respective revisions as part of the European Green Deal.

As the entire global food system accounts for a significant share of total global greenhouse gas emissions, shifting towards diets that are both environmentally sustainable and healthy has become crucial. By prioritizing local and seasonal foods individuals and communities can help to reduce the environmental impact of their food choices, while also supporting local producers and economies. Psychosocial literature has already shown that Value-Belief-Norm Theory (VBN) is a solid theoretical framework to understand and predict healthy and sustainable food choices. Moreover, other studies have taken into account the additional role of green eating self-efficacy (at home and university) and green self-identity. In light of this, the present study aimed at testing an extended VBN to understand university students’ intention to consume local and seasonal food. 310 university students (age: 18–38; M = 24.18; SD = 3.83; 86.3% females) have completed a self-report questionnaire to assess the variables being studied. Results from a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) confirmed the majority of proposed hypotheses. More specifically, intention was significantly predicted by green eating self-efficacy at home and moral norms, which, in turn, was directly impacted by ascription of responsibilities, green self-identity and awareness of consequences. Also the causal chain of VBN was confirmed, as well as the direct impact of biospheric values on self-identity. Overall, the abovementioned findings could inform future interventions aimed at promoting more sustainable food choices among university students.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether drinking cups made of different materials (white polystyrene, crystal-clear polystyrene, paper, Styrofoam, and glass) can influence the response to soft drinks in terms of emotions, acceptance and perception in younger adult consumers. Experiments were conducted with three different groups of university students who (1) participated in the survey on expectations of disposable cups, (2) performed sensory tests on emotional and hedonic responses and (3) evaluated selected sensory characteristics of soft drinks served in the test cups. The characteristics of the cups influenced the overall acceptability of the soft drink, while the flavor acceptability and the perception of flavor intensity were not affected. Compared to the heavier cups, the soft drink served in lighter cups was perceived as more viscous. The soft drink was rated most acceptable when consumed from the glass and least acceptable when tasted from the Styrofoam. The Styrofoam, paper and white polystyrene had an impact on reducing the overall acceptability of the soft drink. The emotional map identified in the study for the consumption of soft drinks from different cups could be related to the sensory characteristics of the cups. Glass can be considered a more acceptable vessel for soft drink consumption compared to disposable cups, while crystal–clear polystyrene is more acceptable than paper, Styrofoam and white/opaque polystyrene. When selecting materials for disposable cups, preference should be given to materials that have similar properties to glass, such as higher weight, low flexibility, low surface graininess and high translucency.

Preference mapping, a well-known set of multivariate statistical techniques, has become widely adopted due to its demonstrated effectiveness as a powerful tool in guiding the development of new products and enhancing existing ones. Recent advancements in open-source software and computational capabilities have introduced a new set of accessible tools with the potential to address limitations associated with traditional methods. This study introduces an alternative algorithm for building predictive models, employing regularized regression in combination with Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS). These methods make fewer assumptions about the relationship between predictors and the target and can easily capture complex and non-linear relationships. Additionally, the study presents a robust and systematic alternative approach for calculating optimum profiles and performing simulations. The paper aims to compare this new set of tools, referred to as computational machine learning techniques, with a well-established and widely recognized method − PrefMap based on Partial Least Squares Regression. The primary intention of the comparison between computational machine learning and one example of a traditional approach is not to determine a winning methodology, but rather to enhance awareness and deepen the understanding of this emerging family of models and techniques now available to sensory and consumer scientists. Results are assessed side by side to reveal their similarities and differences in terms of predictive power, drivers of liking, and the optimal profile aspects, and a list of practical considerations is provided at the end, enabling a better understanding of the trade-offs between the two approaches presented here.

This study examined the role of biospheric and altruistic values in shaping pro-environmental beliefs, which can subsequently influence personal norms and lead to more positive attitudes and intentions regarding food waste reduction. Accordingly, the value, belief, and norm (VBN) theory and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) were integrated to develop the research model. Data were collected from 1,042 Chinese individuals. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis, complemented by multi-group analysis (MGA), to examine gender and education-related differences. Both biospheric and altruistic values have been found to contribute to the strengthening of pro-environmental beliefs. Personal norms are activated directly and indirectly through a causal chain of pro-environmental beliefs regarding food waste reduction. The positive effect of social norms on personal norms, attitudes toward food waste reduction, and food waste reduction intention indicates that individuals in social groups with food waste reduction practices internalize these norms and transform their attitude toward food waste reduction, reinforcing their intention to reduce food waste. Furthermore, the MGA results revealed that significant differences between gender subgroups emerged only for the relationship between biospheric and altruistic values of pro-environmental beliefs and social and personal norms. This study enriches the VBN and TPB frameworks by underlining their applicability and relevance in food waste reduction. Practically, this study guides tailored interventions, policy formulations, and educational campaigns that harness intrinsic motivations and leverage social norms to foster sustainable behavior toward food waste.

This study investigated consumer acceptance and perception of traditional Korean food, braised meat in soy sauce, among older consumers to determine the product’s potential in the senior-friendly food market. Sorted napping (SN) was used to assess similarities in the sensory characteristics of eight samples based on consumer evaluations. The 82 older adults, participating in the study, evaluated the sample acceptance, attribute intensity, and attitudes toward the samples. They used check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions to select liking and disliking factors. In the SN, the participants differentiated between senior-friendly and general products. Additionally, groups that appeared in the SN were similar in the order of the overall liking scores, and it was observed that overall liking correlated with the perceived similarity of the sample. The feasibility of using SN in older populations has been confirmed. This study revealed a lower acceptance of senior-friendly food samples, highlighting the need for quality improvements in terms of appearance, odor, and taste. The taste, texture, and familiarity of the samples influenced the consumer attitudes of older adults. The food products (BGP, SGP, CGB, and BGB) were highly preferred for their chili pepper flavor, brown and soy sauce flavor, smoked smell, meat grains, and chewiness. Conversely, senior-friendly products (HSB, HSP, and SSP) were disliked because of their rancid smell. In conclusion, this study provides crucial information for the senior-friendly food industry to meet food quality requirements based on the sensory characteristics perceived by older adults.

Consumer acceptance of gene edited foods varies significantly, with this variability increasing when consumers learn about the technology and its advantages. Yet, drivers of this heterogeneity remain mostly unclear. Focusing on milk from gene edited cows, we used data from a survey of U.S. consumers to examine the impact that the end-user (i.e., the individual consuming the good) has on purchaser’s (i.e., the person buying the products) preferences and response to information.

We find substantial differences in respondents’ willingness to pay (WTP) depending on who the end-user is, with the impact varying notably depending on whether the gene edited milk is compared with organic or conventional alternatives. We find that while respondents generally show a higher WTP for all milk alternatives when the product is purchased for children, their valuation of gene edited milk differs significantly when contrasted with organic versus conventional milk. Relative to organic milk, the subgroup purchasing for children showed a considerably lower average marginal WTP for gene edited products than those purchasing for themselves or other adults. This contrast was less pronounced when gene edited milk was compared with conventional milk. The subgroup purchasing milk for children also showed the least pronounced difference across respondents who received information versus those that did not. Again, this was particularly the case when looking at the WTP for organic milk. Together our results highlight the importance of considering the purchase context including the end-user in trying to understand purchasers’ preferences and behavior.

Marketers and policymakers navigate an evolving landscape where an increasing number of consumers are willing to consider the environmental impacts of meat consumption and shift towards plant-based proteins. This trend is exemplified by the increasing number of individuals who identify as flexitarians, preferring plant-forward diets though still consuming meat. Nevertheless, consumers juggle the conflicting desire for healthy and sustainable choices with the enjoyment of tasty food, which varies across contexts. Consequently, determining the appropriate framing for plant-based meat alternatives — when to emphasize health and sustainability or taste — poses a challenge not adequately addressed by previous research. This study delves into the nuanced impact of modifying goal salience by tailoring product attribute frames to align with contextual consumer goals, offering insights into engaging consumers with plant-based alternatives. These findings reveal that aligning a hedonic attribute frame with an active hedonic goal significantly enhances product engagement. Conversely, introducing a sustainability attribute frame in the presence of an active hedonic goal adversely influences taste expectations, leading to a decline in intentions to engage with the product. These insights offer valuable guidance for navigating the complexities of sustainable food choices and underscore the need to align messaging strategies with consumers’ active goals.

How much should we trust self-rated diet quality? Measures based on self-perception are often used in diet evaluation, but they can sometimes be subject to diverse biases. Using a unique setting provided by the nationally representative FoodAPS data where questions about diet quality are asked twice with intermediate reminders in between, we first show that the structure of survey questions can help identify inconsistency in the respondents’ self-rated diet quality. Findings reveal that respondents tend to deliver responses that align with their earlier responses. We then validate the respondents’ self-rated diet quality against their household’s healthy eating index, an objective measure of diet quality based on actual food acquisitions. We find no statistically significant association between self-rated diet quality and healthy eating index for respondents who display inconsistency in self-assessing their diet quality. Conversely, that relationship is significant for respondents with no such inconsistency. Our findings suggest an effective question design measuring diet quality, that can be generalized to the design of health survey questions.

This study investigated the effect of viscosity on the dynamic sensory perception of savoury beef broths enriched with savoury enhancers to evaluate the effect of perceived thickness on the koku enhancement effect (i.e. thickness, flavour duration, and complexity). Beef broths were enriched with five combinations of tastants and taste enhancers [none (control); sodium chloride (NaCl); a combination of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and inosine monophosphate (IMP); yeast extract (Kokumax-100); a combination of yeast extract (Kokumax-100) with MSG and IMP]. Three levels of viscosity [low (ƞ=0.72 mPa.s); medium (ƞ=2.94 mPa.s); high (ƞ=12.65 mPa.s)] were obtained by adding different concentrations of locust bean gum (0.00, 0.20, 0.40 w/w%) to beef broths. Temporal-Check-All-That-Apply (TCATA) profiling showed that yeast extract with MSG-IMP enhanced the intensity, richness, body, and duration of savoury sensations of low-viscous beef broths, demonstrating a koku enhancement effect. Increasing the viscosity of broths decreased the perception of taste (i.e. saltiness and savouriness) and flavour (i.e. beef flavour) for most broths, demonstrating a cross-modal suppression of taste and flavour by viscosity. Only broths with yeast extract (Kokumax-100) with MSG-IMP demonstrated stable flavour and taste enhancement across all broth viscosity levels. Koku enhancement by yeast extract (Kokumax-100) with MSG-IMP, MSG-IMP, and NaCl was observed for mouthfeel properties in broths with low and medium viscosity, but not in broths with high viscosity suggesting a suppression of koku enhancement at high broth viscosity. We conclude that (i) yeast extract (Kokumax-100) produces koku enhancement in liquid savoury broths when combined with taste enhancers monosodium glutamate (MSG) and inosine monophosphate (IMP), and (ii) the magnitude of the koku enhancement depends on the presence of taste enhancers and is attenuated at higher broth viscosity.