Nutrition and Health Claims as Marketing Tools

European regulations mandate that only substantiated and approved statements can be used as nutrition- and health-related claims in food marketing. A thorough understanding of consumer perceptions of these approved claims is needed to assess their impact on both the purchase intention of functional foods and the development of innovative functional food concepts. In this paper, a conceptual framework on the European consumers’ perception of nutrition and health claims on these functional foods is proposed. Through a literature review, common independent variables are structured, and an analysis of these variables shows that nutrition and health claims are mostly only perceived positive by specific target consumers (who need the product, accept the ingredient, understand the benefit, and trust the brand). These consumers indicate that the products with substantiated and approved claims help them in reaching overall health goals. This increased expectation in functional efficacy may mediate an increase in repurchase intent, overall liking, and the amount consumers are willing to spend. Other consumers, however, may have adverse reactions towards nutrition and health claims on functional foods. Implications for the consumer and the industry are discussed.     

Perceived relevance and foods with health-related claims

Although consumer perception of the health claims and nutrition information has been studied widely there is relatively little understanding about the motivational factors underpinning claim perception. The objective of this study is to investigate how levels of perceived relevance influence consumers’ responses to health claims that either promise to reduce a targeted disease risk or improve well-being in comparison to other types of health-related messages, and how attitudes towards nutritionally healthy eating, functional food and previous experience relating to products with health claims affect the consumers’ perceptions of nutrition and health claims. The data (N = 2385) were collected by paper and pencil surveys in Finland, the UK, Germany and Italy on a target group of consumers over 35 year old, solely or jointly responsible for the family’s food shopping. The results showed that relevance has a strong influence on perceptions of personal benefit and willingness to buy products with health claims. However the impact of relevance is much stronger when the health risks are relevant to self than when it is relevant to those close to oneself, especially when the claim promises a targeted risk reduction with detailed information about function and health outcome. Previous experience with products with health claims and interest in nutritionally healthy eating promoted the utility of all claims, regardless of whether they were health or nutrition claims. However, to be influenced by health claims consumers also need to have a positive attitude towards functional food products.     

Consumers’ perceptions of organic food attributes and cognitive and affective attitudes as determinants of their purchase intentions toward organic food

The current study investigates how consumers perceive organic food attributes, which in turn influence their utilitarian and hedonic attitudes and intentions to purchase organic food. Specifically, consumers’ perceptions of nutritional content, ecological welfare, and price attributes of organic food have strong effects on utilitarian attitudes as well as hedonic attitudes toward buying organic food, while perceptions of the sensory appeal attribute have a strong effect on hedonic attitudes. Interestingly, consumers’ perceptions of the natural content attribute of organic food are not a significant determinant of the two dimensions of attitude. Lastly, utilitarian and hedonic attitudes play an important and influential role in determining behavioral intentions to purchase organic food. This study raises questions about the lack of a theoretical framework in previous organic food studies. Therefore, a modified S–O–R model is applied to provide theoretical support for organic food research. In addition, this study employs a bi-dimensional approach to attitudes (i.e., utilitarian and hedonic attitudes), contributing to a better understanding of consumers’ expectations and perceptions in their behaviors regarding organic food.     

The mediating role of brand trust and affect in clothing brand loyalty formation: a cross-cultural examination of U.S. and India

This study examines the process of how consumer perception of benefits from apparel brand leads to brand loyalty and compares the process between US and India. The proposed research framework posits that consumers' perception of utilitarian and hedonic benefits from a brand increase loyalty toward the brand via the mediating role of brand trust and brand affect. Analyses of the hypotheses collectively revealed that consumers' hedonic benefit perceptions of apparel brand, rather than their utilitarian benefit perceptions, influenced the enhancement of brand trust and brand affect. Further, brand affect, rather than brand trust, influenced and mediated the development of brand loyalty of apparel brand. This study also found country moderating effects on three paths, suggesting that hedonic benefit of a brand and brand affect plays a greater role for US consumers than for Indian consumers. Academic and managerial implications were discussed based on findings.     

The consumer’s perception of artificial food additives: Influences on acceptance,risk and benefit perceptions

Food additives, such as food colours or sweeteners, play an important part in food supply. For a variety of reasons, some consumers might regard the use of food additives, especially artificial ones, with suspicion; food additives are considered unnatural, unhealthy or even a public health risk. The goal of this study was to investigate consumers’ perceptions and the most essential variables related to the acceptance of food additives. Two versions of a paper-and-pencil questionnaire, one investigating artificial food colours and the other investigating artificial sweeteners, were distributed to a large sample of Swiss German households. The final samples for artificial food colours and artificial sweeteners comprised 506 and 487 participants respectively. The questionnaires contained items on consumers’ acceptance, risk and benefit perception, trust in regulators, knowledge of regulation and their preference for natural products. The relationships between variables were investigated in a path model, which was constructed based on a review of previous literature. The path coefficients suggested that risk and benefit perceptions significantly influence the acceptance of the two selected food additives. The risk and benefit perceptions were influenced by consumers’ knowledge of regulation, their trust in regulators, and their preference for natural products. In the discussion, the study’s findings are examined in terms of their implications for further research and for the development of concrete communication materials.     

Factors influencing changes in sustainability perception of various food behaviors: Results of a longitudinal study

It is important to understand better how people evaluate the environmental impacts of different food aspects. A longitudinal panel study design (N = 2600) was used to examine whether the perceptions of various environment-related, food consumption patterns changed between 2010 and 2014 and what factors influenced such changes. The results indicated that participants evaluated the eating less meat (maximum of once or twice per week) behavior as substantially more beneficial for the environment in 2014 compared with 2010. The study design allowed us to examine which factors influenced the changes in the perception of the environmental benefits of eating less meat. Participants who perceived the arguments that reducing meat consumption is better for the environment, better for the health, and prevents animal suffering as more convincing in 2014 compared with 2010 also perceived eating less meat as more beneficial for the environment in the 2014 survey compared with the 2010 survey. An increase in participants’ health consciousness and the change scores in their convictions that seasonal fruits and vegetables taste better and are cheaper strengthened their belief that such behaviors would be beneficial for the environment. Therefore, the results suggest that the halo effect may have influenced participants’ evaluations. Consumers lack general factual knowledge about product-specific environmental footprints. Highlighting the direct benefits for consumers will likely increase their willingness to reduce environment-unfriendly consumption patterns.     

Critical evaluation of the extrapolation of data relative to antioxidant function from the laboratory and their implications on food production and human health: a review

The use of the word ‘antioxidant’ has become widespread in food science, nutrition and consumer language, having become associated with potential health benefits linked to consuming sources of antioxidants in our food supply. However, there is significant doubt about direct antioxidant effects on human health. This may partly relate to methodology used for assessing functionality and activity (both in food matrices and in human health) as well as how data is extrapolated with respect to health based on laboratory analyses. In this review, the purpose and impact of antioxidants in food systems and on human health will be discussed, along with highlighting the best current methodology for analysing antioxidant effects. Consideration will also be made with respect to recommendations of how antioxidant activity should be reported, with a focus on being both scientifically accurate as well as minimising the risk of unwarranted extrapolations of benefits which might mislead end consumers.     

Uncovering the mind-sets of consumers towards food safety messages

Knowing the specific characteristics which trigger a strong sense of safe versus unsafe allows risk communicators to reach consumers effectively with targeted messages. Using experimental design of ideas and conjoint measurement, we assessed consumer interest in and perceived safety of food characteristics that consumers think to be important when they make a purchase decision. The study identified the specific characteristics and the associated phrasing. The data generate a database by which we understand the perceptions of risk. In turn the database shows how these risk perceptions vary by conventional subgroups (age, gender, ethnicity), and by different mind-sets that exist in the population. The results combine insights about acceptance with insights about safety, answering questions that could not have been previously addressed in this efficient, quantitative way. The study is the first in a series designed to create a large-scale database of safety for food, beverage, and eating situation, based on the perceptions of consumers. The study opens up a new area for consumer understanding dealing with the perception of intangible topics including safety, compliance, and ‘good-for-you’.     

消费者偏好的变化对欧盟农业和食品政策的影响:一个宏观概览

由于经济福利的改善、农业生产率的提高、消费者健康意识的增强和食品安全危机等多重影响,欧盟消费者对食品的偏好特征发生了改变,推动了欧盟农业和食品政策关注点从传统的供给和收入问题向食品质量和安全问题转变。本文在论述了消费者偏好变化和欧盟农业与食品政策变革的基础上,分析讨论了消费者对欧盟政策和标准的影响。     

The influence of country-of-origin stereotypes on consumer responses to food safety scandals: The case of the horsemeat adulteration

Food safety scandals are recurring events in the food industry worldwide and companies are not immune to these incidents. However, there is a paucity of studies that examine how consumers evaluate and respond to brands involved in food crises and how consumers’ prejudicial views about brands may bias these responses. Following attribution theory, the current study analyzes the psychological mechanisms through which consumers form judgments about a brand’s culpability in the aftermath of a food safety scandal. Furthermore, this study assesses how the dimensions of a brand’s country-of-origin (perceived competence and perceived warmth) affect the mechanism of blame attribution.A real food crisis, the 2013 European horsemeat adulteration scandal, provides the framework for an experimental study with 816 Italian consumers. The results show that perceived country-of-origin warmth diminishes consumers’ perceptions of internal locus, stability, and controllability of the food incident, thus decreasing consumers’ attributions of blame toward the faulty brand. Perceived competence increases consumers’ perceptions of the controllability of the harmful behavior which leads to higher attributions of blame. Higher blame attribution leads to lower intentions to buy the brand in the future. Furthermore, when consumers perceive the food scandal as highly severe and when they are highly ethnocentric, perceived competence diminishes consumers’ perceptions of internal locus and stability of the food incident.The theoretical contribution of the study and practical implications for food brand managers are addressed.     

Sensory acceptability and willingness to buy foods presented as having benefits achieved through the use of nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a small scale (1-billionth of a meter). Nanomaterials have been used extensively in food production and packaging to improve food safety and eating quality. However, consumer knowledge of nanotechnology is low and the public’s perceptions about its use in foods is poorly understood. This study assessed consumers’ knowledge and attitudes towards food nanotechnology, and measured degree of liking and purchase intent for tasted foods presented as having specific nanotechnology benefits. Participants were 161 young, mostly college-educated adults. They evaluated samples of fresh cherry tomatoes and chocolate ice cream for overall liking and liking of key attributes using 15-cm line scales. They were informed that the first sample of each food had no nanotechnology (control), but the subsequent samples were produced with nanotechnology materials. For the tomatoes, nanoparticles were added to the packaging as an anti-microbial or to extend freshness; for the ice cream, nanoparticles were incorporated into the food matrix to deliver probiotics or reduce icing. In reality, no foods were produced with nanotechnology. Participants also completed surveys on their food attitudes and knowledge of nanotechnology. Results showed that all the samples were highly liked, regardless of whether they claimed to deliver nanotechnology benefits. In addition, most (75–86%) participants were willing to buy the nanotechnology foods; the primary reasons being “sensory appeal” and “nanotechnology benefit” (p < 0.01). These results show that a majority of young, educated consumers had positive attitudes towards foods with nanotechnology and were willing to buy them.     

Flavor–food ingredient interactions in fortified or reformulated novel food: Binding behaviors,manipulation strategies,sensory impacts,and future trends in delicious and healthy food design

With consumers gaining prominent awareness of health and well-being, a diverse range of fortified or reformulated novel food is developed to achieve personalized or tailored nutrition using protein, carbohydrates, or fat as building blocks. Flavor property is a critical factor in the acceptability and marketability of fortified or reformulated food. Major food ingredients are able to interact with flavor compounds, leading to a significant change in flavor release from the food matrix and, ultimately, altering flavor perception. Although many efforts have been made to elucidate how food matrix components change flavor binding capacities, the influences on flavor perception and their implications for the innovation of fortified or reformulated novel food have not been systematically summarized up to now. Thus, this review provides detailed knowledge about the binding behaviors of flavors to major food ingredients, as well as their influences on flavor retention, release, and perception. Practical approaches for manipulating these interactions and the resulting flavor quality are also reviewed, from the scope of their intrinsic and extrinsic influencing factors with technologies available, which is helpful for future food innovation. Evaluation of food–ingredient interactions using real food matrices while considering multisensory flavor perception is also prospected, to well motivate food industries to investigate new strategies for tasteful and healthy food design in response to consumers’ unwillingness to compromise on flavor for health.     

Diabetic and non-diabetic consumers' perception of an apple juice beverage supplemented with a Fraxinus excelsior L. seed extract having potential glucose homeostasis benefits

To be successful, an innovative functional food must be perceived by the consumer to present a clear concept and significant health benefit. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the perception of diabetic and non-diabetic populations to a newly developed beverage containing a Fraxinus excelsior seed extract with previously demonstrated effects on glucose homeostasis in an apple juice. Both the diabetic and non-diabetic populations accepted the health benefits of the functional beverage and no differences were found between their perceptions. No difference was found between perception of both population and specific product information provides a better functional benefits understanding. The consumers made a strong connection between F excelsior seed extract and diabetes in agreement with provided information. Sensory evaluation of the developed functional beverage compared with the apple juice matrix showed that perceived bitterness affected product acceptance and should be corrected.     

Food safety perceptions and behaviors of Kentucky consumers

In several areas, Kentuckians practice more risky health behaviors than most of the rest of the nation. The Health Belief Model states that individuals with lower perceived risks practice less healthy behaviors. This study sought to determine if this was true for food safety by assessing food safety perceptions and behaviors of Kentucky consumers. Data were collected through a telephone questionnaire based on a survey by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; 728 respondents participated. Food safety perceptions were analyzed by examining participants' responses to confidence in the safety of the food supply, perception of likelihood of people becoming sick because of foodborne illness, and perception of where food safety problems are most likely to occur. Significant differences were found in food safety perceptions for age, gender, household income, education, and employment in the food industry. Analysis of food safety behaviors revealed differences in food handling behaviors for gender, education level, household income, race, and households with a member aged 65 years or older. Significant relationships were found between respondents' food safety perceptions and behaviors. In general, Kentucky consumers who perceived higher risks exhibited safer food handling behaviors. Strategies to increase the understanding of real and perceived food safety risks in the home combined with strategies that target specific demographic groups may be the most effective approach to improve food handling practices. A better understanding of consumers' food safety risk perceptions and behaviors could lead to more effective food safety education materials and messages.     

Decreasing consumers’ risk perception of food additives by knowledge enhancement in China

Food safety issues have occurred frequently in China in recent years, which results in consumers’ high risk perception of food additives. In the present research, we examined whether knowledge would decrease Chinese consumers’ risk perception of food additives under the influence of food safety issues’ risk perception; we also investigated how information selection impacted popularization effectiveness. Study 1 demonstrated that risk perception of food safety issues was positively correlated with risk perception of food additives. In addition, with increased risk perception of food safety issues, the higher level of knowledge weakened the influence of risk perception of food safety issues on risk perception of food additives. In Study 2, we proposed a consumer-risk-focused approach of knowledge popularization related to food additives, based on consumers’ cognitive rules and concerns. We compared its popularization effectiveness with the comprehensive-knowledge-based approach at three time points. We found that the consumer-risk-focused approach significantly promoted the effectiveness of popularization, including increasing knowledge accuracy and trust, and decreasing risk perception. The present study provides evidence that risk perception of food safety issues leads to biased judgments and perceptions concerning food additives, but knowledge acts as a buffering function in this biased relationship. In addition, in terms of practical application, this study contributes to improving the effectiveness of knowledge popularization about food additives.     

What Do We Know About Chain Actors’ Evaluation of New Food Technologies? A Systematic Review of Consumer and Farmer Studies

New food technologies, such as genetic modification, food fortification, and processing technologies, are of growing interest for future food security and safety. For ensuring successful implementation of such technologies, consumers and other food supply chain actors should embrace them. We present a systematic review to identify and compare key factors of supply chain actors’ evaluation of new food technologies. Evaluation encompasses indicators such as likelihood or intention to perform a behavior, perceived benefits/risks, willingness to pay, acceptance/adoption, and attitudes. Results from 183 studies showed several imbalances in research. Although studies mainly focused on (1) genetically modified foods, (2) by consumers, (3) in developed countries, only very few studies have targeted other food technologies, other supply chain actors such as farmers (13 studies) or processors (two studies), or developing countries (43 studies). With respect to consumers’ evaluation, key determinants were trust in institutions, information assessment, perceived risks and benefits, attitudes toward the product or technology, perceived behavioral control, quality perception of the product, and impact on health. Farmers’ evaluation of new food technologies was explained by the factors of perceived risk and benefits and of actual source of information. For the few processor evaluation studies, no convergence of factors could be reached. This systematic review contributes to a better understanding of consumers’ and farmers’ evaluation behavior and opens up avenues for future research on supply chain actors’ food technology evaluations. The differences in the conceptualization and measurement of extracted factors demonstrate the need for standardized approaches in future studies.     

食品生物技术研究进展

现代生物技术的飞速发展为解决人类的食品与营养、健康、安全等重大问题开辟了一条崭新途径。同时在食品安全方面可以为抗食品过敏原的治疗,益生菌作用的分子机理、病理-生物技术的运用和营养动力学提供支持和可能。     

An integrated framework to explain consumers’ purchase intentions toward green food in the Chinese context

The present study aims to explore an appropriate framework for explaining consumers’ purchase intentions toward green food in the Chinese context. An integrated green food purchase intention (IGFPI) model was designed based on various cognitive and affective variables extracted from the amended theory of planned behavior (A-TPB) and modified stimulus-organism-response (M-SOR) models. An online survey was conducted among Chinese consumers with 1,412 usable responses. Research data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to evaluate the strength of the relationship between constructs and compare the model fit among three models (i.e., A-TPB, M-SOR, and IGFPI). The findings reveal that three models present reasonable fit and the IGFPI model provides a better explanatory power than the other two independent models. In summarizing the results of hypotheses tests among the three models, the variables of perceived behavioral control, face consciousness, group conformity, utilitarian and hedonic attitudes have significant effects on purchase intentions toward green food. Consumers’ perceptions of nutritional content and price attributes of green food have strong effects on utilitarian attitudes, while the sensory appeal and price attributes strongly influence hedonic attitudes. Interestingly, the strength of the association between confidence, personal characteristics and purchase intention, as well as between ecological welfare and utilitarian attitudes vary within the independent and integrated models respectively. This study provides insight for stakeholders and future research in better understanding the framework and factors that influence purchase intentions of consumers toward green food products in the Chinese context.     

基于因子分析和Logistic回归的进口食品安全风险认知及其影响因素分析

目的了解消费者对进口食品安全的风险认知及其影响因素,提出相应的对策和建议。方法采用问卷调查的方式,结合均值分析、方差分析、t检验、假设检验、相关分析、因子分析和二元Logistic回归等统计学方法进行消费者对进口食品安全的风险认知及其影响因素研究。结果消费者对进口食品安全的具象风险认知与国家检验检疫结果基本一致,抽象风险认知处于一般,消费者担忧性能损失、金钱损失和心理损失,不担忧社会损失、身体损失和时间损失,其影响因素主要有价格吸引力、产品知名度、关注度和职业;消费信任和风险认知一定程度上影响着消费者的购买行为。结论相关部门应确立系统的消费者进口食品安全风险行为评估工作,提高信息透明度,引导消费者树立正确的风险认知,加强进口食品安全风险管控和知识普及,降低消费者的风险担忧程度,建立风险沟通体系,增强消费者对政府监管的信任,政府监管和群众监督有机结合,打造进口食品安全社会共治。