Does information about the source of functional ingredients influence consumer perception of functional milk desserts?

BACKGROUND: The aims of the present study were to study the influence of information about the source of two functional ingredients (antioxidants and fibre) on consumer perception of functional milk dessert concepts and to evaluate whether this influence depends on consumer attitudes towards health and hedonic characteristics of foods. RESULTS: Scores for expected liking decreased when information about the source of fibre or antioxidants was incorporated, which could be explained considering that when consumers knew the source of the functional ingredient they imagine the flavour of the source in the milk concept. This decrease in expected liking led to a decrease in consumer willingness to purchase, showing the importance of hedonic expectations on the acceptance of functional foods. Consumers with different attitudes towards health and hedonic characteristics of foods reacted differently towards information about the source of functional ingredients. CONCLUSION: Providing information about the source of functional ingredients would not be recommended as it might create negative taste expectations to consumers and a concomitant decrease in their willingness to purchase. These show that consumers would not compromise on the taste of milk desserts for health. Thus, the development of functional foods that taste worse than conventional ones may be a risky option. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Does consumer ethnocentrism influence product knowledge?

Consumer ethnocentrism refers to the consumer opinion as to whether or not it is appropriate or even immoral to purchase foreign-made products. The focus of this paper is to analyze the relationship between consumer ethnocentrism and consumer knowledge structures with the example of Bavarian food products. By means of concept mapping and structured interviews with 193 consumers in three different European countries, consumer ethnocentrism and knowledge of Bavarian food products was queried. Results of count-data regression models show that there is a negative relation between consumer ethnocentrism and the complexity of product knowledge. While there is no significant effect of gender, age and education, nationality matters with regard to the complexity of cognitive structures. The information about the relation between the level of consumer ethnocentrism and product knowledge can help marketers to segment the market more effectively and thus to successfully target different consumer groups with appropriate product communication.     

Does packaging influence taste and quality perceptions across varying consumer demographics?

This study investigates the important managerial issue of whether the packaging language of the Western consumer packaged-food (CPF) products should be adapted for emerging markets. An experiment using a 2 (Western vs adapted packaging) × 2 (product categories) design was conducted instore with real products to enhance the study’s external validity. With Pakistan as the contextual emerging market, Pakistani shoppers (n = 188) were exposed to the English and adapted (Urdu) packaging of the two products, and rated their quality perception, packaging likability, and attributes associated with the packaging. They also tasted and rated their overall satisfaction with the taste, and chose their preferred packaging. Underpinned by standardisation and adaptation literature and symbolic perception theory, the findings show that consumers rated and preferred the English packaging more than the adapted packaging. Also, while the English packaging was associated with attributes including elegance and trustworthiness, the adapted packaging was viewed as more personalised. Furthermore, the findings hold across demographic variables of income and English language literacy. These findings run contrary to the prevailing strategy of Western global brands in emerging markets, where the usual practice is to localise the packaging of the brands as they enter the markets. The findings provide both theoretical and practical insights into the implications of localisation strategy of Western brands in emerging markets.     

Does taste sensitivity matter? The effect of coffee sensory tasting information and taste sensitivity on consumer preferences

Product sensory information, an external cue, could greatly influence consumer enjoyment of hedonic products like coffee. The question is what type of sensory information, subjective (e.g., aroma, flavor and body) or objective (e.g., origin, varieties and production practices), has a higher impact on consumer product experience accounting for heterogeneous taste sensitivity. We examine this question using a between-subject experiment where participants were either given subjective, objective or no sensory information of a specialty coffee. Participants were classified as either supertasters or other tasters using the 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) paper strip. The results indicate that, compared to objective sensory information and no information, subjective sensory information results in a higher taste rating and a higher preference level for the coffee. More importantly, subjective information positively influences PROP supertasters’ purchase likelihood for coffee, without necessarily affecting their bitterness perception of the coffee tasted.     

Drivers of choice for fluid milk versus plant-based alternatives: What are consumer perceptions of fluid milk?

Fluid milk consumption has declined for decades while consumption of nondairy alternatives has increased. A better understanding of why consumers purchase fluid milk or nondairy alternatives is needed to assist increased sales of milk or maintain sales without further decline. The objective of this study was to determine the extrinsic attributes that drive purchase within each product category. The second objective was to determine the personal values behind the purchase of each beverage type to give further understanding why particular attributes are important. An online conjoint survey was launched with 702 dairy consumers, 172 nondairy consumers, and 125 consumers of both beverages. Individual means-end chain interviews were conducted with fluid milk consumers (n = 75), plant-based alternative consumers (n = 68), and consumers of both beverages (n = 78). Fat content was the most important attribute for dairy milk followed by package size and label claims. Consumers of fluid milk preferred 1 or 2% fat content, gallon, or half-gallon packaging, conventionally pasteurized store-brand milk. Sugar level was the most important attribute for plant-based beverages, followed by plant source and package size. Almond milk was the most desirable plant source, and half-gallon packaging was the most preferred packaging. Means-end chain interviews results suggested that maintaining a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle was important to all consumer groups. Lactose free was an important attribute for plant-based alternative consumers and consumers of both dairy and nondairy. A distinguishing characteristic of those who only drank nondairy plant-based alternatives was that plant-based beverages contributed to a goal to consume less animal products, beliefs about animal mistreatment, and perceived lesser effect on the environment than fluid milk. Unique to fluid milk consumers was that fluid milk was perceived as a staple food item. These results suggest that the dairy industry should focus on the nutrition value of milk and educating consumers about misconceptions regarding dairy milk. Future beverage innovation should include the development of lactose-free milk that is also appealing to consumers in flavor.     

Health benefits of seafood; Is it just the fatty acids?

There is a considerable body of literature suggesting a wide range of health benefits associated with diets high in seafood. However, the demand for seafood across the world now exceeds that available from capture fisheries. This has created a rapidly increasing market for aquaculture products, the nutrient composition of which is dependent on feed composition. The use of fishmeal in this food chain does little to counteract the environmental impact of fisheries and so the on-going development of alternative sources is to be welcomed. Nevertheless, an in-depth understanding as to which nutrients in seafood provide benefit is required to permit the production of foods of maximal health benefit to humans. This paper reviews our current knowledge of the beneficial nutrient composition of seafood, in particular omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, taurine, vitamins D and B12, in the context of the development of environmentally sustainable aquaculture.     

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.     

Beyond information seeking: Consumers’ online deliberation about the risks and benefits of red meat

Successfully engaging consumers in a dialogue may provide opportunities for better tailored and more effective communication about food-related risks and benefits. Using an online deliberation concept and software, VIZZATA™, we explored the validity of a behavioral measure of deliberation in an online environment in the context of consumers’ perceptions and information seeking about the risks and benefits of red meat. Participants from Belgium, Portugal and the United Kingdom (n = 150) were given the opportunity to engage in an asynchronous interaction with the research team about the information provided. Online deliberation was operationalized as an individual metric based on the number of questions asked in relation to the information, the number of comments left, the number of glossary terms accessed, and the time spent on deliberative activity. This operationalization provided a coherent measure of deliberation which was positively correlated with information recall about the risks and benefits of red meat. Participants who perceived the information about red meat risks and benefits as too complex engaged less with the information. The study herewith presents a novel method of investigating consumers’ deliberation about food issues that conceptualizes consumer engagement as more than just information seeking.     

Do consumers value food products containing upcycled ingredients? The effect of nutritional and environmental information

This study was the first to use a ranking experiment to estimate the effect of nutritional and environmental information on UK consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for biscuits containing an upcycled ingredient, namely, defatted sunflower cake flour. Informing consumers about the nutritional and/or environmental benefits of the upcycled ingredient resulted in a significant increase in their WTP for this new food. Moreover, we found that nutritional and/or environmental information similarly affected individual WTP distributions for the upcycled ingredient towards more positive values. Our findings have important implications for product development and marketing strategies of upcycled food businesses.     

Dark vs. light drinks: The influence of visual appearance on the consumer’s experience of beer

We report evidence concerning how the visual appearance of a drink (dark vs. light pale/amber beer) can influence the consumer’s tasting experience. Two experiments were designed to study the effect of visual appearance on people’s hedonic and sensory judgments of beer. Importantly, the beers were indistinguishable in terms of their flavor when tasted in the absence of visual cues.Participants rated the same beer (pale or dark, depending in which group they were assigned) under blind conditions as having more body than when tasted under sighted condition (regardless of whether it was pale or dark; see Experiment 1).When the participants evaluated the expectations and tasting experience of the two different beers under sighted conditions (pale vs. dark), after tasting, those who preferred pale beers, rated the darker beer as tasting sweeter than those who usually prefer other types of beers, such as dark ones (see Experiment 2). Prior tasting, when asked which beer they thought was the most expensive, the majority of the participants chose the darker beer. Furthermore, after tasting both beers, participants reported being willing to pay up to 6% more on average for the darker beer as compared to the pale one.     

Attitude toward environmental protection and toward nature: How do they shape consumer behaviour for a sustainable tomato?

Several research efforts have tried to explain the forces driving food-related decisions. In this article, we explore how individual attitude toward the environment could be a potential determinant of green behavior. This research offers an original methodological framework never adopted in the food consumption domain that is based on the contribution of Campbell Paradigm and the related advancements on attitude measures proposed by the environmental psychology literature. We also contribute to the literature by envisaging a two-dimensional environmental attitude, that distinguishes between attitude toward environmental protection and toward nature appreciation. The ultimate target is to explain consumer purchasing intentions, represented by Willingness to Pay, toward a hypothetical tomato with improved resource use efficiency taking into account consumer psycho-attitudinal propensity towards environmental issues. The analysis is conducted in Italy and in the UK, two countries characterized by different perceptions about tomato as a consumption good and about water related issues. Findings indicate that the two dimensions of consumer attitude affect differently the spending propensity for a sustainable tomato and these differences are also country-specific. The analysis suggests that policies aimed at promoting sustainable food products should also target the consumer type (naturalist or environmentalist) that is more sensible to environmental sustainability.     

Does consumer health-orientation affect the use of nutrition facts panel and claims? An empirical analysis in Italy

Food labelling can play a key role in increasing consumers’ food-related consciousness, and improving the healthiness of their food choices. However consumers’ use of food labels is affected by a number of variables. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of health-orientation on consumers’ use of different labelled information, making a distinction between mandatory and voluntary information (namely, nutrition facts panel vs nutrition and health claims). Data were collected in Italy through face-to-face interviews on a sample of 300 consumers in charge of their grocery shopping. To evaluate the relationship between health-orientation and label usage we developed an index strictly based on the definition of health-orientation itself and included such measure in our analysis, which is based on a set of OLS regressions. The main results overall stress the idea that different degrees of health-orientation are, indeed, reflected in a diverse use of labelled information. Highly health-oriented consumers are more likely to refer to the extensive information reported on nutrition facts panel, whereas claims are of main interest for consumers with low orientation to health. The results also strengthen the key role played by nutrition knowledge and education in favouring a frequent usage of the nutrition facts panel and confirm previous findings on the relationship between socio-economic status and consumers use of labelled information.     

Consumers’ attitude towards food by-products: the influence of food technology neophobia,education and information

The aim of the present study was to investigate how food technology neophobia level, socio-economic variables and information about novel foods and technologies may affect consumers’ attitude towards uses of food by-products in relation to positive effects on environment and consumers’ health. Results suggested that education and, most of all food technology neophobia and information, can be critical factors in facilitating the widespread adoption of new food technologies. Moreover, positive attitudes towards food by-products were found, even in people characterised by a greater food neophobia and lower education level. These positive attitudes could be considered a starting point for the food industry to design novel recycling strategies of food by-products in the perspective of the circular economy.     

The effect of dietary fibre information on consumer responses to breads and “English” muffins: a cross-cultural study

The effect of information about dietary fibre content was investigated for Chinese Malaysian and Australian consumer perceptions of bread and English muffins for (a) white low-fibre, (b) white fibre-enriched and (c) wholemeal/grain versions of the products. Acceptance measures, perception of sensory intensities and health and nutrition related attributes were rated before and after information about fibre content was presented. Information strongly affected the perceived healthiness and nutrition value of the breads and English muffins for both cultural groups, and Australians were more receptive to information in their ratings for fibre content. Perceived sensory intensities were also influenced by information, and a cultural difference in direction of change was observed for the English muffins. For both cultures, bread liking and English muffin, likelihood of consumption was enhanced for the white product labelled as high in fibre, while no changes were noted for the wholemeal/grain ratings. Consumer characteristics had no additional explanatory power in relation to consumers’ acceptance response when fibre information was given, for either culture group.     

Consumers’ acceptance of recycled water in meat products: The influence of tasting,attitudes and values on hedonic and emotional reactions

Community opposition to potable recycled water may extend to recycled water in food production. Past research on recycled potable water indicates that the closer the risk of personal contact or ingestion, the less acceptable it is. Despite purification and expert assurances, emotional responses, including disgust, may present as major psychological barriers to the environmental and commercial benefit of recycled water use in food production. Consumers (n = 101) were presented with meat products purported to be processed or containing recycled water (3 levels of proximity to ingestion) along with a control product (containing tap water). Hedonic and 18 emotional responses were elicited. Validated survey instruments were used to measure world views (values), beliefs supportive of environmental actions and food technology neophobia seeking to explain variation in hedonic and emotional responses. Surprisingly, consumers were found to be generally accepting and willing to try foods containing or in close proximity to recycled water when that water was collected, treated and returned to drinking water standards within the factory. All hypotheses pertaining to associated values, beliefs and neophobia were rejected. The study suggests that recycling water within a food factory, when supported by a credible and trustworthy source of information, is likely to be met with positive emotional and affective responses. Using a broad range of affective and emotional responses was useful in understanding acceptance of foods that may be associated with perceived risk.     

Citizens' views on the practices of zero-grazing and cow-calf separation in the dairy industry: Does providing information increase acceptability?

The primary aim of this study was to assess the influence of provision of information on lay citizens' opinions regarding 2 common management practices, zero-grazing and cow-calf separation. To aid in the interpretation of the findings, our secondary aim was to explore the awareness and opinions of Brazilian citizens about these practices. We surveyed a convenience sample of Brazilian citizens (192 men and 208 women), recruited in a public place, with the majority stating that they were largely unfamiliar with animal production and lived in urban environments. Participants were presented short scenarios with information on the primary production factors and welfare concerns for and against zero-grazing (n = 200) or cow-calf separation (n = 200). Participants were then asked to state their position (reject, indifferent, or support), and to provide the reason(s) justifying their position. Immediately following, participants were provided a short statement describing either zero-grazing or cow-calf separation, depending on what question they responded to in the first part. Two closed questions (Q) followed each of these statements: (Q1) “Are you aware of this practice?” with choices yes, somewhat, or no, and (Q2) “What is your position regarding this practice?” with choices reject, indifferent, or support. Only 31 and 33% of the respondents were aware of zero-grazing and cow-calf separation, respectively. Previous awareness of existence of practice did not influence levels of support. Provision of information resulted in more people rejecting the practices of zero-grazing and cow-calf separation. Participants' main justifications to reject zero-grazing and cow-calf separation focused on perceived negative effects of practices on farm animal welfare and product quality, and loss of naturalness. Survey participants, Brazilians living in urban environments, with little or no association with dairy production, were generally unaware that many cows do not have access to pasture and that cows are separated from their calf at birth. Independent of provision of additional information, most participants did not support these practices. Provision of brief explanatory information played a minor role in influencing people's views, but failed to result in general acceptance.     

“One Fish,Two Fish,Red Fish,Blue Fish”: How ethical beliefs influence consumer perceptions of “blue” aquaculture products?

Respecting ethical beliefs of consumers is an important precondition for food manufacturers in their attempt to improve their positioning in the European food market. Based on a cross-cultural survey of 2511 European participants, this research demonstrates how ethical beliefs affect consumer perceptions of “blue” (i.e. environmentally friendly) aquaculture products. The study further emphasises that the positive effect of ethical beliefs on purchase intention operates via an indirect route mediated by consumers’ trust in a product category. Consumer involvement has limited moderation effect on the above relationships. To expand its “blue” business, a key policy recommendation to aquaculture product manufacturers and policy makers is to urge stable and reliable standards of control in environmentally responsible aquaculture production so that consumers can rely on the information source and increase their trust in aquaculture products.     

Chemical Composition and Potential Health Effects of Prunes: A Functional Food?

Prunes are dried plums, fruits of Prunus domestica L., cultivated and propagated since ancient times. Most dried prunes are produced from cultivar d'Agen, especially in California and France, where the cultivar originated. After harvest, prune-making plums are dehydrated in hot air at 85 to 90 degrees C for 18 h, then further processed into prune juice, puree, or other prune products. This extensive literature review summarizes the current knowledge of chemical composition of prunes and their biological effects on human health. Because of their sweet flavor and well-known mild laxative effect, prunes are considered to be an epitome of functional foods, but the understanding of their mode of action is still unclear. Dried prunes contain approximately 6.1 g of dietary fiber per 100 g, while prune juice is devoid of fiber due to filtration before bottling. The laxative action of both prune and prune juice could be explained by their high sorbitol content (14.7 and 6.1 g/100 g, respectively). Prunes are good source of energy in the form of simple sugars, but do not mediate a rapid rise in blood sugar concentration, possibly because of high fiber, fructose, and sorbitol content. Prunes contain large amounts of phenolic compounds (184 mg/100 g), mainly as neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids, which may aid in the laxative action and delay glucose absorption. Phenolic compounds in prunes had been found to inhibit human LDL oxidation in vitro, and thus might serve as preventive agents against chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Additionally, high potassium content of prunes (745 mg/100 g) might be beneficial for cardiovascular health. Dried prunes are an important source of boron, which is postulated to play a role in prevention of osteoporosis. A serving of prunes (100 g) fulfills the daily requirement for boron (2 to 3 mg). More research is needed to assess the levels of carotenoids and other phytochemicals present in prunes to ensure correct labeling and accuracy of food composition tables in order to support dietary recommendations or health claims.