Discordance in risk perception between children,parents, and teachers in terms of consumption of cheap and poorly nutritious food sold around schools

Little is known about the eating behavior of Asian children when faced with a range of poorly nutritious foods sold around schools, and whether they appreciate the risks involved in consuming such foods. To provide adequate education regarding proper food consumption, it is essential to understand how children perceive the potential risks and to examine their actual eating behaviors. The perceptions of adults and children should also be compared. This study selected children from the most populous primary schools (n = 166) in 36 of the national capital regions of the Republic of Korea. A total of 443 children were randomly selected from each school and they, their parents (n = 425), and nutrition teachers (n = 166) were asked to complete a questionnaire (total 11 questions) designed to examine how children and adults perceived the risks associated with the consumption of cheap and poorly nutritious foods sold around schools. Most children (>70%) consumed these foods more than once per week, even though they were aware that they may be potential hazardous. Children were significantly less concerned about the risks associated with their eating behaviors than their parents and teachers (p < 0.05), particularly regarding snacks prepared and cooked under unhygienic conditions. Although parents and teachers were very concerned about children’s food consumption, they misunderstood the level of children’s awareness, their preferences, and their actual eating behaviors. This study generated a database of information about children’s actual eating behavior around schools, and the perception (by children, parents, and teachers) of the risks. This database may contribute to the design of suitable educational programs for children, parents, and teachers.     

Consumer acceptance of precision fermentation technology: A cross-cultural study

Technological advances in precision fermentation hold great potential for transformative changes in the agri-food system, addressing crucial environmental and food security challenges. However, the successful adoption of this technology hinges on consumer acceptance, which plays a pivotal role in determining its market success. To shed light on consumer acceptance of precision fermentation technology, three studies were conducted. Study 1 found that adopting natural (vs. sustainable) framing positively influenced acceptance (N = 308). Study 2 revealed that the information supporting use of representative heuristic can effectively enhance technology acceptance (N = 300). Furthermore, Study 3 proposed and tested the technology acceptance model in a cross-cultural setting (N = 3032), indicating that when prompting similarity to traditional fermentation positively influenced consumer perceptions. This further fosters higher levels of trust and perceived benefits, significantly impacting consumer acceptance and intention to purchase new products derived from precision fermentation technology. These insights emphasize the critical role of consumer acceptance in driving the adoption and market success of precision fermentation.     

The narcissistic wine consumer: How social attractiveness associated with wine prompts narcissists to engage in wine consumption

Wine consumption can help improve one’s social image. Given this social aspect of wine, we predict that because individuals who are high in narcissism strive for social admiration, wine represents a product of choice for them. In Study 1 (N = 654), we show that for narcissistic people, wine is associated with greater social attractiveness, which in turn leads to higher consumption of wine. We also draw a typology of narcissistic wine consumers. In Study 2 (N = 192), we replicate the mediation results of Study 1 and take a step further by examining the influence of anticipated emotional value. More specifically, we show that the sequence above whereby narcissistic people consume higher amounts of wine due to its social attractiveness not only holds, but is stronger when the emotional value that such people anticipate from wine consumption is low. In other words, narcissists engage more in wine consumption for social reasons when they do not (versus do) anticipate wine consumption as a pleasurable experience. We provide a discussion of the practical implications of our results for wine producers and policymakers.     

Willingness to trial functional foods and vitamin supplements: The role of attitudes,subjective norms,and dread of risks

Australian non-users of vitamin supplements (N = 162) and functional foods (N = 226) responded to a questionnaire examining their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), risk dread and risk familiarity, and willingness to engage in free product trials. The impact of participants’ gender and age was also examined. Attitude and subjective norms were significant determinants of non-users willingness to trial each of the health products. Participants’ dread of the risk associated with the product was also a determinant of willingness to use functional foods. The overall models predicted between 25% and 30% of the variance in people’s willingness to trial the products. The findings provided some support for the TPB in predicting people’s willingness to trial functional foods and vitamin supplements and suggested, for willingness to trial functional foods, that non-users’ are also influenced by their dread of the risk associated with product use.     

When organic products are tasty: Taste inferences from an Organic = Healthy Association

Previous research has consistently demonstrated that organic food is typically seen as healthier. The aim of the present study is to investigate how these health inferences influence taste perceptions of organic food. In Study 1, we show that a neutral food product with an organic label is perceived as more healthy than the same product without such a label. This higher level of perceived healthiness is paired with an improved perceived taste. In Study 2 and 3, we obtain evidence in Dutch and US samples that an organic label increases perceived taste and attractiveness of healthy (but not unhealthy) food. Whereas previous studies have shown general health halo effects of organic labels, this perspective cannot explain the specific pattern of our results, which speaks towards an ‘organic = healthy = tasty’ intuition.     

Do healthy,child-friendly fruit and vegetable snacks appeal to consumers? A field study exploring adults’ perceptions and purchase intentions

The majority of children in the U.S. do not consume enough fruits and vegetables (FV). Children’s liking of and preferences for FV are consistent predictors of intake, as are factors such as availability and accessibility, which are largely under the control of parents and caregivers. This study was designed to examine parents’ and caregivers’ current purchasing habits regarding child-friendly (CF)-shaped foods and pre-cut produce; determine their sensory perceptions of CF-shaped vs. regular-shaped pre-cut FV; and, to ascertain their willingness to pay slightly more for CF-shaped FV compared to fresh, whole produce. Healthy, CF-shaped fruit and vegetable snacks were developed by cutting FV into CF shapes (butterfly, chick, flower, teddy bear). Participants (n = 298) were adults, the majority of whom (66.1%) reported having children at home. Participants who reported having children at home consistently recognized CF-shaped fruit and vegetable samples as CF-shaped foods, while 64.4% of participants with children at home perceived regular-shaped pre-cut fruit and vegetable samples as CF-shaped foods. Participants rated CF-shaped samples as more visually appealing than regular-shaped samples, (p < 0.0001) and were 34% more likely to select CF-shaped samples. Female gender, the presence of children in the home, and frequent self-reported purchase of pre-cut produce were also significant positive predictors of visual appeal. Taste and texture ratings were not consistently significantly higher for CF-shaped fruit and vegetable samples. CF shape predicted higher willingness to pay extra for the fruit and vegetable product (p = 0.0057), as did frequent purchase of pre-cut produce and CF-shaped foods. Adults, particularly females and individuals with children in the household, find CF-shaped FV highly visually appealing and are willing to pay slightly more for these foods. Healthy, ready-to-eat, CF-shaped fruit and vegetable snacks may be a promising marketing strategy to help increase fruit and vegetable intake among children.     

Acting to self-regulate unhealthy eating habits. An investigation into the effects of habit,hedonic hunger and self-regulation on sugar consumption from confectionery foods

Many people are motivated to eat healthily but find it difficult to override established and less healthy habits. Habits by their nature are unconscious and cued by the environment, thus making them powerful determinants of behaviour. Limited research has explored the role of habit as a mediator between self-regulation and sugar consumption. This study investigated the relative importance of factors that support/impede the consumption of foods with high sugar content and the mediating effect of habit. The study sample was 500 Irish adult’s representative of the population. Sugar consumption, habit, hedonic hunger, self-efficacy, perceived need, dietary planning and dietary self-monitoring were assessed using self-reported measures. A path analysis of the data was used to test the direct and indirect effects of the independent factors on estimated sugar consumption grams per day (g/d). In addition, the interaction effects of self-efficacy and dietary planning/self-monitoring on sugar consumption was examined using simple slope analysis. The results showed that habit had the largest effect in the model and was positively related to sugar consumption g/d (b = 12.09, p < 0.01). While the direct effect of self-efficacy on sugar-consumption g/d was significant (b = −5.25, p < 0.05), this effect was partially mediated by habit (−4.84, Bca CI −7.00, −3.00) and the direct effect of action control on sugar consumption (b = −1.30, p = 0.311) was fully mediated by habit (b = −2.42, Bca CI −3.93, −1.20), which indicates that strong unhealthy habits compete against self-efficacy and can reduce the potential benefits of dietary planning and self-monitoring. The simple slope analysis revealed that action control has a significant negative effect on sugar intake when self-efficacy is weak (b = −5.48, p = 0.01). The direct effect of hedonic hunger on confectionery sugar consumption (b = 1.38, p = 0.376) was fully mediated by habit (b = 5.92, Bca CI 4.20, 8.08) indicating that the desire to eat tempting food may overrides one’s intended behaviour resulting in counter-intentional habits. It is apparent from the findings that a dual strategy of targeting behaviour and the underlying habits may be effective in improving dietary intake and self-regulation is likely to be sustainable only in an environment that facilitates healthy eating behaviour.     

Willingness of Iranian young adults to eat organic foods: Application of the Health Belief Model

This study investigates the determinants of organic foods consumer behavior in Iran. This will further understanding of consumer decision-making regarding organically produced foods and help identify strategies for promoting their consumption. The focus of the study was to explore the influence of constructs of the Health Beliefs Model on willingness to use organic foods using a multistage, stratified random sample of young adults (n = 389) in a survey conducted in Iran. Structural equation modeling showed that perceived benefits, general health orientation regarding pesticides and organic foods, self-efficacy and perceived barriers are significant predictors of willingness regarding the use of organic foods. These variables can predict nearly 42% variance of young adults’ willingness to use organic food. The findings yield public policy and marketing recommendations for stimulating organic food consumption among young adults.     

Product appropriateness,willingness to try and perceived risks of foods containing insect protein powder: A survey of U.S. consumers

As a sustainable alternative to livestock consumption, insect protein has applications beyond meat substitution. However, strategies to normalise entomophagy in the United States have been less explored than in Europe. Two online surveys (N = 1005 U.S. consumers) identified the most appropriate products, from a list of 30, for insect protein powder incorporation by evaluating willingness to try (WTT). Consumers reported perceived risks for negative WTT, and the effect of entomophagy benefit information (EBI) on WTT was measured. Overall, 72% of consumers were willing to consume at least one insect-containing product. The three most appropriate products were protein/energy bars, chips/snack crackers and protein shakes. Bakery/cereal products garnered positive WTT by >54% of consumers, followed by snacks/candy (53%). Unfamiliarity with insects as food was the most cited risk. EBI presentation significantly increased (α < 0.05, McNemar’s test) positive WTT for all products. Once unfamiliarity is overcome through trial, negative emotions and concerns about sensory quality can be addressed.     

Effect of a pleasure-oriented intervention on the nutritional quality of midafternoon snacks and on the relationship between food liking and perceived healthiness within mother-child dyads

The aims of the present study are to assess the impact of a pleasure-oriented intervention on the nutritional quality of midafternoon snacks chosen by mother-child dyads and to evaluate the evolution of the relationship between the liking and perceived healthiness of the food items offered for the snack choices. Data were collected at two laboratory sessions (T1 and T2), during which children and mothers were separately asked to choose two food items (among 10) for a midafternoon snack, first for themselves and then for the other dyad member. Participants also rated their liking and perceived healthiness of the 10 food items. After T1, dyads were randomly assigned to an experimental group (N = 94) with an in-home pleasure-oriented intervention to stimulate the pleasure of consuming healthy foods or to a control group (N = 93). Our study shows the lack of a significant effect of the intervention on the nutritional quality of snacks chosen at T2. However, for the children in the experimental group, the relationship between liking and perceived healthiness which was not significant at T1 (τ_median = −0.05, P = 0.56) became significant and positive at T2 (τ_median = 0.13, P = 0.002). Moreover, this increase of the relationship in T2 was significantly higher for the experimental group compared to the control group (P = 0.05). For mothers, the existing relationship between liking and perceived healthiness at T1 (τ_median = 0.27, P < 0.001) increased significantly between T1 and T2 (P = 0.006) only in the experimental group, even if this increase was not significantly higher compared to the control group (P = 0.21). Since the relationship between food liking and perceived healthiness in mother-child dyads increased after the intervention, one could argue that this higher positive attitude towards healthy foods could constitute the first step in a behavioural change in favour of healthier choices.     

Coffee and tea choices and intake patterns in 20-to-40 year old adults

The main aim of this study was to analyze coffee and tea intake patterns considering body weight status and polymorphism of genes involved in bitter taste sensitivity. A group of normal weight and overweight or obese subjects aged 20–40 (n = 411) was recruited in Poznań, Poland. Three-day dietary records were used to assess daily intakes. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped using TaqMan SNP probes (TAS2R38: rs713598, rs1726866, rs10246939) or the high-resolution melting method (CA6 rs2274333). 67.2% of the group drank coffee and 70.6% drank tea. Drinking only coffee was associated with higher body mass index (BMI) (OR = 4.81, p = 0.041). BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² was associated with higher coffee intake (p = 0.010) and lower tea intake (p = 0.003). Higher taste-sensitivity of TAS2R38 gene was associated with a preference for bitter white coffee (OR = 1.74, p = 0.033). Over 50% of respondents ate sweet snacks while drinking coffee or tea. Consumption of sweet snacks was associated with drinking bitter black coffee (p = 0.044, OR 1.97) and sweet white coffee (p = 0.003, OR 2.92) and with BMI below 25 kg/m² (p = 0.016, OR = 0.51).Coffee and tea intake differed by body weight status. PAV haplotype (TAS2R38) was associated with a preference for bitter white coffee. The majority of the study group drank coffee and tea with additives (sugar, milk etc.) and ate sweet snacks with them.     

Colour as a cue to eat: Effects of plate colour on snack intake in pre-school children

Environmental cues, such as the colour of food and dishware, have been shown to influence food and drink consumption in adult populations. This proof of concept study investigated whether plate colour could be utilised as a strategy to reduce intake of high energy density (HED) snacks and increase intake of low energy density (LED) snacks in pre-school children. In a between and within-subjects design, children were randomly assigned to either a control group (no colour message) or intervention group (received a colour message: red = stop, green = go) and were provided a snack at nursery on three occasions on differently coloured plates (red, green, white), for each snack type (HED, LED). Snack intake, colour preference, colour association, and anthropometrics were recorded for each child. The results showed that there was no effect of group (control vs intervention) on HED (p = 0.540) and LED intake (p = 0.575). No effect of plate colour on HED (p = 0.147) or LED snack intake (p = 0.505) was evident. Combining red and green plates for a chromatic versus achromatic comparison showed that there was no significant effect of chromatic plate on HED (p = 0.0503) and LED (p = 0.347) intakes. Despite receiving a brief learning intervention, the use of plate colour was found in the present study to be an ineffective strategy to control snack food intake in pre-school aged children. Rather, we suggest that food intake in young children may best be predicted by portion size, energy density and eating behaviour traits.     

“I’m eating healthy now”: The relationship between perceived behavior change and diet

Public health campaigns often encourage people to increase the consumption of vegetables and fruits while limiting sugar, fat, and salt intake. Furthermore, recent approaches increasingly suggest accumulating small behavioral shifts to change eating behavior. However, when individuals actually do notice a positive change in their diet behavior has rarely been studied to date. Accordingly, the present research examined the relationship between felt and actual changes in healthy food intake. Food choice was assessed in two longitudinal studies (Study 1: N = 743; Study 2: N = 489) using a validated food frequency questionnaire. For assessing perceived healthy eating shifts, participants stated at a second measurement-point whether they had changed their eating patterns in the previous six months. Accordingly, participants were classified into four ‘Perceived Change’ groups: Changers, Attempters, Non-Attempters, and Healthy Eaters. In Study 1, participants who claimed they had made a healthy shift in their eating behavior (Changers) shifted from a regular to an optimal dietary pattern. Furthermore, Changers reduced their intake of five food categories: chocolate, cakes/pastries/biscuits, sausages/ham, meat, and eggs. No systematic changes were observed in the remaining groups. These results were replicated in Study 2. Participants perceived a change in their diet only if they had achieved a healthy shift in their dietary pattern. Moreover, Changers in both studies exhibited a significant decrease in their BMI. Overall, the group of Changers improved their diet, potentially reducing their risk for non-communicable diseases. Implications of these findings for public health campaigns are discussed.     

Encouraging sustainable insect-based diets: The role of disgust,social influence,and moral concern in insect consumption

Disgust, social influence, and moral concern seem to play a pivotal role in insect consumption. Research examining these factors, particularly in the UK, is currently lacking. As a result, two studies were conducted to examine the perceived barriers and benefits of insect consumption, and how disgust can be counteracted. First, a cross-sectional study (N = 600) showed that disgust and moral concerns were unique predictors of individual’s willingness to consume insect products. Second, we conducted an experiment (N = 519) to examine whether knowledge that someone else consumes an insect-based product impacts one’s own willingness to consume insects. In this study we replicated Hartmann, Ruby, Schmidt, and Siegrist (2018) methodology of giving information about an insect consumer but added details about the individuals’ occupation and what type of product they consumed, examining how these factors impacted individual’s willingness to consume insect-based products. We found that this information did not impact willingness to consume; however, it did influence feelings of disgust and perceived acceptability. This study also replicated the first study by demonstrating that disgust and moral concern are barriers to insect consumption. We hope the current findings trigger future research to examine how disgust can be counteracted, and to better understand the role of moral concern in insect consumption.     

Fruit consumption determinants among young adults in Italy: A case study

Knowing fruit consumption determinants is essential to improve interventions aiming at stimulating fruit intake in young population. This paper analyses young adults attitude and behaviour towards fruit consumption. We performed a survey on Italian university students (n = 692) to explain fruit consumption behaviour and determinants based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). The importance of determinants was evaluated with multi-group structural equation modelling (SEM). The TPB variables (attitudes, subjective norms and perceptions of control) explain 72% of intention to consume at least 200 g/d of fruit, and 15% of fruit consumption. These figures increase, respectively, to 88% and 20% if we include habits as a mediator. In this case, intention becomes relatively less important in explaining fruit consumption. This suggests that stronger habits result in less conscious behaviour, and that interventions to increase fruit consumption should improve fruit availability and develop individuals' ability to overcome barriers. Multi-group analysis has shown that low fruit consumers' intention is influenced by attitude, supporting the effectiveness of education campaigns for this target. Intention is the main fruit consumption predictor for those doing regular physical activity, which points to possible synergies of integrated public interventions to improve health behaviours.     

The effect of brand names on flavor perception and consumption in restrained and unrestrained eaters

In an increasingly obesogenic food environment, making healthful food decisions can be difficult. Because consumers are often bombarded with excessive information about foods they often rely on simple heuristics to decide whether to purchase or consume a food. In the present study we tested females who were either restrained (n = 33) or unrestrained (n = 33) to determine whether their sensory perception and intake of a food would be affected by brand information. Participants were provided with in an ad libitum snack of cookies which was labeled with a brand typically associated with healthful snacks or a brand associated with unhealthful snacks. Results indicated that all participants rated the cookies with the healthful brand label as more satisfying and as having a better taste and flavor. Furthermore, restrained eaters consumed more of the healthful brand than the unhealthful brand, whereas unrestrained eaters’ consumption did not differ. Thus it appears that food-related beliefs do influence consumers’ intake, especially that of restrained eaters. Further research is warranted to investigate these beliefs in order to improve recommendations for healthful eating in a society facing an increased prevalence of overeating and obesity.     

The effects of consumer's subjective and objective knowledge on perceptions and attitude towards genetically modified foods: objective knowledge as a determinant

Consumer's knowledge and perceptions are suspected of playing key roles in the formation of consumer's attitudes to genetically modified foods (GM foods). Specifically, the study distinguishes between consumer's objective and subjective knowledge and also distinguishes between risk and benefit perceptions. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact paths from consumer's different types of knowledge to consumer's attitudes towards GM foods purchase. A structural equation model (SEM) is constructed, and an empirical test is done using data from 570 consumer respondents collected from five representative cities in China. Interestingly, the paths from subjective knowledge to benefit perceptions (βH1 = ?0.098, P = 0.085) and risk perceptions (βH2 = 0.098, P = 0.113) indicate that both the two paths are not significant, while the paths from objective knowledge to benefit receptions (βH3 = 0.769, P < 0.001) and risk perceptions (βH4 = ?0.578, P < 0.001) imply that objective knowledge exerts great influence both on benefit and risk perceptions. That is to say, consumers’ objective knowledge rather than subjective knowledge plays an important role in the formation of consumer's attitudes to GM foods in urban China. This result is very different from (AgBioForum, 7 , 2004 and 113). At the same time, the results show that in urban China, consumer's attitude towards GM Foods is significantly influenced both by benefit perceptions (βH5 = 0.649, P < 0.001) and risk perceptions (βH6 = ?0.286, P < 0.001) but is mainly determined by benefit perceptions, and consumer's attitude towards GM foods is significantly related to his or her attitude towards GM foods purchase. Finally, recommendations for relevant industries and regulating agencies in the GM foods area and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Predictors of the consistency between healthy snack choice intentions and actual behaviour

The present study investigated the factors that affect the intention–behaviour consistency of healthy snack choices. Intended snack choice was assessed by asking participants (N = 538) to choose a snack on paper, out of 8 snacks (4 healthy, e.g. melon and gingerbread, and 4 unhealthy, e.g. crisps and chocolate). The next day participants chose one out of 8 different snacks for actual consumption. Participants completed a questionnaire about attitudes towards taste and health, habitual snack use, self-control, anticipated regret, and pleasantness of the snacks. Results showed that 24% of the participants with a healthy snack choice intention chose an unhealthy snack instead. Female gender, a high education level, a strong habitual healthy snack use, and a strong self-control increased the healthy intention–behaviour consistency. To facilitate healthy choices, interventions should target males and lower educated people, and focus on increasing their healthy snacking habit and self-control.     

Nutri-Score,multiple traffic light and incomplete nutrition labelling on food packages: Effects on consumers’ accuracy in identifying healthier snack options

Front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labels are designed to help consumers evaluate the healthiness of foods and to promote healthier food choices. In this study, an online experiment with Swiss consumers (N = 1313) was conducted to compare the effects of different nutrition label formats on consumers’ evaluations of snack food healthiness. Participants were asked to select the healthier option in 105 pairwise comparisons of 15 salty snacks. The participants were randomly assigned to one of five conditions: the FOP presented with (1) the nutrition facts table, (2) the multiple traffic light (MTL), (3) the Nutri-Score, (4) the Nutri-Score on half of the products, or (5) no nutrition information (control). The consumers’ evaluations of the snacks’ healthiness were fairly accurate, even without being given nutrition information on the packaging. The Nutri-Score led to the greatest accuracy in identifying the healthier of two snacks (when using the British FSA/Ofcom nutrient profiling score to determine product healthiness); however, this had only a minimal effect on the evaluation when only some of the products were labelled. Both FOP labels were superior to the FOP with and without the nutrition facts. This indicates that for maximum effectiveness, the labelling of all available products is needed. The perceived usefulness and public support of mandatory implementation were higher for the MTL than for the Nutri-Score label; however, for the latter, perceived usefulness and public acceptance were higher among the participants who became familiar with the label during the experiment than among those who did not.