Gender differences in the meanings associated with food hazards: A means-end chain analysis

It is a common finding that men compared to women are less concerned about food hazards and technologies. While previous literature analyzed determinants such as trust in public actors in order to explain gender differences in food risk perception, a systematic analysis of women’s and men’s cognitions (associations) and emotions (feelings) is lacking. This study focuses on the very first associations and the deeper motives and values that women and men link to three potential food hazards: mycotoxins, pesticides and irradiation. Means-end chain theory was applied and in-depth laddering interviews were conducted with 34 women and 35 men in Munich, Germany. The results reveal that food hazards threaten self-centered and socio-altruistic values of men and women alike and that ‘care for others’ is not only a motive for women.     

The influence of taste-congruent soundtracks on visual attention and food choice: A cross-cultural eye-tracking study in Chinese and Danish consumers

Sound can have a profound impact on our eating experience and behavior. The term “sonic seasoning”, arising from crossmodal correspondences, denotes the tendency for soundtracks with congruent taste/flavor attributes to alter people’s food perception. However, the implicit behavior effects of such sound-taste correspondence have not yet been tested. Employing eye-tracking technology, the current study explored the influence of custom-composed taste-congruent soundtracks on visual attention to food, and how this audio-visual relationship differs across cultures. Seventy-two participants (37 Chinese; 35 Danish) were each exposed to three sound conditions (“sweet music”, “salty music”, no music) while observing different food items in a choice paradigm. Across both cultures, participants spent more time fixating on sweet food while listening to “sweet music” and salty food when listening to “salty music”, while no differences were observed in the no music condition. Danish participants had, regardless of sound condition, longer fixation times on the food images compared to their Chinese counterparts. Participants’ choices in each sound condition were consistent with fixation time spent, implying a clear congruency effect between music and choice behavior. Our findings provide evidence of how specifically tailored music can guide consumers’ visual attention to specific food items, suggesting that the brain indeed integrates multiple streams of sensory information during decision-making. The cross-cultural aspect of our study can ultimately be valuable for understanding auditory nudging in different market segments.     

Sustainable food choice motives: The development and cross-country validation of the Sustainable Food Choice Questionnaire (SUS-FCQ)

In view of all kinds of sustainability concerns related to our current diet, it is essential to gain a good understanding of the sustainability motives consumers have for selecting their food. A comprehensive and validated scale to measure sustainability motives within the full range of food choice motives could contribute to this understanding, especially as sustainability is a multi-faceted concept in which the different aspects can sometimes be conflicting. The current paper aims to 1) develop the Sustainable Food Choice Questionnaire (SUS-FCQ) that covers the full concept of sustainability, 2) test which dimensions of sustainable food choice motives can be distinguished and 3) validate the scale as part of the Food Choice Questionnaire in multiple countries. An online survey was completed by 5,116 respondents from five European countries (The Netherlands, Denmark, Czech Republic, France and Italy). The scale was developed with a Dutch sub-sample and validated in all included countries. Exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analyses resulted in a two-factor solution. A ‘general sustainability’ dimension (6 items, covering environmental, ethical and animal welfare aspects) and a ‘local & seasonal’ dimension (3 items) were identified. The Sustainable Food Choice Questionnaire shows to be reliable and valid in the five included countries and can be used as an addition to the Food Choice Questionnaire developed by Steptoe and colleagues (1995). The scale is suitable to gain a better understanding of the position of sustainability motives against other motives in consumers food choices and can be used for country comparisons.     

Korean mothers’ food choice behavioral intent for children: An examination of the interaction effects of food type,household income,and healthism

This study identifies how economic factors, like household income, and psychological factors, like healthism, affect the food choice behavioral intent of mothers in Korea. We designed a 2 (type of food: sweet snack as hedonic food vs. milk as utilitarian food) × 2 (household income: low vs. high) × 2 (healthism: low vs. high) stimulus. The participants were Korean mothers raising children in Seoul, Korea. Participants were exposed to an advertisement for milk as the utilitarian food and a sweet snack as the hedonic food and then asked for favorability and purchase intention toward each type of food and about participants’ household income and concerns regarding health. Our study found high-income mothers were not influenced by food type, but low-income mothers were. Lower-income mothers were more willing to purchase utilitarian foods than hedonic foods. High-healthism mothers did not favor hedonic foods, regardless of household income, while low-healthism, high-income mothers favored hedonic foods more than low-healthism, low-income mothers. In contrast, low-healthism mothers did not favor utilitarian foods, regardless of their household income, while high-healthism, low-income mothers favored utilitarian foods more than high-healthism, high-income mothers. The results of our study may assist the government and marketers to understand how healthism and household income affect food choice behavioral intent.     

A theoretical description and experimental exploration of tri-reference point theory with respect to food choice

Recent findings within behavioural decision-making suggest that individuals make use of a tri-reference point set when making choices. This implies that choices and preference formation among competing products that are considered acceptable, but differ in desirability, are formed differently along the continuum from bottom line to target level. This study examined whether personal goals, as multiple reference points in relation to food product choice, inherit the properties of a value function. It was posited that goals as cognitive constructs are translated through the target object (the product) and through judgement and context into a representation of identified product preferences. The types of preferences that characterise the different goal levels were then analysed using data collected in an in-store, non-hypothetical consumer experiment with a random sample of 236 consumers. The existence of tri-reference point dependence was strongly supported, with the data indicating that product choices and preferences were moderated by transitions across reference states. Moreover, during transitions notable relative changes in evaluation of the product were identified. These results have normative implications for food product marketing in terms of targeting consumer needs. More importantly, they have strong methodological implications for studies on consumer preferences.     

国内外食品冷链物流关键环节温控要求对比研究

目的 研究国际组织和其他国家对食品冷链温度要求的管理情况,为我国冷链标准完善和今后研究方向提出建议。方法 将我国标准与国际食品法典委员会、国际标准化组织、欧盟、美国、加拿大、澳大利亚和新西兰标准的相关规定进行对比分析,提出关注和重点考虑的问题以及对我国冷链物流温度控制的建议。结果 国外基本为推荐性操作要求,较少规定具体温度,我国标准体系为强制性和推荐性相结合,对温度要求较为具体。国内外标准中都允许温度波动,同时强调车辆预冷、监控、运输工具等的重要,但国外标准更多注重过程管理。提示我国今后要加强操作规范,尤其是推荐性标准的制定。结论 我国食品冷链物流关键环节的温度要求与国际基本接轨,安全标准制定相对合理和完善,应加强推荐性操作规范标准的制定,促进行业健康和谐发展。     

Willingness to adopt a more plant-based diet in China and New Zealand: Applying the theories of planned behaviour,meat attachment and food choice motives

The purpose of this study is to explore the significant factors that drive consumers’ willingness to adopt a more plant-based diet, in both an Asian developing country (China) and a Western developed country (New Zealand), on the basis of three theories: meat attachment factors, the theory of planned behaviour and food choice motives. The data were collected through online surveys in China (n = 604) and New Zealand (n = 581). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used for the data analysis. Consumers’ willingness to adopt a more plant-based diet was significantly linked to all the four meat attachment factors (Hedonism, Affinity, Entitlement and Dependence), four factors based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Subjective norms, Personal norms, Perceived behavioural control and Attitudes), and one food choice motive (Environmental concern). There were differences between China and New Zealand in the impact of the meat attachment factors and the theory of planned behaviour factors on the willingness to adopt a more plant-based diet.     

Gender differences in the influence of personality traits on spicy food liking and intake

It has been proposed, and only minimally explored, that personality factors may play a role in determining an individual’s sensitivity to and preference for capsaicin containing foods. We explored these relationships further here. Participants rated a number of foods and sensations on a generalized liking scale in a laboratory setting; after leaving the laboratory, they filled out an online personality survey, which included Arnett’s Inventory of Sensation Seeking (AISS) and the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ). Recently, we reported strong and moderate correlations between the liking of a spicy meal and the personality constructs of Sensation Seeking (AISS) and Sensitivity to Reward (SPSRQ), respectively. Here, we use moderation models to explore the relationships between personality traits, perceived intensity of the burn of capsaicin, and the liking and consumption of spicy foods. Limited evidence of moderation was observed; however differential effects of the personality traits were seen in men versus women. In men, Sensitivity to Reward associated more strongly with liking and consumption of spicy foods, while in women, Sensation Seeking associated more strongly with liking and intake of spicy foods. These differences suggest that in men and women, there may be divergent mechanisms leading to the intake of spicy foods; specifically, men may respond more to extrinsic factors, while women may respond more to intrinsic factors.     

Measuring food preference and reward: Application and cross-cultural adaptation of the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire in human experimental research

Decisions about what we eat play a central role in human appetite and energy balance. Measuring food reward and its underlying components of implicit motivation (wanting) and explicit sensory pleasure (liking) is therefore important in understanding which foods are preferred in a given context and at a given moment in time. Among the different methods used to measure food reward, the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire (LFPQ) is a well-established tool that has been widely used in the scientific field for over 10 years. The original LFPQ measures explicit liking and implicit wanting for the same visual food stimuli varying along two nutritional dimensions: fat (high or low) and taste (sweet or savoury/non-sweet). With increasing use of the LFPQ (in original or adapted forms) across different cultural and scientific contexts, there is a need for a set of recommendations for effective execution as well as cultural and nutritional adaptations of the tool. This paper aims to describe the current status of the LFPQ for researchers new to the methodology, and to provide standards of good practice that can be adopted for its cultural adaptation and use in the laboratory or clinic. This paper details procedures for the creation and validation of appropriate food stimuli; implementation of the tool for sensitive measures of food reward; and interpretation of the main end-points of the LFPQ. Following these steps will facilitate comparisons of findings between studies and lead to a better understanding of the role of food reward in human eating behaviour.     

A method to measure the effect of food appearance factors on children’s visual preferences

The aim of the study was to examine children’s visual preferences for two food products; yoghurts and smoothies, by using a conjoint layout. In total, 274 children performed an incomplete ranking of 8 pictures formed by three factors each with two levels (2³ design). The three food appearance factors were ‘colour’, ‘visible fruit’ and ‘portion size’. The children were segmented into one of eight groups given by 2 (grade) × 2 (urban/rural affiliation) × 2 (time of visit), and they completed questionnaires regarding background information. Finally, an actual product choice was performed for the eight smoothies.The children visually preferred the two products without visible fruit and colour had a large influence on visual preferences too. As regards the yoghurts, the children accepted a less simple variant whereas the most preferred smoothie was very simple. Significant synergetic effects between food appearance factors and segmentation factors were found. Additionally gender and ethnicity were found to be influential drivers for food choice.     

基于区块链技术的食品质量安全管理系统及在大米溯源中的应用研究

随着消费者对食品质量安全的要求不断提高,快速响应、高效控制、安全保障成为现代食品安全领域的重要课题。由于现有技术存在优质原始信息少、信息不对称、可靠性差等问题,以及缺乏准确高效的食品安全事件预测和溯源技术,安全管控的效果难以满足社会需求。本文通过区块链技术,建立去中心化、低成本高效率、信息可靠的执行环境,构建从农田到餐桌的大米全产业链质量全息数据库,采用具基于危害因子的食品风险评估与安全溯源技术,设计多角色、多环节和多要素的智能管理系统,以实现食品质量安全的高效管控。     

质谱在食品定性定量分析中的应用

本文对质谱的基本原理、质谱系统的组成、发展概况以及在食品定性定量分析中的应用作一简要综述。     

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.     

Olfactory priming for eating behavior – The influence of non-conscious exposure to food odors on specific appetite,food preferences and intake

Sensory food cues in our surroundings, such as odors, trigger decisions that may lead to (over)eating. These cues occur mainly outside of people’s awareness. Therefore, it is crucial to better understand the effect of (non-consciously exposure of) food odors on behavioral responses. Moreover, sensory-specific appetite suggests that food odor exposure may enhance appetite for products with similar properties in taste and calorie content, inferring that we can detect nutrient content of the food through our sense of smell. Our previous research showed that conscious exposure to macronutrient-related odors influenced specific appetite but not food preferences or intake. However, eating behavior responses may differ depending on the level of awareness of the odor cue. Therefore, in our current study, we aimed to determine the influence of non-conscious exposure to macronutrient-related odors on specific appetite, food preferences and food intake. 34 healthy, normal-weight and unrestrained Dutch females underwent four sessions where they were non-consciously exposed to odors representing food high in carbohydrates, protein and fat, and low-calorie foods. Eating behavior was assessed through a specific appetite questionnaire, a computer task on macronutrient and taste food preferences, and actual food intake by means of a salad bar which included toppings representing the different macronutrients. Results show that non-conscious exposure to macronutrient-signaling odors does not influence congruent appetite, food preferences nor food intake of a main meal. Follow-up research should focus on different odor exposure (intensity and exposure time) and outcomes measures to have a better understanding of olfactory priming on eating behavior.     

The influence of product preparation,familiarity and individual traits on the consumer acceptance of insects as food

Insects are highly valued as food in many cultures but have only recently gained interest in the West as a sustainable alternative to reduce the environmental impact of meat production. Despite the growing consumer interest in insect consumption, there is still a great disparity between curious trying and actual acceptance. The aim of this study was to examine how the product preparation, familiarity and individual traits (e.g. food neophobia) influence the consumer acceptance of insects as food. Dutch consumers (n = 976) evaluated 8 mealworm product images on 4 acceptability measures (product appropriateness, expected sensory-liking, willingness to buy, willingness to try). Product images varied according to mealworm visibility (visible/invisible), carrier flavour (savoury/sweet) and carrier origin (Western/Asian). High product acceptability was not simply achieved by adding mealworms to familiar foods. Acceptability depended very much on the perceived appropriateness of mealworms as food and the perceived appropriateness of the product combination. However, mealworm products were always expected to be inferior to the carrier products, even when visually identical. Familiarity with mealworms and individual traits played a relatively minor role, and influenced the willingness to try more than the other acceptability measures. We conclude that appropriate product design is important but insufficient to achieve consumer acceptance of insects as food in the West. Additional incentives are required to encourage acceptance beyond the mere willingness to try. We discuss the complexities underlying the consumer acceptance of insects as food and reflect on how acceptance might be increased in the future.     

The influence of auditory and visual information on the perception of crispy food

The influence of auditory and/or visual information on the perception of crispy food and on the physiology of chewing was investigated. Participants chewed biscuits of three different levels of crispness under four experimental conditions: no masking, auditory masking, visual masking, and auditory plus visual masking. The order of the four masking condition blocks was randomized. The sound of chewing was masked by loud sounds on a headphone and visual masking of the food was achieved by closing the eyes. We measured skull vibration and the number of chewing cycles until swallowing. Subsequently, texture and sound attributes were scored. Auditory masking led to significant lower scores on the attributes sound and snapping, but only for the participants who started the experiments with auditory plus visual masking. The other participants were not influenced by auditory masking. The memory of the unmodified stimuli helped to maintain accurate sound perception in later trials.     

欧盟RASFF通报我国食品及饲料类违例信息 及趋势分析(2002至2012年)

欧盟是我国食品出口第二大市场,它利用自身优势在标准制定、认证认可、检出指标和检测限值等方面设置壁垒,影响我国食品对欧盟的出口贸易。本文对2002-2012年欧盟食品和饲料快速预警系统（Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed,RASFF）通报我国食品及饲料类产品出口欧盟的违例信息进行总结,深入分析了真菌毒素和食品接触材料两大类问题,并针对欧盟通报的重点问题和变化趋势进行分析,以期为我国政府调整出口欧盟食品政策,制修订我国农产品加工相关标准提供参考。     

中国易腐食品冷链物流现状分析及优化研究

中国是易腐食品生产大国、加工大国和消费大国,发展食品冷链物流具有重大的战略意义。文章从界定食品冷链物流概念的基础出发,分析其构成、条件、特点,指出目前存在的问题,并在此基础上提出了优化措施。      

The effect of health prompts on product consideration,attention to information,and choice in large,online product assortments: The case of fiber

Health-focused point-of-decision prompts (PDPs) influence consumers to purchase healthier food products, but how PDPs work has not been established. We examined how a PDP focused on fiber consumption, an under-consumed nutrient, influences consumers to select healthier products. US-based participants (n = 753), randomly assigned to a PDP or control condition, completed a simulated online shopping experience that included features of real-world retail settings, such as the ability to examine subsets of products and to choose to access nutrition information. In each condition, participants made choices in cereal, bread, and cracker categories. Participants could choose to view all or subsets of products before making a selection and reported the nutrient information they examined. We used mediation analysis to examine direct and indirect pathways through which the PDP affected the fiber content and healthiness rating of choices. Indirect pathways were whether the set of products the participant considered included healthy options (HCS) and attention to fiber information (AFI) when making choices. The PDP increased fiber content and Guiding Stars (GS) ratings of product choices by a total of 0.53 g dietary fiber/serving and 0.25 GS, respectively. This increase resulted from direct and indirect influences from the PDP. The direct effect increased fiber (GS) by 0.19 g dietary fiber/serving (0.072 GS). The indirect influence of the PDP through HCS increased 0.21 g dietary fiber/serving (0.104 GS) and through AFI increased 0.13 g dietary fiber/serving (0.035 GS). The PDP engendered healthier purchases by influencing consumer behavior at multiple points in the decision-making process.