Consumer perceived healthiness and willingness to try functional milk desserts. Influence of ingredient, ingredient name and health claim

Consumer Perception and Sensory Drivers of Liking of Fortified Oat Milks

Oat milk was fortified with β-glucan at a level that attains health benefits and protein at a level equivalent to that of cow's milk. This study aimed to identify consumer perceptions and evaluate the sensory attributes of fortified plain and chocolate oat milks. Oat milk consumers (n = 106) evaluated four samples: C (Control), 0Pro (6.25 g/L β-glucan), LPro (6.25 g/L β-glucan and 15.23 g/L oat protein), and HPro (6.25 g/L β-glucan and 30.45 g/L oat protein); and they completed free-word association (FWA), liking ratings, just-about-right (JAR), check-all-that-apply (CATA), and conjoint analysis (CA). Oat milk was associated with sensory descriptors, environmental sustainability, and health benefits. C and 0Pro products were liked significantly more than LPro and HPro. C and 0Pro oat flavors and thicknesses were rated "just about right" by majority of the participants, while LPro and HPro were rated "too much". Positive CATA attributes were "smooth", "fresh", and "oat-like" while negative attributes were "rancid", "sandy", and "grainy". The CA results showed consumer interest in oat milk fortified with oat protein, containing β-glucan at a level recommended for health benefits, and with protein levels higher than cow's milk. Based on the results, β-glucan-fortified oat milk is acceptable while oat protein fortification requires reformulation or substitution with another source.

Perception and demand for healthy snacks/beverages among US consumers vary by product, health benefit, and color

Concerns about the numerous health problems associated with unhealthy snacks prompted recommendations to steer individuals toward healthier eating habits. One such recommendation advises limiting unhealthy snacks and replacing them with more fruits and vegetables with significant health benefits. This study investigates US consumers' perceptions and preferences for healthy (vegetable-based) snacks/beverages. An online survey was designed to estimate consumer perception and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for vegetable-based crackers, spreads, and beverages. A sampling company sent the survey to its national consumer panels in 2020, resulting in a sample of 402 US consumers. Eligible participants were adults, primary grocery shoppers who consumed crackers, spreads, and beverages. Consumer WTP for healthy snacks/beverages, the dependent variable, was elicited using a payment card method. Independent variables include personality traits (Innovativeness and Extraversion) and the important factors affecting healthy snack purchases, health consciousness, and demographic variables. Results show that consumers' preferences for healthy snacking vary by product, even when the products have similar health benefits. Significant positive associations exist between WTP for healthy snacks/beverages and personality traits, health consciousness, and some demographics. This study provides critical insights to policymakers and informs marketing campaigns to promote healthy snacking in the US more effectively.

The Effects of Nutrition and Health Claim Information on Consumers’ Sensory Preferences and Willingness to Pay

As marketing tools, nutrition claims (NCs) and health claims (HCs) can be used to convey the nutritional properties and health benefits of food to consumers, but their respective effects on consumers’ perceptions of healthier meat products are inconsistent in the literature. Using a physical prototype of omega-3-enriched sausages as a research interest, this paper explores how HCs and NCs differently influence consumers’ sensory preferences and willingness to pay (WTP). Sensory tests were carried out among 330 participants, followed by a choice-based conjoint (CBC) experiment to measure consumers’ WTP. Results indicate that, in comparison with the uninformed condition, labeling an omega-3 nutrition claim increased consumers’ sensory liking for omega-3-enriched sausages in the attributes of appearance and texture. Moreover, consumers were willing to pay more for healthier sausages, but labeling HCs did not significantly improve participants’ WTP for omega-3-enriched sausages more than NCs. Hence, HCs did not significantly outperform NCs, when it comes to positively influencing consumers’ sensory liking and paying intentions for omega-3-enriched sausages. The findings of this study have implications for the meat industry in developing healthier sausage formulations with greater likelihood of success in the market.

Sheep Milk Symbiotic Ice Cream: Effect of Inulin and Apple Fiber on the Survival of Five Probiotic Bacterial Strains during Simulated In Vitro Digestion Conditions

We conducted a study to determine the survival of bacterial cells under in vitro digestion. For this purpose, ice cream mixes were prepared: control, with 4% inulin, 2.5% inulin and 1.5% apple fiber and 4% apple fiber. Each inoculum (pH = 4.60 ± 0.05), containing 9 log cfu g^-1 bacteria, at 5% (w/w) was added to the ice cream mixes (Lacticaseibacilluscasei 431, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei L-26, Lacticaseibacillusrhamnosus, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12) and fermentation was carried out to pH 4.60 ± 0.05. The in vitro digestion method simulated the stages of digestion that occur in the mouth, stomach and small intestine under optimal controlled conditions (pH value, time and temperature). At each stage of digestion, the survival rate of probiotic bacteria was determined using the plate-deep method. As expected, in the oral stage, there was no significant reduction in the viability of the probiotic bacteria in any ice cream group compared to their content before digestion. In the stomach stage, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 strain had the highest viable counts (8.48 log cfu g^-1) among the control samples. Furthermore, a 4% addition of inulin to ice cream with Bifidobacterium BB-12 increased gastric juice tolerance and limited strain reduction by only 16.7% compared to the number of bacterial cells before digestion. Regarding ice cream samples with Bifidobacterium BB-12, replacing part of the inulin with apple fiber resulted in increased survival at the stomach stage and a low reduction in the bacterial population of only 15.6% compared to samples before digestion. At the stomach stage, the positive effect of the addition of inulin and apple fiber was also demonstrated for ice cream samples with Lacticaseibacilluscasei 431 (9.47 log cfu g^-1), Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 (8.06 log cfu g^-1) and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei L-26 (5.79 log cfu g^-1). This study showed the highest sensitivity to simulated gastric stress for ice cream samples with Lacticaseibacillusrhamnosus (4.54 log cfu g^-1). Our study confirmed that the 4% addition of inulin to ice cream increases the survival rate of L. casei and Bifidobacterium BB-12 in simulated intestinal juice with bile by 0.87 and 2.26 log cfu g^-1, respectively. The highest viable count in the small intestine stage was observed in ice cream with L. acidophilus. The addition of inulin increased the survival of L. rhamnosus by 10.8% and Bifidobacterium BB-12 by about 22% under conditions of simulated in vitro digestion compared to their control samples. The survival rates of L. casei and L. paracasei were also highly affected by the 4% addition of apple fiber, where the increase under gastrointestinal passage conditions was determined to range from 7.86-11.26% compared to their control counterparts. In comparison, the lowest survival rate was found in the control ice cream with L. rhamnosus (47.40%). In our study at the intestinal stage, only five ice cream groups: a sample with 4% inulin and L. acidophilus, a control sample with Bifidobacterium BB12, a sample with 2.5% inulin and 1.5% apple fiber with Bifidobacterium BB12, a control sample with L. rhamnosus, a sample with 4% fiber and L. rhamnosus reported bacterial cell counts below 6 log cfu g^-1 but higher than 5 log cfu g^-1. However, in the remaining ice cream groups, viable counts of bacterial cells ranged from 6.11 to 8.88 log cfu g^-1, ensuring a therapeutic effect. Studies have clearly indicated that sheep milk ice cream could provide a suitable matrix for the delivery of probiotics and prebiotics and contribute to intestinal homeostasis. The obtained results have an applicative character and may play an essential role in developing new functional sheep milk ice cream.

Effects of SNPs in AANAT and ASMT Genes on Milk and Peripheral Blood Melatonin Concentrations in Holstein Cows (Bos taurus)

Aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) and acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase (ASMT), the two rate-limiting enzymes for melatonin synthesis, regulate melatonin production in mammals. Through analysis of the milk melatonin level and dairy herd improvement (DHI) index, it was found that the melatonin concentration in milk was significantly negatively correlated with the 305 day milk yield (305M) and peak milk yield (PeakM) (p < 0.05), while it was significantly positively correlated with the serum melatonin concentration (p < 0.05). The full-length of AANAT and ASMT were sequenced and genotyped in 122 cows. Three SNPs in AANAT and four SNPs in ASMT were significantly related to MT levels in the milk and serum (p < 0.05). The SNPs in AANAT were temporarily denoted as N-SNP1 (g.55290169 T>C), N-SNP2 (g.55289357 T>C), and N-SNP3 (g.55289409 C>T). The SNPs in ASMT were temporarily denoted as M-SNP1 (g.158407305 G>A), M-SNP2 (g.158407477 A>G), M-SNP3 (g.158407874 G>A), and M-SNP4 (g.158415342 T>C). The M-SNP1, M-SNP2, and M-SNP3 conformed to the Hardy−Weinberg equilibrium (p > 0.05), while other SNPs deviated from the Hardy−Weinberg equilibrium (p < 0.05). The potential association of MT production and each SNP was statistically analyzed using the method of linkage disequilibrium (LD). The results showed that N-SNP2 and N-SNP3 had some degree of LD (D′ = 0.27), but M-SNP1 and M-SNP2 had a strong LD (D′ = 0.98). Thus, the DHI index could serve as a prediction of the milk MT level. The SNPs in AANAT and ASMT could be used as potential molecular markers for screening cows to produce high melatonin milk.

Consumer Acceptance toward Functional Foods: A Scoping Review

Chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease, cancer, diabetes) are of major public concern. Such chronic diseases are often caused by a dietary pattern characterized as relatively high in fat, refined sugar, salt, and cholesterol. Societal interest in consuming healthy foods and the demand for healthy food products have increased significantly. As a result, functional foods have gained significant research attention in the food health and technology innovations field. To date, many studies have investigated the factors that may predict consumer acceptance of functional foods, and a wide range of influential factors have been reported. However, studies conducted in different contexts pose challenges to gaining a clear understanding of the factors influencing consumer acceptance. Therefore, the purpose of our scoping review was to synthesize the possible determinants of consumer acceptance toward functional foods and provide a resource that describes global trends regarding consumers’ functional foods behavior. We identified 75 articles published with varying populations around the globe that empirically investigated consumers’ acceptance of functional foods. We identified and categorized a wide range of determinants related to consumer acceptance of different types of functional foods. The five categories of determinants were product characteristics, socio-demographic characteristics, psychological characteristics, behavioral characteristics, and physical characteristics. Each of the determinants were more fully described by sub-determinants in our scoping review. These determinants should be considered and used by leaders and scientists in product development to aid decision making and, ultimately, the successful launch of novel functional foods.

Consumer's perception and expected liking of labels of burgers with sodium reduction and addition of mushroom flavor enhancer

This study investigated consumers' perception of labels of burgers with sodium reduction and/or addition of mushroom flavor enhancer. Six visual stimuli were created using a factorial design with sodium content (regular, sodium-reduced, and sodium-reduced plus health claim) and flavor enhancer (monosodium glutamate (MSG) and mushroom extract) as factors. Consumers answered an attitudinal questionnaire and evaluated the stimuli through expected liking and check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions. Three consumers' clusters were identified, which associated positive attributes to labels of burgers with mushroom flavor enhancer and negative attributes to labels of MSG-burgers, regardless of sodium content. The main positive drivers of liking were "I would buy", "attractive", "innovative", "tasty", and "contain fewer additives", which were associated with burgers with mushroom flavor enhancer, while "contain additives", "processed", "artificial", "unhealthy", and "not attractive" were the negative drivers of liking that should be modified in a reformulation to increase liking. This study provides valuable information for the development of healthier burgers and their positioning in the market.

The Relationship of Health and Nutrition Claims towards Purchasing Choices among Consumers in Shah Alam, Selangor

Consumers nowadays have more awareness for healthy foods and demanded healthier food choices to avoid health-related problems; therefore, industries had included health and nutrition claims on their products. Health and nutrition claims usually influence consumers' food choice decision. Products with health claim resulted in higher perception of healthiness and nutritional value of the product, even if the product was not considered as a healthy choice. The aim of this study was to assess whether the health and nutrition claims had led to a healthier perception or better evaluation of the product among consumers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire on 385 respondents collected through convenience sampling. The survey consisted of four parts: socio-demographic background, health awareness, understanding and usage of health and nutrition claims, and purchase intention measured through the use of a mock packaging. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 22.

RESULTS

Most of the respondents aged 18-30 (81.0%) and almost half of them were Malay (45.7%) with bachelor/master or PhD qualification (60.0%). The distribution of household income for all categories was almost similar (18.2-20.8%). There was a significant statistical relationship between health awareness and purchase intention among respondents (r=0.391, p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Health and nutrition claims influenced consumer's perceptions and purchase intention, especially for those who were more concerned about their health, thus, more focus on policy regarding claims is needed.

Health-enhancing foods: barriers to consumers' choice in Iran

Given the growing market for health-enhancing or functional foods in Iran, the consumption rate is low. Identifying and understanding the causes is key for future decisions and interventions in the market. So, the present study was designed to provide this knowledge in Iran. The study was conducted in Tehran, the capital of Iran, between May and September 2014. In total, 105 people participated in this qualitative research, including 40 production/supply/health authority stakeholders and 65 consumer stakeholders (44 housewives and 21 employed women). The sampling strategy was the purposive method with maximum diversity, and snowball sampling was used to identify key stakeholders. The social marketing framework was used for analyzing the participants' views and experiences. To collect data, semi-structured focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted. Data collection and content analysis were performed simultaneously, using MAXQDA® software. Categorization of the findings based on social marketing mix showed that the most important barriers to the consumption of functional dairy products were undesirable sensory and non-sensory characteristics, lack of physical and economic access to the product, the existence of product competitors in the market and inappropriate promotion strategies. Furthermore, personal barriers identified as a new dimension and included lack of knowledge about the product and its benefits, a negative attitude toward the product and personal taste and preference. Understanding these barriers might contribute to design and implement effective and appropriate interventions to increase the consumption of these products among consumers.

Approaches for reducing wastes in the agricultural sector. An analysis of Millennials' willingness to buy food with upcycled ingredients

Upcycled ingredients are one of the most significant current trends in the food industry aimed to tackle the challenge of solid food loss reduction. This study investigates the potential market among Millennial consumers for products enriched with upcycled ingredients in Italy. We surveyed a sample of 317 Italian Millennial consumers, using a web-based survey. 62% of respondents declared to be informed about the existence of food made from upcycled ingredients and 53% declared to be willing to buy this novel food. Also, 69% of respondents think that food enriched with upcycled ingredients can bring environmental benefits, while only 40% believe that it can bring health benefits. Using a logit model to analyse consumer preferences, we found that food neophobia and food technology neophobia negatively impact on the likelihood of being willing to buy food produced with upcycled ingredients. Also, consumers who give high importance to food certification are less likely to be willing to buy upcycled foods. Contrariwise, reading labels and believing that upcycled foods are healthier or more environmentally friendly positively impacts on the willingness of Millennial consumers to buy these foods. Results for the sample analysed eventually suggest that giving right information to consumers about the environmental and health characteristics of the products, through clear labelling, could increase their market uptake thus helping to reduce food loss and contributing to reaching circular economy objectives in the agricultural sector.

Heart Images on Food Labels: A Health Claim or Not?

Health claims on food labels are used by food manufacturers to inform consumers about the health effects of a product, and such claims can have notable effects on consumer preferences. According to regulatory definitions, health claims can be either worded or presented as images, but it is not clear under which conditions an image on a food label should be considered a health claim. This question has important practical implications, as the use of health claims is strictly regulated. The objective of this study was to determine how commonly images of the heart are used on food labels, and to investigate consumers’ perceptions of products labelled with heart images, using different degrees of health relationships. Both a food supply study (N = 10,573 foods) and experiments with consumers (N = 1000) were performed in Slovenia. The use of heart imagery on food products was very common (9%). The consumer study was conducted using a web panel. Structure of the study population was comparable with Slovenian adult population (18–65 years), according to gender and age. The questionnaire was split into conjoint analysis with constructed elements, a choice-based task with real-life elements and a consumers’ association task. The experiments showed that a heart image as part of the brand name itself—without an additional (worded) health claim—did not cause most consumers to relate it to health. However, consumers tended to strongly relate an image of the heart as part of a brand with health benefits, where the image was accompanied by a worded health claim or if the heart image was designed specifically to imply health benefits. We can conclude that the use of heart images was very common on food products, but references to health were less common. Without a health-related context, heart images could not be considered as a health claim.

Do consumers understand health claims on extra-virgin olive oil?

Health claims have been introduced in food labelling to support consumers' awareness of healthy food choices and to enhance a healthy diet. Even though many countries around the world have developed legislation and guidelines to regulate the introduction of health claims on food labels, there is the evidence that many consumers do not understand the meaning of these claims. This study analyses whether Italian consumers really understand authorized health claims on extra-virgin olive oil and what are the drivers of such understanding. An Olive Oil Health Claims Understanding index was constructed and embedded in a structured questionnaire, which was then administered to a representative sample of Italian household members who are responsible for food shopping (N = 1,030). Results from the survey showed that only 36% of the respondents understood the meaning of the authorized health claims on extra-virgin olive oil. Moreover, the findings confirmed that the understanding of health claims is related to socio-demographic, personal and psychographic characteristics of consumers, as well as to their attitudes toward using food as medicine. Outcomes also proved the central role of nutrition knowledge in affecting understanding of health claims.

Is there an impact of the dairy matrix on the survival of Lactobacillus casei Lc-1 during shelf life and simulated gastrointestinal conditions?

BACKGROUND

The selection of the food matrix to be used as a vehicle for a probiotic culture is important because its chemical composition and physicochemical characteristics can affect probiotic survival during the shelf-life of the product and under simulated gastrointestinal conditions (SGIC). The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of the dairy matrix (chocolate fermented milk beverage, chocolate flan or passion fruit flan) on the survival of Lactobacillus casei Lc-1 during refrigerated storage (4 °C for 21 days) and SGIC.

RESULTS

Chocolate fermented milk beverage and chocolate and passion fruit flans could be considered as matrices for the incorporation of L. casei, providing suitable counts (6.38-7.84 log cfu g^-1 ) during storage. The type of matrix had an impact on the inicial probiotic counts in the products and on the probiotic resistance to the SGIC. The chocolate fermented milk beverage presented higher initial probiotic counts (7.72 versus 6.65-7.28 log cfu g^-1 ). The higher pH (5.3-6.8), solid matrix and increased fat content (65.0-72.9 g 100 g^-1 ) contributed to the higher resistance to the SGIC of the chocolate and passion fruit flans, allowing recovery of viability during the enteric phase (increases of 1-1.5 log cycles).

CONCLUSION

The type of dairy matrix has an impact on the inicial probiotic counts in the products and on the probiotic resistance to the SGIC. Chocolate and passion fruit flans proved to be more suitable options than chocolate fermented milk beverage for the incorporation of Lactobacillus casei Lc-1. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nutrition, hedonic or environmental? The effect of front-of-pack messages on consumers' perception and purchase intention of a novel food product with multiple attributes

The present study aims to assess the effect of different Front-Of-Pack messages on consumer perception, willingness to buy and willingness to pay for a new food product, with multiple attributes, such as particular nutritional information, sensory characteristics, and a potentially positive environmental impact. Furthermore, this study explores the differences between consumers based on their individual latent traits in order to evaluate how these factors affect the willingness to buy the new product, as well as to outline a profile of target consumers attracted by innovative food products. A consumer survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1250 Italian consumers, using a between-subject design with different Front-Of-Pack messages as stimuli. Messages were related to different attributes: nutrition, environmental impact, hedonic characteristics, and process innovation. Empirical findings show that Front-Of-Pack messages do not directly affect consumer willingness to buy, but they do influence consumer perception of the product. The most effective message is the nutrition one. Consumer willingness to buy is particularly influenced by product perception and by their novelty seeking orientation in consumption. Furthermore, consumers were segmented through hierarchical clustering based on their novelty seeking orientation. The results obtained provide valuable suggestions for the design of new products' labeling and for the outline of the profile of potential target customers for innovative food products.

Consumers' Trade-Off between Nutrition and Health Claims under Regulation 1924/2006: Insights from a Choice Experiment Analysis

The aim of this paper is to investigate consumers' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for functional mozzarella cheese whose health benefits (reduced fat and enrichment in omega-3) are communicated by using nutrition claims (article 8) and health claims (articles 13 and 14) of the EU Regulation 1924/2006. In order to achieve the stated objective a choice survey was developed and administered to a sample of Italian respondents. The product attributes and attribute levels included in the choice experiment were obtained from in-depth interviews conducted with stakeholders working on the development of this new product in the Italian region of Puglia. Results show that many participants were not aware of functional food. Marketing segmentation performed via latent class analysis indicates that the development of this hypothetical product should be based on the addition of naturally enriched omega-3. In terms of health communication under Regulation 1924/2006, heterogeneity of preferences of the nine identified segments reveals that respondents have a clear preference for products from the Puglia region, for the combined nutrition claim over single nutrition claims and for the reduction of disease health claim (article 14) over the health claim (article 13). In monetary terms, willingness to pay for health claims is higher than nutrition claims.

Relationships Between Health and Environmental Information on the Willingness to Pay for Functional Foods: The Case of a New Aloe Vera Based Product

There is an increasing interest in healthy and sustainable product characteristics. Consumers determine their dietary intake and frame production systems with their choices. However, little is known about the relationships between health and environmental information in influencing these choices, especially when considering functional foods. This study assessed the influence of health-related and environmental-friendliness-related product information on the willingness to pay (WTP) for functional foods. To this end, a WTP elicitation experiment was set up using a jam-like fruit compote enriched with Aloe vera gel. Participants were provided with different messages related to the health and environmental benefits of Aloe vera products, and were also asked to taste the product. Results indicated that providing new information significantly increased the WTP for the enriched compote. This increase was significant for both health and environmentally based benefits, with the health message leading to a higher WTP. Combining health and environmental messages produced an additive effect on WTP which was independent of the sequential order in which the two messages were given. Results contrasted the view that health messages are the main drivers of WTP, and open a broader range of communication in terms of marketing strategies and sustainable policy objectives.

Spanish Consumer Purchase Behaviour and Stated Preferences for Yoghurts with Nutritional and Health Claims

Nutritional and health claims are a useful tool for promoting healthier food choices and prevent non-communicable disease[s] (NCDs). Exhaustive literature that has investigated consumer evaluation of the presence of nutritional and/or health claim(s) during the decision-making process suggests that consumers’ sensitivity towards nutritional claims (NCs) and health claims (HCs) are still fragmented and should be further investigated. Our objective is to study the relationship between choice behaviour, attitudes and socio-demographic characteristics in order to evaluate the effectiveness of consumer characteristics in predicting Spanish consumers’ choice of products with NCs and HCs. A discrete choice experiment for yoghurt was conducted on a sample of 218 Spanish consumers, stratified by age, gender, education level, and income. Applying a latent class approach has enabled us to identify a niche of individuals, sensitive of NCs and HCs and to characterize them with respect to the rest of population. Results suggest that consumers positively valued most claims, however, the valuation was heterogeneous, and three consumer segments were identified: ‘health-claims oriented’, ‘nutritional- and health-claim oriented’ and ‘indifferent’. The results supply insights for the development of more targeted promotion campaigns, as well as for further actions in food marketing.

Who Buys Products with Nutrition and Health Claims? A Purchase Simulation with Eye Tracking on the Influence of Consumers' Nutrition Knowledge and Health Motivation

Nutrition and health claims are seen as a way of promoting healthy aspects of food. However, the results of previous studies have been contradictory regarding the effect of these claims on purchase. This study aims to achieve a better understanding of how the consumer characteristics ‘nutrition knowledge’ and ‘health motivation’ influence the purchase of products with nutrition and health claims and what role gaze behavior plays. We included gaze behavior in our analysis, as visual attention on the claims is a precondition to its influence on the purchase decision. In a close-to-realistic shopping situation, consumers could choose from three-dimensional orange juice packages labeled with nutrition, health, and taste claims. In total, the sample consisted of 156 consumers. The data were analyzed with a structural equation model (SEM), linking the purchase decision for products with claims to gaze data recorded with a mobile eye tracker and consumer and product-related variables collected via the questionnaire. Results showed that the variables in the SEM explained 31% (8%) of the variance observed in the purchase of products with a nutrition (health) claim. The longer a consumer looked at a specific claim, the more likely the consumer would purchase the respective product. The lower the price and the higher the perceived healthiness and tastiness of the product further heightened its likelihood of being purchased. Interestingly, consumers with higher nutrition knowledge and/or higher health motivation looked longer at the nutrition and health claims; however, these consumer characteristics did not show an effect on the purchase decision. Implications for policy makers and marketers are given.

Consumers' purchase decisions for products with nutrition and health claims: What role do product category and gaze duration on claims play?

Labeling food packages with nutrition and health claims is a widely used practice. This study aims to contribute to the literature by examining the gaze and purchase behavior of consumers regarding food products with nutrition and health claims. A close-to-realistic purchase situation with three-dimensional food packages with nutrition, health, and taste claims was simulated while the participants' eye movements were measured using head-mounted eye tracking glasses. In the purchase situation, two food categories with differing perceived healthiness were offered, orange juice and milk chocolate. In total, 156 consumers participated in this study which was undertaken in Germany. The findings indicate that each claim was noticed by at least 85% of the participants and health claims were looked at longer than nutrition or taste claims. Furthermore, when compared to other participants, the longer a participant looked at a specific claim, the more likely the participant was to purchase the respective product. Even though the product category had no effect on the gaze duration on claims, it affected the purchase behavior. Nutrition claims were preferred for orange juice while taste claims were preferred for milk chocolate. Health claims were preferred for neither. Marketers can benefit from this study, as it shows the gaze duration on claims influenced the purchase likelihood. Another important finding is that there are great differences between product categories regarding the type of claim consumers prefer.

Consumer’s Attitude Regarding Soluble Coffee Enriched with Antioxidants

Brazil is the second largest coffee consumer in the world. The development of new products related to healthy eating is one of the demands to maintain this scenario. This research aimed to investigate the role of socio-demographic, cognitive and behavioral characteristics on the acceptance of functional foods by coffee consumers. A questionnaire developed and applied in Belgium was previously translated and validated for application with Brazilian consumers. The habits of coffee consumption, knowledge and interest were investigated regarding functional soluble coffee enriched with antioxidants. The self-administered study was performed with 270 consumers. Acceptance was measured by two items: “Functional foods are all right for me as long as they taste good” and “Functional foods are all right for me even if they taste worse than their conventional counterpart foods”, obtaining a mean score of 4.03 and 2.79 (scale 1: totally disagree and 5: totally agree), respectively. The acceptance of functional foods increased with age, schooling, income, belief in the health benefits and knowledge about functional foods for both items. There was no significant correlation between price and acceptance. With regards to a functional soluble coffee product, the sensory quality was more determinant for its acceptance than price.

Evaluation of the effect of soluble polysaccharides of palm kernel cake as a potential prebiotic on the growth of probiotics

This paper deliberates the extraction, characterization and examination of potential application of soluble polysaccharides of palm kernel cake (PKC) as a prebiotic. The PKC was defatted and crude polysaccharide was obtained through water, citric acid or NaOH extraction. The physiochemical properties of the extracted polysaccharides viz. total carbohydrates, protein content, solubility rate, monosaccharides composition, structural information and thermal properties were also determined. The extracted soluble polysaccharides were further subjected to a digestibility test using artificial human gastric juice. Finally, their prebiotic potential on two probiotics, namely Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 and Lb. rhamnosus ATCC 53103 were evaluated in vitro. It was observed that PKC contained ash (5.2%), moisture (7.4%), carbohydrates (65.8%), protein (16.5%) and fat (5.1%). There were significant differences (P < 0.05) between the values of NaOH-extracted crude polysaccharides (8.73%) and that of water (3.03%) and citric acid (3.07%)-extracted polysaccharides. The extracted polysaccharides composed of mannose, galactose, glucose, arabinose, xylose and rhamanose, with highest percentage of mannose (62.49%) and galactose (25.42%) in SP_CA. Total carbohydrate content in SCP_W, SCP_CA and SCP_N are 57.11%, 56.94% and 50.95%, respectively. The polysaccharides from PKC in this study were found to be highly soluble (> 95%). Protein content in SCP_W, SCP_CA and SCP_N are 0.72, 0.40 and 0.58, respectively, and the peaks which indicated the presence of protein were observed at approximately 1640 cm^-1 (amide I). FTIR spectroscopy revealed that the polysaccharides extracts were linked to β and α-glycosidic bonds and thermal analysis using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) showed the main degradation temperature of SP is about 121 to 125 °C. The SP were found to be highly resistance (> 96%) to hydrolysis when subjected to artificial human gastric juice. The prebiotics potentials of the polysaccharides on probiotics in vitro demonstrated an increase in proliferation of Lb. plantarum ATCC 8014 and Lb. rhamnosus ATCC 53103 with decrease in the pH of the medium and producing organic acids.All the above findings strongly indicated that polysaccharides extracted from PKC, an industrial waste, have a potential to be exploited as novel prebiotics.

Consumer and product-specific characteristics influencing the effect of nutrition, health and risk reduction claims on preferences and purchase behavior - A systematic review

The research on nutrition, health, and risk reduction claims (NHR claims) shows a lack of consensus as to whether these claims have a positive or negative effect on consumer's preferences and purchase behavior. This issue has been highlighted by many authors. Therefore, a comprehensive literature review was performed to find reasons for contradictory results. First, a theoretical framework was developed which divided the determinants of the effects of NHR claims on consumers' preferences and purchase behavior into consumer and product-specific characteristics. Additionally, a categorization for the different NHR claim types was constructed to make the studies comparable. Afterwards, the scientific literature from the 1980s until May 2017 was scanned and 66 articles were found to be relevant. Consumer-specific characteristics such as nutrition knowledge, health motivation, familiarity, and socio-demographic characteristics were found to influence the NHR claim effect. Important product-specific characteristics were the perceived healthiness of the food product, the interaction between the product and the nutrient in the NHR claim, and the interaction between the claimed benefit and the NHR claim type. The consumer's nutrition knowledge and the product's perceived healthiness were deemed to be the most promising determinants for further investigation.

Influence of Images on the Evaluation of Jams Using Conjoint Analysis Combined with Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) Questions

A study of the influence of the use of images in a conjoint analysis combined with check-all-that apply (CATA) questions on jams was carried out. The relative importance of flavor and the information presented in the label in the willingness to purchase and the perception of how healthy the product is has been evaluated. Sixty consumers evaluated the stimuli presented only in text format (session 1), and another group of 60 consumers did so by receiving the stimuli in text format along with an image of the product (session 2). In addition, for each stimulus, consumers answered a CATA question consisting of 20 terms related to their involvement with the product. The perception of healthy increased when the texts were accompanied with images and also increased when the text included information. Willingness to purchase was only influenced by the flavor of the jams. The presence of images did not influence the CATA question's choice of terms, which were influenced by the information presented in the text. The use of a check-all-that-apply question in concepts provided an interesting possibility when they were combined with the results from the conjoint analysis, improving the comprehension of consumers' perception. Using CATA questions as an alternative way of evaluating consumer involvement seems to be beneficial and should be evaluated much further.

Influence of package and health-related claims on perception and sensory acceptability of snack bars

Concerns for health can lead to healthier food choices, especially if the consumer is well informed. This study aimed to evaluate the importance of package and health-related claims on Brazilian consumers' acceptance of snack bars. In order to evaluate package attributes, in focus groups discussions, 19 consumers chose the most important factors that influence their purchase decisions. Next, 102 consumers evaluated six commercial brands of snack bars in a three-session acceptance test: the first with no information about the product, the second containing the product package and the third with information on health-related claims associated with consumption of the bar. In general, package attributes, price and flavor were the most important factors that influence the purchase of snack bars. Health claims positively influenced consumer acceptance, but information concerning the absence of gluten and lactose did not significantly alter sensory acceptance. The presence of omega-3s, sugars, preservatives, flavorings and colorings have the potential to improve acceptability, because they were able to raise the acceptance of the seed bar, removing it from the rejection region. Protein and nut bars are not well known to the general public and the lower mean acceptance of the seed and protein bars demonstrated the need for sensorial improvement.

A systematic review, and meta-analyses, of the impact of health-related claims on dietary choices

BACKGROUND

Health-related claims are statements regarding the nutritional content of a food (nutrition claims) and/or indicate that a relationship exists between a food and a health outcome (health claims). Their impact on food purchasing or consumption decisions is unclear. This systematic review measured the effect of health-related claims, on pre-packaged foods in retail settings, on adult purchasing decisions (real and perceived).

METHODS

In September 2016, we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CAB abstracts, Business Source Complete, and Web of Science/Science Citation Index & Social Science Citation Index for articles in English published in peer-review journals. Studies were included if they were controlled experiments where the experimental group(s) included a health-related claim and the control group involved an identical product without a health-related claim. Included studies measured (at an individual or population level); actual or intended choice, purchases, and/or consumption. The primary outcome was product choices and purchases, the secondary outcome was food consumption and preference. Results were standardised through calculating odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the likelihood of choosing a product when a health-related claim was present. Results were combined in a random-effects meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty-one papers were identified, 17 of which were included for meta-analyses. Most studies were conducted in Europe (n = 17) and the USA (n = 7). Identified studies were choice experiments that measured the likelihood of a product being chosen when a claim was present compared to when a claim was not present, (n = 16), 15 studies were experiments that measured either; intent-rating scale outcomes (n = 8), consumption (n = 6), a combination of the two (n = 1), or purchase data (n = 1). Overall, 20 studies found that claims increase purchasing and/or consumption, eight studies had mixed results, and two studies found consumption/purchasing reductions. The meta-analyses of 17 studies found that health-related claims increase consumption and/or purchasing (OR 1.75, CI 1.60-1.91).

CONCLUSION

Health-related claims have a substantial effect on dietary choices. However, this finding is based on research mostly conducted in artificial settings. Findings from natural experiments have yielded smaller effects. Further research is needed to assess effects of claims in real-world settings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO systematic review registration number: CRD42016044042 .

Perceived Health and Nutrition Concerns as Predictors of Dietary Patterns among Polish Females Aged 13-21 Years (GEBaHealth Project)

Health-related concerns can often be factors influencing health-related behaviours. It remains unclear whether a high level of concerns is associated with pro-healthy or unhealthy dietary behaviours and whether any associations between nutrition-related concerns and dietary behaviours exist in a population of girls and young women. The aim of the study was to investigate the associations between perceived health and nutrition concerns and dietary patterns in a representative sample of Polish young females. Data was collected in 2012 through a cross-sectional quantitative survey within the GEBaHealth (Girls Eating Behaviours and Health) project in a group of 1107 Polish girls aged 13-21 years old. Dietary patterns were identified by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based on dietary data collected with Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs). Nutrition and health concerns were assessed separately by two indices: Health Concern Index (HCI) and Nutrition Concern Index (NCI); both based on the Health Concern Scale (HCS). The associations between perceived health and nutrition concerns and each dietary pattern were investigated using logistic regression analysis. Displaying a higher level of health concerns increased the chances of adherence to the upper tertile of 'Fruit &amp; vegetables' pattern (adjusted odds ratio [adj. ORs]: 1.46, 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI]: 1.02-2.10). Displaying a lower level of health concerns increased the chances of the adherence to the upper tertiles of 'Traditional Polish', 'Dairy &amp; fats', 'Fruit and vegetables' and 'Fast food &amp; sweets' patterns (adj. ORs: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.31-2.67; 1.66, 95% CI: 1.18-2.34; 1.57, 95% CI: 1.11-2.22; 1.52, 95% CI: 1.08-2.13; respectively). No significant associations were found between levels of nutrition concerns and dietary patterns in the adjusted model. We found associations between self-perceived health concerns and dietary patterns in our study sample, suggesting health concerns can be an important predictor of dietary behaviours in girls and young women. To increase the effectiveness of healthy eating, an emphasis should be laid on health, reinforced with awareness of nutrition, when advising on food-related decisions.