The impact of fat content, production methods and carbon footprint information on consumer preferences for minced meat

Consumer acceptance and quality of game meat "droëwors" sausages with different levels of added fat

Droëwors (dried sausage) is a unique dried meat product from South Africa, which is not smoked, fermented, nor is nitrite used in its production. The objective of the study was to compare the quality parameters and consumer acceptance of common eland meat droëwors with different quantities of added beef fat. Three treatments containing either 10, 15, or 20% (by weight) added beef fat were compared regarding chemical composition, fatty acid profiles, and sensory properties. Increasing the amount of fat in the dried product resulted in a significant decrease in the protein and ash percentages. The sausages with 10% added fat had the most favourable fatty acid profile in terms of nutritional value. Several differences were found in the sensory profiles of the products evaluated by the trained sensory panel; in particular, the evaluation scores for texture improved with increasing fat content. No differences were found between the products by the untrained consumer panel for appearance and taste. When the dataset was analysed according to gender, it was found that women evaluated the 10% fat samples more favourably. This is in line with their stated preference for low-fat meat products. For these reasons, the production of sausages with the lowest fat content can be recommended as they best meet consumer expectations.

Can Marketing Increase Willingness to Pay for Welfare-Enhanced Chicken Meat? Evidence from Experimental Auctions

Consumer concern for animal welfare is currently not fully reflected in the market share of welfare-enhanced meat. A possible solution is developing marketing strategies that emphasize personally relevant benefits such as taste and curiosity, instead of having a sole focus on sustainability-related benefits, since existing research indicates that the former are more appealing to most consumers. This study tests strategies positioning welfare-enhanced meat as personally relevant in a real-life experiment and how consumer attitudes towards eating meat influence reactions to the positioning strategies. The study conducts experimental auctions with 101 Dutch university students, manipulating the positioning strategy and a certified animal welfare label and measuring participants' willingness to pay (WTP) for a lunch meal with chicken meat. Results indicate that all manipulations significantly increase consumer WTP, with higher WTP for certified labels than for the positioning strategy, and the highest WTP for the combination of both elements (without providing evidence for an interaction effect). This implies that companies should combine positioning strategies that emphasize personally relevant benefits with certified labels. Since the effectiveness of such strategies may be limited for consumers with conflicting feelings towards meat, some care should be taken when designing awareness campaigns about the effects of meat consumption.

Effects of Multi-Level Eco-Labels on the Product Evaluation of Meat and Meat Alternatives-A Discrete Choice Experiment

Eco-labels are an instrument for enabling informed food choices and supporting a demand-sided change towards an urgently needed sustainable food system. Lately, novel eco-labels that depict a product's environmental life cycle assessment on a multi-level scale are being tested across Europe's retailers. This study elicits consumers' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for a multi-level eco-label. A Discrete Choice Experiment was conducted; a representative sample (n = 536) for the Austrian population was targeted via an online survey. Individual partworth utilities were estimated by means of the Hierarchical Bayes. The results show higher WTP for a positively evaluated multi-level label, revealing consumers' perceived benefits of colorful multi-level labels over binary black-and-white designs. Even a negatively evaluated multi-level label was associated with a higher WTP compared to one with no label, pointing towards the limited effectiveness of eco-labels. Respondents' preferences for eco-labels were independent from their subjective eco-label knowledge, health consciousness, and environmental concern. The attribute "protein source" was most important, and preference for an animal-based protein source (beef) was strongly correlated with consumers' meat attachment, implying that a shift towards more sustainable protein sources is challenging, and sustainability labels have only a small impact on the meat product choice of average consumers.

Meat the challenge: Segmentation and profiling of Japanese beef mince and its substitutes consumers

Shifts in protein production methods are an emerging challenge toward realizing a sustainable society. This paper aims to examine preferences among Japanese consumers regarding attributes of beef mince and its substitutes, to develop consumer segments based on these preferences, and to explore the segment with higher acceptance of replacement from conventional products. This paper also aims to explain intersegment differences from consumer heterogeneity in human values, scientific literacy, and sociodemographic viewpoints for a deeper understanding of consumer behavior in each segment. The results of an online choice experiment involving 4421 consumers in Japan, using food labels on mince showed that Japanese-origin organic beef was associated with the highest utility among the five production methods mentioned. Five consumer segments were identified with latent class analysis: novelty accepters, generous customers, attribute-economy balancers, price-conscious, and conservatives, which vary in preference in choice behavior, sociodemographic, human values, and scientific literacy.

Animal welfare is a stronger determinant of public support for meat taxation than climate change mitigation in Germany

A tax on meat could help address the climate impact and animal welfare issues associated with the production of meat. Through a referendum choice experiment with more than 2,800 German citizens, we elicited support for a tax on meat by varying the following tax attributes: level and differentiation thereof, justification and salience of behavioural effects. Only at the lowest tax level tested do all tax variants receive support from most voters. Support is generally stronger if the tax is justified by animal welfare rather than climate change mitigation. Differentiated taxes that link the tax rate to the harmfulness of the product do not receive higher support than a uniform tax; this indifference is not driven by a failure to anticipate the differential impacts on consumption. While the introduction of meat taxation remains politically challenging, our results underscore the need for policymakers to clearly communicate underlying reasons for the tax and its intended behavioural effect.

Using the water footprint concept for water use efficiency labelling of consumer products: the Greek experience

Freshwater is crucial for food supply, as irrigation water and as production or incorporated water in industrial production of consumer goods (e.g. food, cosmetics). Manufacturing industries follow different protocols and receive different certifications for water management and efficiency in their plants, which are also labelled on the packaging. Nowadays, consumers appear to be increasingly concerned about environmental challenges, therefore many sustainability labels have been developed (carbon, water, ecological footprint) to facilitate consumers to make more sustainable choices concerning their purchases. Consumers' behaviour towards carbon footprint labels has been thoroughly examined in international literature; however, WF labelling studies are very limited. The key to water efficiency labelling in consumer products could be the water footprint (WF), as it measures the total volume of freshwater used to produce a product, over the full supply chain, including virtual water, "hidden" in the products, services and processes. The implementation of WF labelling of consumer products in Greece was investigated, using a questionnaire with demographical data and statements on water sustainability. The results indicate that younger consumers are not quite aware of environmental challenges related to water. According to the findings, WF could be an effective marketing driver towards water sustainability since consumers prefer a quantified label concerning water consumption, regardless of their educational level, and they are willing to pay an extra price for water sustainable products even if they have an unstable job. Manufacturers could then promote their sustainable profile and performance effectively by adopting a WF relevant labelling.

Fattening Iberian Pigs Indoors vs. Outdoors: Production Performance and Market Value

The current Quality Standard regulating the Iberian pig provides for various differentiated farming systems subject to the type of management implemented and the breed of the pigs. This study attempts to analyse the differences between two of these production systems, i.e., the outdoor and the indoor rearing systems by comparing the main technical and economic factors of six farms, three operating under each system, in order to ascertain the most profitable production system. This analysis is based on the information provided by the farm owners. It also evaluates the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak had on profitability. The results show that both systems spend the same resources on animal feed, which represents nearly 60% of the expense, with the price of purchase of piglets representing 30-32% of the total; however, there are differences in the cost of labour, which is higher in the outdoor variant. In economic terms, outdoor farms obtained a higher gross margin than indoor farms did. Although their production costs are higher, these are offset with larger incomes due to the higher market price of the pigs at the time of slaughter. Lastly, all the farms under study reveal large financial losses on account of COVID-19, given that there was a general decrease in the revenues due to the decrease in the selling price of the pigs, which seems to be the most determinant factor for the economic profits made by these kinds of farms.

People's Values and Preferences about Meat Consumption in View of the Potential Environmental Impacts of Meat: A Mixed-methods Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Health is not the only aspect people consider when choosing to consume meat; environmental concerns about the impact of meat (production and distribution) can influence people's meat choices.

METHODS

We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review, searched six databases from inception to June 2020, and synthesised our findings into narrative forms. We integrated the evidence from quantitative and qualitative data sets into joint displays and assessed the confidence in the evidence for each review finding following the GRADE-CERQual approach.

RESULTS

Of the 23,531 initial records, we included 70 studies: 56 quantitative, 12 qualitative, and 2 mixed-methods studies. We identified four main themes: (1) reasons for eating meat; (2) reasons for avoiding meat; (3) willingness to change meat consumption; and (4) willingness to pay more for environmentally friendly meat. The overall confidence was low for the reasons for eating and/or buying meat, for avoiding meat, and for willingness to change meat consumption, and was moderate for willingness to pay more for environmentally friendly meat.

CONCLUSIONS

Regardless of people's general beliefs about meat and its impact on the environment, most people may be unwilling to change their meat consumption. Future research should address the current limitations of the research evidence to assess whether people are willing to make a change when properly informed.

Meta-analysis of consumers' willingness to pay for sustainable food products

There is a continuous increase in the number of studies dealing with consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) price premiums for sustainable food products. This research focused on a broad area of sustainable food products, including different sustainable attributes using a meta-analysis of 80 worldwide studies. The publication bias was verified using the funnel plot and Egger's test. In addition, the subgroup analysis and meta-regression were applied to classify the source of heterogeneity. The results suggest that the overall WTP premium for sustainability (in percentage terms) is 29.5% on average. Furthermore, gender, region, sustainable attributes and food categories influence the average WTP estimates and their heterogeneity. Results also indicate that the WTP estimate conducted by hypothetical approach (choice experiment and contingent valuation method) is higher than non-hypothetical one due to hypothetical bias. In addition, the WTP estimate from the CVM is higher than that from the CE. Additionally, the WTP value of organic attribute is higher than the other sustainable attributes. The subgroup analysis indicates that the fruit &vegetable category has the highest WTP estimate while the seafood receives the lowest one. Results also highlight that Asian WTP estimates, in percentage terms, are higher than those obtained in North America and similar to those from Europe. In addition, positive WTP estimates are shown independent of the food categories, region or methods, denoting the presence of great market potential for sustainable products worldwide. The findings of this research can be used as a guide by food producers, marketers and policymakers when making decisions related to the sustainability of food products.

Selected nutrients determining the quality of different cuts of organic and conventional pork

Organic meat products are gaining consumer interest worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of organic and conventional meat origin on nutritional determinants of the following pork meat cuts: loin, ham, and shoulder. Nutritional value of meat was based on selected indicators such as proximate composition, the concentration of cholesterol, vitamin E content and minerals and trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, and zinc, and the composition of fatty acids. The results of this study demonstrated that higher contents of protein and selected mineral compounds, as well as lower vitamin E concentration and different fatty acids (i.e., C12:0, C17:0, C17:1 n-7, C18:3 n-6, C24:0 and total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)) distinguish organic pork meat cuts from the conventional counterparts. The organically meat parts, especially the shoulder, were identified as a better source of copper, calcium, iron and zinc, while organic ham and loin had more potassium. On the other hand, organic hams were shown to have lower content of vitamin E in comparison to their conventional equivalents present. Also, in organic shoulders showed a higher n-6/n-3 ratio compared to meat of conventional origin.

European Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Red Meat Labelling Attributes

Simple Summary

Given the decrease in red meat consumption in the last decade, it is crucial for red meat producers to understand consumer preferences. This international study analyses the European consumer preferences for red meat (beef, lamb and goat) in seven countries: Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Through a survey with hypothetical choice situations (choice experiment), 2900 responses were collected. Advanced econometric models were estimated to identify the diversity of preferences among consumers at the country level. The results indicate substantial differences between the most relevant attributes for the average consumer in each country. Nevertheless, national origin and organic labels were highly valued in most countries.

Abstract

Food consumption in Europe is changing. Red meat consumption has been steadily decreasing in the past decades. The rising interest of consumers for healthier and more sustainable meat products provides red meat producers with the opportunity to differentiate their offers by ecolabels, origin and health claims. This international study analyses the European consumer preferences for red meat (beef, lamb and goat) in seven countries: Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Through a choice experiment, 2900 responses were collected. Mixed multinomial logit models were estimated to identify heterogeneous preferences among consumers at the country level. The results indicate substantial differences between the most relevant attributes for the average consumer, as well as their willingness to pay for them in each country. Nevertheless, national origin and organic labels were highly valued in most countries.

Effects of soybean curd residue and rice bran on lamb performance, health, and meat quality

Recycling food by-products as animal feed could decrease livestock production costs. We investigated how replacing conventional corn and wheat bran feed (control) with rice bran and soybean curd residue (RBSR) would influence lamb performance and meat quality. Eleven lambs were divided into the control and the RBSR-fed groups. The amount of feed consumed by the lambs, as well as their body weight, nutrient properties (total protein, non-esterified fatty acid, total cholesterol, glucose concentrations) in blood samples, and fecal condition were evaluated. Meat quality (water holding capacity, cooking loss, fat content, and shear force) of their carcasses were also evaluated. Results shows daily body weight gain per lamb in the RBSR-fed group was approximately 2.2-fold than that in the control group. The mean total blood protein and glucose concentrations exhibited increasing trends after feeding with RBSR. In addition, the shear force of the meat was significantly lower and crude fat content was significantly higher in RBSR-fed lambs than in lamb fed the control feed. The study concluded that, RBSR could replace conventional feed for Japanese sheep and can be used to not only reduce feed and disposal costs but also increase animal production and meat quality.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Carbon Labeling Schemes in the Period 2007–2019

Carbon labeling schemes enable consumers to be aware of carbon emissions regarding products or services, to help change their purchasing behaviors. This study provides a bibliometric analysis to review the research progress of carbon labeling schemes during the period 2007–2019, in order to provide insight into its future development. Number of publications, countries of publications, authors, institutions, and highly cited papers are included for statistical analysis. The CiteSpace software package is used to visualize the national collaboration, keywords co-appearance, and aggregation. The results are given as follows: (1) there are 175 articles published in the pre-defined period, which shows a gradual increase, with a peak occurred in 2016; (2) carbon labeling schemes are mainly applied to grocery products, and gradually emerged in construction and tourism. (3) Existing studies mainly focus on examination of utility of carbon labeling schemes, by conducting surveys to investigate individual perception, preference, and willingness to pay. (4) Future research will include the optimization of life cycle assessment for labeling accreditation, improvement of labeling visualization for better expression, and normalization of various environmental labels to promote sustainable consumption.

Consumer Assessment of Sustainability Traits in Meat Production. A Choice Experiment Study in Spain

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the way their food is produced. This is particularly relevant in the case of meat, due to the impacts that its production methods can have on greenhouse gas emissions and its role in climate change. In relation to this issue, the purpose of our research is to obtain more information on the consumer decision-making process for beef, in order to determine the relative importance of sustainability claims and traditional attributes, and identify consumer profiles with similar perceptions and intentions. A choice experiment was used to assess the influence of these attributes on consumers’ purchasing decisions. The results reveal that the best purchase choice for the consumer would be organic beef, produced in Spain, with an animal welfare label and eco-labelled. Later on, a cluster analysis was carried out using consumer beliefs and attitudes towards meat consumption as inputs, together with purchasing behaviour variables. A solution was obtained with three well-defined consumer segments showing different preference patterns: Cluster 1 (Male millennials indifferent towards environment or sustainability), Cluster 2 (Sustainability-concerned mature women) and Cluster 3 (Middle-aged meat eaters with established families). The results of this study are relevant to develop more appropriate strategies that may be adapted to the behaviour and expectations of eco-friendly food consumers.

A value chain analysis of interventions to control production diseases in the intensive pig production sector

Value chain analysis (VCA) calculated the financial effects on food chain actors of interventions to improve animal health and welfare in the intensive pig sector. Two interventions to reduce production diseases were studied. A generic chain diagram of linkages between stakeholders and value-added dimensions was designed. Data on structure and financial performance were collected for the sector. The production parameters and financial effects of the interventions were then described to illustrate impact on the supply chain. The effects of the interventions were also assessed at market level using economic welfare analysis. The sectors in Finland and the UK are small in farm numbers and few companies produced much of the output in a largely vertically-integrated structure. The most beneficial intervention in financial terms to farmers was improved hygiene in pig fattening (around +50% in gross margin). It was calculated to reduce the consumer price for pig meat by up to 5% when applied at large, whereas for improved management measures, it would reduce consumer price by less than 0.5%. However, the latter added value also through food quality attributes. We show that good hygiene and animal care can add value. However, evaluation of the financial and social viability of the interventions is needed to decide what interventions are adopted. The structure of supply chains influences which policy measures could be applied. Of the two interventions, improved pig hygiene had the largest potential to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The studied interventions can also provide new business opportunities to farms, slaughterhouses and food sector companies. More evidence is needed to support public policies and business decision-making in the sector. For this, evidence on consumer attitudes to production diseases is needed. Nevertheless, the study makes an important contribution by showing how improvements in health and welfare benefit the whole chain.

Prospects and challenges for cell-cultured fat as a novel food ingredient

BACKGROUND

In vitro meat production has been proposed as a solution to environmental and animal welfare issues associated with animal agriculture. While most academic work on cell-cultured meat has focused on innovations for scalable muscle tissue culture, fat production is an important and often neglected component of this technology. Developing suitable biomanufacturing strategies for adipose tissue from agriculturally relevant animal species may be particularly beneficial due to the potential use of cell-cultured fat as a novel food ingredient.

SCOPE AND APPROACH

Here we review the relevant studies from areas of meat science, cell biology, tissue engineering, and bioprocess engineering to provide a foundation for the development of in vitro fat production systems. We provide an overview of adipose tissue biology and functionality with respect to meat products, then explore cell lines, bioreactors, and tissue engineering strategies of potential utility for in vitro adipose tissue production for food. Regulation and consumer acceptance are also discussed.

KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

Existing strategies and paradigms are insufficient to meet the full set of unique needs for a cell-cultured fat manufacturing platform, as tradeoffs are often present between simplicity, scalability, stability, and projected cost. Identification and validation of appropriate cell lines, bioprocess strategies, and tissue engineering techniques must therefore be an iterative process as a deeper understanding of the needs and opportunities for cell-cultured fat develops.

The Role of Trust in Explaining Food Choice: Combining Choice Experiment and Attribute Best-Worst Scaling

This paper presents empirical findings from a combination of two elicitation techniques-discrete choice experiment (DCE) and best-worst scaling (BWS)-to provide information about the role of consumers' trust in food choice decisions in the case of credence attributes. The analysis was based on a sample of 459 Taiwanese consumers and focuses on red sweet peppers. DCE data were examined using latent class analysis to investigate the importance and the utility different consumer segments attach to the production method, country of origin, and chemical residue testing. The relevance of attitudinal and trust-based items was identified by BWS using a hierarchical Bayesian mixed logit model and was aggregated to five latent components by means of principal component analysis. Applying a multinomial logit model, participants' latent class membership (obtained from DCE data) was regressed on the identified attitudinal and trust components, as well as demographic information. Results of the DCE latent class analysis for the product attributes show that four segments may be distinguished. Linking the DCE with the attitudinal dimensions reveals that consumers' attitude and trust significantly explain class membership and therefore, consumers' preferences for different credence attributes. Based on our results, we derive recommendations for industry and policy.

How Consumers in the UK and Spain Value the Coexistence of the Claims Low Fat, Local, Organic and Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions

This study investigates the substitution and complementary effects for beef mince attributes drawing on data from large choice experiments conducted in the UK and Spain. In both countries, consumers were found to be willing to pay a price premium for the individual use of the labels "Low Fat" (UK: €3.41, Spain: €1.94), "Moderate Fat" (UK: €2.23, Spain: €1.57), "Local" (UK: €1.54, Spain: €1.61), "National" (UK: €1.33, Spain: €1.37), "Organic" (UK: €1.02, Spain: €1.09) and "Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG)" (UK: €2.05, Spain: €0.96). The results showed that consumers in both countries do not treat desirable food attributes as unrelated. In particular, consumers in Spain are willing to pay a price premium for the use of the labels "Local", "Organic" and "Low GHG" on beef mince that is also labelled as having low or moderate fat content. By contrast, consumers in the UK were found to discount the coexistence of the labels "Low Fat" and "Organic", "Low Fat" and "Low GHG" and "Moderate Fat" and "Low GHG". The results, however, suggest that in the UK the demand for beef mince with moderate (low) fat content can be increased if it is also labelled as "Organic" or "Low GHG" ("Local").

Antibiotic use in poultry: a survey of eight farms in Thailand

Objective

To investigate antibiotic use in poultry farms in Thailand and estimate the total amount of antibiotics used annually in Thai production of chicken meat.

Methods

In a single province, we surveyed eight farms in which chickens were raised for meat and interviewed the farms’ owners in 2016. The antibiotic use for each chicken was defined as the amount of antibiotic given to the chicken over its entire lifetime divided by the target weight of the chicken at the time of its slaughter. Assuming that the results were nationally representative, we estimated annual antibiotic use on all Thai chickens raised for meat.

Findings

No use of antibiotics for growth promotion was reported. Five farms raised 1-kg chickens for company A and reportedly used no antibiotics unless the chickens were sick. The other three farms raised 3-kg chickens for company B and reported routine use of antibiotics for prophylaxis. Per kg final weight, each chicken raised for company B was reportedly routinely given a mean of 101 mg of antibiotics – that is, 33 mg of amoxicillin, 29 mg colistin, 19 mg oxytetracycline, 18 mg doxycycline and 2 mg tilmicosin. The total amount of antibiotic used on all Thai chickens raised for meat in 2016 was estimated to be 161 tonnes.

Conclusion

Each year in Thailand, many tonnes of antibiotics are probably routinely used in raising chickens for meat. Labels on retail packs of meat should include data on antibiotic use in the production of the meat.

Carbon footprint as an instrument for enhancing food quality: overview of the wine, olive oil and cereals sectors

The quantification of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions represents a critical issue for the future development of agro-food produces. Consumers' behaviour could play an important role in requiring environmental performance as an essential element for food quality. Nowadays, the carbon footprint (CFP) is a tool used worldwide by agro-food industries to communicate environmental information. This paper aims to investigate the role that CFP could have in consumers' choices in three significant agro-food sectors in the Mediterranean area: wine, olive oil and cereals. A critical review about the use of CFP was carried out along the supply chain of these three sectors, in order to identify opportunities for enhancing food quality and environmental sustainability and highlighting how environmental information could influence consumers' preferences. The analysis of the state of the art shows a great variability of the results about GHG emissions referred to agricultural and industrial processes. In many cases, the main environmental criticisms are linked to the agricultural phase, but the other phases of the supply chain could also contribute to the increased CFP. However, despite the wide use of CFP by companies as a communication tool to help consumers' choices in agro-food products, some improvements are needed in order to provide clearer and more understandable information. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Perceived importance and responsibility for market-driven pig welfare: Literature review

This review explores barriers and opportunities for market-driven pig welfare in Europe. It finds, first, that consumers generally rank animal welfare as important, but they also rank it low relative to other societal problems. Second, consumers have a wide range of concerns about pig welfare, but they focus especially on naturalness. Third, pig welfare is seen as an important indicator of meat quality. Fourth, consumers tend to think that responsibility for pig welfare lies with several actors: farmers, governments and themselves. The paper concludes that there is an opportunity for the market-driven strategy to sell a narrative about naturalness supplemented with other attractive qualities (such as eating quality). It also emphasizes that pig welfare needs to be on the political/societal agenda permanently if it is to be viewed as an important issue by consumers and if consumers are to assume some sort of responsibility for it.

Shrinking the food-print: A qualitative study into consumer perceptions, experiences and attitudes towards healthy and environmentally friendly food behaviours

Internationally, there is increasing recognition of the importance of multilevel policies and actions that address healthy and environmentally friendly food behaviours. However it is not yet clear which actions are most suitable to support consumers to adopt both behaviours concurrently. To this end, we undertook a qualitative study to assess consumer perceptions, experiences and attitudes towards healthy and environmentally friendly foods and four target behaviours: reducing overconsumption of food beyond energy needs, reducing consumption of low-nutrient energy dense foods, eating less animal- and more plant-derived foods, and reducing food waste. Online in-depth interviews were held with 29 Australian food shoppers representing different levels of involvement with health and environment in daily food choices. The results indicate that compared to health, the relationship between food and the environment is rarely considered by consumers. The four target food behaviours were primarily associated and motivated by an impact on health, except for not wasting foods. Participants had the most positive attitude and highest motivation for eating less processed and packaged foods, mostly to avoid excessive packaging and 'chemicals' in foods. This was followed by the behaviours reducing food waste and overconsumption. Conversely, there was a predominantly negative attitude towards, and low motivation for, eating less animal-derived products and more plant based foods. Overall, consumers found a joined concept of healthy and environmentally friendly foods an acceptable idea. We recommend that health should remain the overarching principle for policies and actions concerned with shifting consumer behaviours, as this personal benefit appears to have a greater potential to support behaviour change. Future consumer focused work could pay attention to framing behavioural messages, providing intermediate behavioural goals, and a multiple target approach to change habitual behaviours.

The impacts of information about the risks and benefits of pork consumption on Chinese consumers' perceptions towards, and intention to eat, pork

This study investigates the impacts of information on the benefits and risks of eating pork on Chinese consumers' attitudes and intentions. Data were collected in March 2013 through a consumer survey (n=909) in Beijing and Baoding City. An experiment was conducted using three types of message (positive, negative, and balanced) combined with three information sources (government, research institutes, and the pork industry). Participants ate pork almost every second day. They perceived pork as rather nutritious and relatively expensive and had neutral views about its healthiness and safety. Exposure to negative information (about risks only) resulted in a significant and negative change in consumers' perceptions of pork's nutritional value, price, healthiness and safety, while exposure to positive information (about benefits only) caused a positive change in consumers' perceptions about pork's healthiness and safety. Exposure to balanced information resulted in a significant and negative change in the perceived nutritional value of pork. Participants' intended frequency of pork consumption was significantly lower after exposure to information, irrespective of the type of information received. Exposure to risks-only information decreased consumers' intention to eat pork, while exposure to benefit-only information had a positive effect on consumers' intentions to eat pork. Exposure to balanced risk/benefit information had no effect on intended pork consumption. Of the information used, governmental materials were found to have a positive impact on consumers' perceptions of pork's safety. Implications for communication strategies with Chinese consumers about pork consumption are discussed.