Value attitude behaviour and social stigma in the adoption of veganism: An integrated model

Exploring Product Innovation and Consumer Attitudes in Molecular Gastronomy: Marketing Insights for the Gourmet Food Industry

The increasing popularity of social media and the growth of gourmet food culture have elevated molecular gastronomy as a unique dining experience that enhances consumers' perceptions of value through innovative food presentation and sensory marketing strategies. This study investigates consumer acceptance of molecular gastronomy by utilizing the value-attitude-behavior (VAB) model and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). We examine the interplay between utilitarian and hedonic values, product innovation, and sensory stimulation to understand consumer reactions and attitudes toward molecular gastronomy. Through convenience sampling, we surveyed individuals who had experienced molecular gastronomy, collecting 407 valid responses, with a response rate of 95.3%. Our findings reveal that both utilitarian and hedonic values significantly influence consumers' attitudes (β = 0.635, p < 0.01; β = 0.750, p < 0.01). Attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and sensory stimulation play crucial roles in shaping behavioral intentions (β = 0.770, p < 0.01; β = 0.719, p < 0.01; β = 0.791, p < 0.01). Although subjective norms and product novelty also have positive effects on intentions, their impact is less significant (β = 0.511, p < 0.01; β = 0.416, p < 0.01). These insights suggest that practitioners in the dining industry should prioritize utilitarian value, hedonic appeal, consumer attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and sensory experiences when creating and marketing molecular gastronomy dishes. This research not only enhances our understanding of consumer behavior within this innovative culinary domain but also offers practical strategies for boosting market acceptance and engagement with such avant-garde dining experiences.

Hybrid and Plant-Based Burgers: Trends, Challenges, and Physicochemical and Sensory Qualities

Burgers have become a staple of global cuisine and can have several different versions and combinations. For example, hybrid burgers have a percentage of animal protein in their formulation, while plant-based burgers contain 100% plant-based proteins. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the emerging trends and challenges in the formulation of hybrid and plant-based burgers, with an emphasis on new ingredients and the evaluation of their physical, chemical, and sensory properties. An integrative literature review on alternative burgers to meat ones was carried out, focusing on hybrid products (meat + plant-based) and fully plant-based burgers. The studies analyzed show that plant-based and hybrid burgers can be developed with different protein sources, such as soybeans, white beans, textured peas, pseudocereals, and cashew nuts, with good nutritional and sensory characteristics. While hybrid burgers combine meat and plant-based proteins to reduce saturated fats, plant-based burgers show equal promise, with a high protein and fiber content, a lower fat content, and good sensory acceptance. However, despite the market potential of these products, there are challenges to be overcome, among which are their texture and flavor, which are essential characteristics of animal-meat burgers. Another point to take into account is the diversity of preferences among consumers with different beliefs or eating styles: vegans, for example, do not prefer a product that is very similar to meat, unlike flexitarians, who seek products which are similar to animal meat in all attributes.

Consumer Values, Attitudes, and Behavior towards Plant-Based Alternatives

This study investigated the impact of consumer values and attitudes to consuming plant-based alternatives (PBAs), using the value-attitude-behavior framework. The research model and hypotheses were tested using a two-step approach to structural equation modeling on 392 responses collected from PBA consumers through a research company in Korea in November 2023. The results indicated that environmental consciousness and health consciousness significantly affected attitudes toward PBAs. Also, positive attitudes toward PBAs were critical for the formation of repurchase intentions for PBAs and PBA restaurant visit behavior. Our study contributes to both academics and PBA practitioners by showing how consumer values are associated with attitudes, PBAs repurchase intentions, and PBAs restaurant visits.

The biomolecules of Euglena gracilis: Harnessing biology for natural solutions to future problems

Over the past decade, the autotrophic and heterotrophic protist Euglena gracilis (E. gracilis) has gained popularity across the studies of environmental science, biosynthesis experiments, and nutritional substitutes. The unique physiology and versatile metabolism of E. gracilis have been a recent topic of interest to many researchers who continue to understand the complexity and possibilities of using E. gracilis biomolecule production. In this review, we present a comprehensive representation of recent literature outlining the various uses of biomolecules derived from E. gracilis across the fields of natural product biosynthesis, as a nutritional substitute, and as bioremediation tools. In addition, we highlight effective strategies for altering metabolite production using abiotic stressors and growth conditions. To better understand metabolite biosynthesis and its role in E. gracilis, integrated studies involving genomics, metabolomics, and proteomics should be considered. Together, we show how the ongoing advancements in E. gracilis related research continue to broaden applications in the biosynthetic sector and highlight future works that would strengthen our understanding of overall Euglena metabolism.

Forty-five years of research on vegetarianism and veganism: A systematic and comprehensive literature review of quantitative studies

Meat production and consumption are sources of animal cruelty, responsible for several environmental problems and human health diseases, and contribute to social inequality. Vegetarianism and veganism (VEG) are two alternatives that align with calls for a transition to more ethical, sustainable, and healthier lifestyles. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature review of 307 quantitative studies on VEG (from 1978 to 2023), collected from the Web of Science in the categories of psychology, behavioral science, social science, and consumer behavior. For a holistic view of the literature and to capture its multiple angles, we articulated our objectives by responding to the variables of "WHEN," "WHERE," "WHO," "WHAT," "WHY," "WHICH," and "HOW" (6W1H) regarding the VEG research. Our review highlighted that quantitative research on VEG has experienced exponential growth with an unbalanced geographical focus, accompanied by an increasing richness but also great complexity in the understating of the VEG phenomenon. The systematic literature review found different approaches from which the authors studied VEG while identifying methodological limitations. Additionally, our research provided a systematic view of factors studied on VEG and the variables associated with VEG-related behavior change. Accordingly, this study contributes to the literature in the field of VEG by mapping the most recent trends and gaps in research, clarifying existing findings, and suggesting directions for future research.

Cultured Meat on the Social Network Twitter: Clean, Future and Sustainable Meats

The rapid development of technologies for cultured meat production has led to new challenges for producers regarding appropriate communication with future customers in order to deliver products to a viable market. Communication analysis of social media enables the identification of the key characteristics of the monitored topic, as well as the main areas of communication by individual users based on active digital footprints. This study aimed to identify the key characteristics of cultured meat based on communication analysis of the social network Twitter. Communication analysis was performed based on 36,356 Tweets posted by 4128 individual users. This analysis identified the following main communicated characteristics: clean meat, future meat, and sustainable meat. Latent Dittrich allocation identified five communication topics: (1) clean and sustainable products, (2) comparisons with plant-based protein and the impact on agribusiness, (3) positive environmental aspects, (4) cultured meat as an alternative protein, and (5) the regulation of cultured meat.