Impact of front-of-pack labels with nutrition and Grass-Fed claims on consumer perceptions and expected sensory and nutritional characteristics of Cheddar cheese – A comparative study of Irish and US consumers

Ricotta cheese quality as affected by season

This study evaluated the seasonal impact of feeding systems on the quality traits of cow ricotta cheese produced in semi-extensive farms in Sicily. The research compared ricotta cheese produced during the pasture season (PS) with that from the dry season (DS), analyzing fatty acid (FA) profile, carotenoid and vitamin content, antioxidant capacity, volatile organic compounds (VOC), and color attributes. Results indicated significant improvements in the nutritional quality of PS Ricotta cheese, including higher concentrations of CLA (+45%), total PUFA (+17%), and beneficial MUFA, as well as reduced atherogenicity (-10%) and thrombogenicity (-16%) indices in comparison with DS Ricotta samples. Additionally, PS Ricotta cheese exhibited a more intense yellow color, correlated with increased β-carotene levels compared with DS cheese (5.04 vs. 0.73 mg/g, respectively), as well as distinct VOC profiles reflecting pasture-based feeding. These findings highlighted the potential of PS Ricotta cheese as a possible nutrient-rich food and underlined its value for targeted marketing strategies based on enhanced nutritional and sensory attributes. Furthermore, these findings highlight the potential of pasture-fed ricotta cheese to be positioned as a premium, health-focused dairy product. Although this study offers valuable insights, additional research is needed to examine the long-term storage effects on the nutritional stability of PS Ricotta cheese, as well as consumer sensory preferences and willingness to pay for pasture-fed dairy.

Stable isotopic profile of commercial tank milk in relation to grassland based feed proportions in dairy herd diets

Ours is the first proof-of-concept study to attempt to define stable isotopic ratio (δ) thresholds to ascertain the dietary proportion of grassland-based feeds (GBF) in commercial tank milk. Additionally, the isotopic profile of commercial tank milk produced in Switzerland was characterized. We collected 217 tank milk samples, from 21 dairy farms, over one calendar year to reflect and incorporate seasonal variations in feeding strategies. Thus, a wide range of feeding strategies based on contrasting proportions of total GBF (28-99%) and grazed herbage (0-96%) were represented. Based on mixed-model multiple regression, there was a significant association of δ13C and δ18O values of tank milk and the dietary proportions of GBF and grazed herbage, respectively. For every 10% increase in total GBF, δ13C decreased by 0.673 (R2 = 0.57) and for every 10% increase in grazed herbage, δ18O increased by 0.125 (R2 = 0.51). With this information, δ13C and δ18O values of bulk milk may be suitable starting points for the development of reliable indicators to assess and control the proportion of total GBF and grazed herbage in dairy farm diets. Commercial tank milk produced in Switzerland has a mean value of - 26.0, 5.69, - 7.03 and - 53.4 for δ13C, δ15N, δ18O and δ2H, respectively.

Food labeling and Chinese consumer preference for naturalness: A new way to differentiate grass-fed dairy products

Due to the lack of recognized differentiation for grass-fed dairy products, producers of quality products have failed to capture consumer premiums. This study investigates Chinese consumers' preferences for the naturalness attributes of grass-fed dairy products as potential criteria for grass-fed milk product differentiation. We examine how grazing conditions (e.g., pasture grazing), animal feed (e.g., fed grass), functional improvement (e.g., increasing CLA, n-3, and vitamin B content), and imagery properties (healthy, natural, tasty, and sustainable) affect consumers' preferences and willingness to pay. Interestingly, consumers reported higher premiums for grazing conditions, animal feed, and functional improvements compared with imagery property attributes. Contrary to the conventional belief that functional improvement attracts the highest consumer premium, we found that for the majority of respondents (who have high preference for naturalness), grazing conditions were the most important factor. This study provides evidence for consumer preferences for the subattributes of grass-fed products, and therefore develops a potential framework to differentiate grass-fed products using naturalness criteria.

Impact of animal origin of milk, processing technology, type of product, and price on the Boursin cheese choice process: Insights of a discrete choice experiment and eye tracking

Boursin is a versatile semisoft cheese that can be made with different types of milk. While widely distributed in the European and North American markets, Boursin is produced to a limited extent in Brazil despite its commercial potential. This scenario encourages consumer-oriented product development studies by facilitating data collection with less bias and fewer product preconceptions, thus favoring the investigation of technological aspects of commercial interest. This study evaluates Brazilians' perceptions regarding different versions of Boursin cheese, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the factors related to choosing cheese. Four attributes related to cheese production were evaluated at three different levels using two discrete choice experiments: one with eye tracking (n = 20) and another without (n = 312). These attributes included "type of processing" (evaluating pasteurization, ohmic heating, and preparation with raw milk), "animal origin of milk" (cow, goat, or buffalo milk), "type of product" (traditional, light, and lactose-free versions), and "price" (10.99, 13.99, and 16.99 BRL). Information regarding processing with ohmic heating did not affect the probability of Boursin being chosen, suggesting that consumers are open to using this emerging technology in Boursin cheese. However, information on being made with goat, buffalo, and raw milk negatively impacted the probability of choice, along with the price of 16.99 BRL. The frequency of cheese consumption and the level of health concerns also affected the probability of choosing the product. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Identifying the relationship between extrinsic attributes presented on the Boursin cheese label and the consumer's choice process can aid the communication process with the target audience and reveal how some technological issues of interest to manufacturers are perceived. This study indicates how information regarding the animal origin of the milk (cow, goat, and buffalo), the type of processing (pasteurization, ohmic heating, and raw milk), the version of the product (traditional, light, and lactose-free), and the price affect the consumer choice process. The results provide insights that can be applied to product processing and designing labels.

Uncovering the Effect of European Policy-Making Initiatives in Addressing Nutrition-Related Issues: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Front-of-Pack Labels

The last decades have been marked by the introduction of front-of-pack labels (FoPL) as an institutional corrective action against obesity and nutrition-related illnesses. However, FoPL-related policy-making initiatives issued by the European Union evolved over time and led to a diversity of labels with different effects on consumers' decisions. As a result, the extant literature adapted to the regulative scenario over the years and investigated the effects of the labels, creating consensus on some topics while being fragmented on others. Similarly, policy-makers adapted some regulations to the evidence supported by the research. With the aim to systematize the overall structure and evolution of the literature on FoPL, investigate the presence of a consensus on specific topics through a co-citation analysis, and examine the evolution of the consensus and co-citation networks over the years and potential research gaps, we report the results of bibliometric and co-citation analyses and a systematic literature review involving 170 papers and a selection of 49 articles published in the last months, for a total of 219 articles, analysed according to three timespans (Period 1 (1989-2011); Period 2 (2012-2016) and Period 3 (2017-2022)). Our findings highlight the interplay of policy development and FoPL research, the presence of few self-reinforcing and well-established co-citation networks based on validated evidence in the literature and the presence of alternative emerging theories that offer different and valid perspectives overlooked by mainstream co-citation research networks.