Consumer Attitudes towards Technological Innovation in a Traditional Food Product: The Case of Wine

Exploring Italian Wine Companies: A Study of Supply Chain Dynamics, Quality, and Promotion Strategies through Semi-Structured Interviews

In Italy, the wine supply chain is a cornerstone of the national agri-food system and a driving force for the entire economy. The aim of this study is to map the profile of Italian wine companies through the analysis of multiple case studies. The study focuses specifically on companies in the Marche region, investigating their features and supply chain, with a specific focus on product and system certification adopted, marketing policies implemented, and the businesses' relationship with institutions. A total of 18 companies participated in the study. The primary data for the research was collected through semi-structured interviews lasting 1 h, based on an interview protocol. The results show that the supply chain for the wine sector is configured to be short, even when cooperatives act as an aggregator. The small size and limited financial resources make it particularly difficult to promote the wine outside its reference context, and there is a lack of a network strategy at the local level. Many companies consider organic certification a disadvantage since it tends to homologate production to the large wine industries, making the product's naturalness, typicality, and craftsmanship disappear.

Survey of New Zealand consumer attitudes to consumption of meat and meat alternatives

This study examined consumers' consumption, motivations, and concerns regarding meat and meat alternatives by means of an online survey of 1061 New Zealand consumers and review of literature. Outcomes of the survey indicate New Zealanders are overwhelmingly omnivorous (93%), regard taste as the most important factor in their meat purchasing decision followed by price and freshness and consider environmental impact and social responsibility of less importance. Those surveyed indicated willingness to pay 17-24% more for food safety and sustainability related meat attributes. About half of respondents lowered their meat consumption the previous year, mainly red and processed meats, due to lack of affordability and health concerns. Although those surveyed showed high awareness about meat alternatives, their consumption level of the products was very low and more prevalent for female, younger and more educated individuals. Overall, the outlook for meat consumption and meat industry in New Zealand is positive and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.

Developing Green Innovations in the Wine Industry: An Applied Analysis

Winemaking is an ancestral activity characterized by its strong roots in the culture, heritage, and people of the producing regions. In addition to providing important health benefits, wine is a product that is widely accepted by society. However, the socioeconomic context is evolving at a rapid pace, and new requirements and needs are forcing companies to innovate in order to remain competitive in the markets, especially in terms of sustainability. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the relationship between green transformational leadership and green innovation, as well as the mediating effect of green motivation and green creativity in this relationship. Data were obtained from a sample of 196 Spanish companies belonging to the wine industry and, as a method of analysis, was used partial least squares structural equation modeling PLS-SEM. The results show a positive and significant relationship between green transformational leadership and green innovation in wine companies. Furthermore, green motivation and green creativity exert a mediating effect in this relationship. It is concluded that the managers of wine companies should encourage employee motivation and creativity, especially in ecological terms, by creating an environment conducive to the development of environmentally friendly innovations.

Acceptability Analysis of 3D-Printed Food in the Area of the Czech Republic Based on Survey

The aim of the research was to observe consumer perceptions of 3D food printing and to highlight possible applications of this production. The questionnaire survey took place in the Czech Republic and was attended by 1156 respondents. The questionnaire was divided into six sections: (1) Socio-Demographic Data; (2) 3D Common Printing Awareness; (3) 3D Food Printing Awareness; (4) 3D Food Printing, Worries and Understanding; (5) Application; (6) Investments. Although awareness of 3D food printing is increasing, a very small fraction of respondents had encountered printed food in person (1.5%; n = 17). Respondents expressed concerns about the health benefits and the reduced prices of novel foods, and they perceived printed foods as ultra-processed foods (56.0%; n = 647). Concerns have also been raised about job losses due to the introduction of new technology. On the contrary, they perceived that quality raw materials would be used to prepare printed foods (52.4%; n = 606). Most respondents believed that printed foods would be visually appealing and would find application in several food industry sectors. Most respondents believed that 3D food printing is the future of the food sector (83.8%; n = 969). The gained results can be helpful for 3D food printer producers, as well as for future experiments dealing with 3D food printing issues.

A gender approach to wine innovation and organic wine preferences

The development of innovative products, such as novel wines, is rejected by certain consumers that value attributes that may conflict with innovation. This is the case of the organic production label. The present study examined the impact of gender on wine purchasing preferences for innovative and organic wines. The findings showed that price is the most important attribute for both men and women when buying wine. The results also revealed that women assign greater importance to the production system (organic/conventional) than men. The segmentation generated according to the level of wine neophobia revealed significant differences between men and women in the frequency of wine consumption and the socioeconomic variables considered (age, educational level and income). The level of wine neophobia was higher in women than in men, but, in both genders, it increased with age and decreased as income and educational level increased. Women’s lesser interest in innovative wines and their more positive attitude towards organic wines encourages the consideration of women as a segment in which tradition and naturalness related to wine should be specifically taking into account.

Effect of Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen Content on Fermentation Kinetics, Wine Chemical Composition and Sensory Character in the Production of Assyrtiko Wines

Two wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains (Sa and Sb) were tested for white wine production using Assyrtiko grape of Santorini. A third commercial Saccharomyces strain was also studied for comparison reasons. Two concentrations of yeast extract and diammonium phosphate (DAP) were added to the must (150 and 250 mg/L) in order to evaluate the effect of nitrogen content on the final wine quality. Analytical methods (HPLC, GC-MS) and sensory analysis were employed to assess the quality of the wines. Fermentation kinetics were monitored throughout the experiment. By the second day of fermentation, all strains showed an approximate consumption of 70% of amino acids. Differences among strains were observed regarding inorganic nitrogen requirements. Sb strain resulted in higher concentrations of higher alcohols (1.9-fold) and ketones (5.6-fold) and lower concentrations of esters (1.2-fold) compared to the control, while Sa strain resulted in higher content of fatty acids (2.1-fold). Both indigenous strains scored better results in aroma quality, body and acidity compared to control. The overall evaluation of the data highlights the great potential of the indigenous S. cerevisiae strains as fermentation starters providing promising results in the sector of terroir wines.

Latest Developments in Edible Coatings on Minimally Processed Fruits and Vegetables: A Review

The food industry nowadays is facing new challenges in terms of sustainability and health implications of packaging and processing techniques. Due to their desire for new and natural products coupled with changes in lifestyle, consumers are looking for food products that have been less processed but possess longer shelf life and maintain nutritional and sensorial proprieties during storage. These requirements represent real challenges when dealing with highly perishable food products, such as fruits and vegetables. Thus, in recent years, edible coatings have been intensively developed and studied because of their capacity to improve the quality, shelf life, safety, and functionality of the treated products. Edible coatings can be applied through different techniques, like dipping, spraying, or coating, in order to control moisture transfer, gas exchange, or oxidative processes. Furthermore, some functional ingredients can be incorporated into an edible matrix and applied on the surface of foods, thus enhancing safety or even nutritional and sensory attributes. In the case of coated fruits and vegetables, their quality parameters, such as color, firmness, microbial load, decay ratio, weight loss, sensorial attributes, and nutritional parameters, which are very specific to the type of products and their storage conditions, should be carefully monitored. This review attempts to summarize recent studies of different edible coatings (polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and composites) as carriers of functional ingredients (antimicrobials, texture enhancers, and nutraceuticals) applied on different minimally processed fruits and vegetables, highlighting the coating ingredients, the application methods and the effects on food shelf life and quality.

Food Innovation as a Means of Developing Healthier and More Sustainable Foods

The current demand for healthy and sustainable foods has encouraged the development of new alternatives even in traditional products. Improved foods may be produced by reducing the amount of some ingredients, adding new ones, or replacing traditionally used ingredients for others. By reformulating their products, manufacturers can offer healthier choices for an ever-growing number of consumers interested in maintaining a balanced diet. In addition, the market demand for more sustainable foods contributes to a lower environmental impact in their production. In this regard, current areas of interest include the production of foods using a lower number of inputs, as well as the utilization of food by-products, to improve the amount and quality of available foods. Another aspect to be considered is that not all consumers are willing to eat foods produced with new ingredients or novel technologies. Hence, the development of innovations in food products should take into account the influence of so-called “consumer food neophobia”.