Health Innovation in Patty Products. The Role of Food Neophobia in Consumers' Non-Hypothetical Willingness to Pay, Purchase Intention and Hedonic Evaluation

Consumer Preferences for Cured Meat Products from the Autochthonous Black Slavonian Pig

This study investigated the attitudes of Croatian consumers regarding their preferences for cured meat products from the Black Slavonian Pig. The survey was conducted on a sample of 410 consumers who completed an online survey about their consumption habits, knowledge about the pig breed, and socio-demographic characteristics. In this study, the independent samples t-test and ANOVA were conducted to determine the significant differences between the most important attributes in the purchase of cured Black Slavonian Pig products and the socio-demographic characteristics, consumption, and purchase habits of the respondents. Statistically significant differences were found between the studied intrinsic (color, odor, fat content, and salt content) and extrinsic variables (production method, brand, quality mark, and origin) in relation to the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents (gender, age, employment status, number of household members, and number of children under 15 in the household) and place of purchase, knowledge about the breed, and frequency of consumption of Black Slavonian Pig meat and products. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to determine the consumer segments. Based on the responses received, three homogeneous consumer segments were identified: intrinsically oriented meat consumers, extrinsically oriented meat consumers, and uninterested meat consumers. The information obtained in the study is important for producers and retailers, as they can use our findings to develop successful marketing tools and different marketing strategies to promote cured Black Slavonian Pig products.

Consumers’ Willingness to Buy CRISPR Gene-Edited Tomatoes: Evidence from a Choice Experiment Case Study in Germany

The CRISPR gene-editing (GE) breeding method is used to increase the resilience of high-yielding tomato cultivars against pests and diseases, reducing crop protection requirements. This study investigated consumers’ willingness to buy CRISPR GE tomatoes in a repeated discrete-choice experiment. We observed a strong positive effect of providing information on the CRISPR breeding technology, while the sensory experience of the CRISPR GE tomatoes in a visit to a greenhouse had a rather weak, predominantly negative effect on the participants’ willingness to buy CRISPR GE tomatoes. We found that roughly half of the 32 participants demonstrated constant CRISPR GE tomato choices during the experiments, and these participants were mainly employed as scientists. However, the rest of the participants changed their CRISPR GE tomato choices, with the majority showing an increase in their willingness to buy CRISPR GE tomatoes; these “changers” were dominated by non-scientists. Science communication on CRISPR GE breeding technology should target people with little knowledge about the technology, and consumers of organic tomatoes seem to have more specified, stable preferences regarding the technology. Further, scientific information about the CRISPR GE methodology should preferentially be provided when new technology and information about it are not yet widespread and people have not yet formed a strong opinion about the technology.

Food Neophobia and Consumer Choices within Vietnamese Menu in a Polish Cohort Study

One of the factors influencing consumer food choices is food neophobia (FN), described as a reluctance to try novel or unknown food products. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of FN on food choices in young Polish respondents through a web-based choice experiment with Vietnamese restaurant menu. The choice experiment was conducted using a Computer-Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) method in a sample of 601 young adults, while using a developed Vietnamese restaurant menu. For the dishes, neophobic potential for a Polish population was defined, based on content of ingredients not typical for Polish diet. The FN was assessed using the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) by Pliner and Hobden. The neophobic potential was the determinant of choice of dishes (p < 0.05). The participants characterized by a high FN level less commonly than others chosen dishes characterized by neophobic potential as: starter (Nem quõn—non-fried spring rolls with shrimps) (p = 0.0003), soup (Mién gà—soup with cellophane noodles and nam huong mushrooms) (p < 0.0001), main course (Phở xào bò—rice noodles with soy sauce and fish sauce) (p < 0.0001) and dessert (Chè thập cãm—dessert of golden gram, black eye beans, Azuki beans and tapioca) than other options (p = 0.0007). It was stated that FN in young respondents may reduce the frequency of choosing dishes containing unfamiliar ingredients and, as a result, it may cause lower diversity of consumed dishes. Taking into account that not properly balanced diets resulting from rejecting some types of products are becoming a growing problem, the FN should be taken into account in the general public health policy.

Assessing Consumer Preferences for Suboptimal Food: Application of a Choice Experiment in Citrus Fruit Retail

Amid the trend of sustainable development, reducing food waste is a global concern and campaigns to reduce food waste have been launched. For example, the term “food sharing” has originated from Germany and promotes sharing food instead of wasting. “The Guerilla Kitchen”, which originated from Netherlands, is an organization that also promotes avoiding wasting food. Consequently, more and more people are paying attention on this issue and we think it is necessary to understand people’s acceptance of suboptimal food, as discarded suboptimal food represents a significant proportion of food waste. Additionally, at least one-third of the food globally produced each year is classified as suboptimal and cannot be sold in the market because of a poor appearance, damaged packaging, or near expiration date, thus presenting challenges for environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Previous studies on suboptimal food have focused more on appearances and packaging dates and less on investigating traceable agricultural and price discounts, which is where food classified as suboptimal entails a discount. Moreover, citrus product attributes such as appearance, size, freshness indicators, traceable agricultural products, and price discounts were determined in terms of consumer preference through pre-measurement here, then using a choice experiment method to clarify which attributes consumers care about most (N = 485 respondents). Conditional logistic regression and a random parameter logit model (RPL) are employed to examine the various properties of a marginal willingness to pay (WTP). RPL was also used to deduce the respondents’ choices based on differences in appearance and freshness indicator. The results showed that consumers place greater emphasis on the freshness indicators (harvesting/packaging date labels) and appearance of suboptimal citrus fruits but do not focus on the size. Consumers are willing to purchase citrus fruit with a flawed appearance, although the price needs to be reduced from the original price. Although suboptimal food does not reduce health, people may still not buy it and this result in food wastage. As a result, it is essential to increase awareness regarding suboptimal foods and reduce food waste to support sustainable development.

Fruit Sector Strategic Management: An Exploration of Agro-food Chain Actors’ Perception of Market Sustainability of Apple Innovation

The fresh fruit industry is a highly dynamic sector in the food market. Fresh fruit chain actors have to adapt to the changing market environment in order to face upcoming challenges. The objective of this study is to analyze the market sustainability of red-fleshed apples (RFA) by exploring consumers’ and fresh fruit industry experts’ and stakeholders’ opinions in Italy and New Zealand. The study was carried out in Italy and New Zealand from December 2018 to June 2019 including 778 consumers and 29 expert and stakeholder interviews. Results show a promising market potential of RFA. Innovative attributes and nutritional value of RFA are the most important factors that push consumers’ interest and willingness to buy RFA. New Zealand consumers and women show a higher appreciation of RFA. The nutritional value of the fruit can be a strategic marketing management attribute especially for health-conscious consumers. However, experts think the market for RFA will develop slowly, and will remain a niche product. Some stakeholders are skeptical about consumer RFA appreciation, and fear that RFA are too radical a novelty on the market. The RFA may be perceived as not natural. There is the need to coordinate food chain stakeholders’ management practices on RFA. This allows to mitigate risks, set food standards acceptable for all chain stakeholders, and make sustainable economic investment on innovation.

Consumer acceptance of edible insect foods: an application of the extended theory of planned behavior

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to measure consumer acceptance of edible insect foods (EIFs) while applying the extended theory of planned behavior (ETPB). Insects as food have attracted interest as potential possible sources of nutrition for the future. This study investigated consumers' perception toward insect food and future purchase behaviors.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

A survey was conducted among citizens of Korea. About two thirds of respondents had tried an EIF previously, and the mean value for food neophobia was 3.1 on a 5-point Likert scale. Respondents were divided into 2 groups of those experienced with EIFs and those not and by level of food neophobia. An independent t-test, multiple regression and descriptive analyses were conducted on the data.

RESULTS

The primary reason for not eating EIFs was that their insect form induced disgust. Comparisons of ETPB attributes by experience with EIFs showed significant differences between groups for food neophobia, subjective norm, attitude, and behavioral intention. In addition, significant differences were found for subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, attitude, and behavioral intention between 2 neophobia groups. Finally, the results of measuring the relationships between ETPB attributes and behavioral intention showed only subjective norm and attitude affected behavioral intention.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that enhanced subjective norms producing a publicly accepted EIFs environment would help encourage the purchase of EIFs. The results of this study can help the development of EIF products for future food markets.

Food Sustainability and Waste Reduction in Spain: Consumer Preferences for Local, Suboptimal, And/Or Unwashed Fresh Food Products

Improving food sustainability and reducing food waste are among the top challenges for achieving global sustainable development. In particular, changes towards more sustainable consumption are of vital importance in creating a more sustainable world. To shed light on these issues, we analyze to what extent and how consumers’ food preferences move towards more sustainable behavior. We assess the importance consumers attach to the following critical sustainable attributes of food related to food waste: (i) “Visual imperfections”, (ii) “washed/unwashed”, (iii) “size”, (iv) “locally produced”, and (v) “price”. We hypothesize that consumer preferences for these attributes are heterogeneous. Therefore, we segmented consumers into homogenous groups according to preferences for these sustainability attributes. To do this, we employed a direct ranking preference method using data gathered in an experiment conducted with consumers living in a mid-sized town in the northeast of Spain in 2018. The results suggest a high degree of consumer heterogeneity, and we identified four clusters according to the importance consumers attach to these attributes. The results are encouraging for the promotion of sustainability because different groups of consumers might prefer to purchase food products with different sustainable characteristics, such as locally grown, foods with visual imperfections, and minimally processed foods.

The Multifaceted Dimensions of Food Choice and Nutrition

The Special Issue "Food Choice and Nutrition" deals with the relationship between the food choices of different population groups or consumer segments and its impact on the nutritional status, improvement of dietary quality, food and nutrition-related behaviour, food preferences, taste education, sensory characteristics of foods and their role in consumer choice, etc [...].

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.

Are Consumers’ Egg Preferences Influenced by Animal-Welfare Conditions and Environmental Impacts?

We conducted a labelled discrete choice experiment (DCE) to assess consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for fresh hens’ eggs produced via different production systems (caged, barn, free range, or organic). We estimated purchase intentions and WTP for different possible reductions (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water use in the egg production systems. Data were collected using an online open-ended questionnaire completed by a representative sample of 1045 Spanish egg consumers. The results of a random parameter logit (RPL) model showed heterogeneous preferences for different types of eggs with higher marginal utility and WTP for a production system ensuring higher animal welfare level, such as free-range eggs. However, consumers showed a lower preference for organic eggs at the actual market prices since they were unwilling to pay for this category of eggs. Moreover, there were positive marginal WTPs for reductions in GHG emissions and water use, but only for significant reductions (20% or 30%) with respect to the current situation. Potential buyers for free-range eggs were identified to be persons under 40 years old, persons with a monthly income of more than €1500, and persons who were pro-environment. Our findings provide producers, sellers and policy makers with useful information that may guide them in the development of successful communication and pricing strategies.

Food Neophobia or Distrust of Novelties? Exploring Consumers’ Attitudes toward GMOs, Insects and Cultured Meat

The food industry is constantly challenged to find new ideas to satisfy the increasingly specific consumer demand. However, innovative food products do not always become part of consumption habits or create a market. One of the major sources of resistance to novelty lies in the attitude of the consumer, who in many cases may be suspicious or hostile as a result of specific ideologies, overly attached to tradition, or affected by neophobia. This paper analyzes the construct of food neophobia (the “unwillingness to try new foods”) in its phenomenology and its actual power to explain hostility to innovation in the agri-food sector. The limits of the concept, which is not always sufficient to shed light on the many reasons that could underlie the rejection of certain foods, will also be discussed. In addition, we review the recent literature on Europeans’ attitude toward novel foods and innovation including Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), cultivated meat and insects as food. This literature reveals a number of paradoxes in consumers’ behavior, and in the many complex conditions underpinning the success of innovation in food production. These conditions can only be understood by reconstructing the meanings consumers assign to food, and are often embedded in larger social and political frameworks.

Can consumer food choices contribute to reduce environmental impact? The case of cisgenic apples

In the last decade, cisgenic breeding emerged as a valuable alternative to transgenic genetic modification. Cisgenesis allows to obtain disease-resistant crops, thus reducing the need of chemical pesticides in the fields. This would imply a reduction of the environmental impact deriving from agricultural production. To concretely exploit the potential deriving from such biotechnology application, consumers' willingness to buy and consume such food is an essential matter. In this study we explore consumer choice behavior for cisgenic vs conventional apple alternatives through a hypothetical Choice Experiment, meanwhile examining attribute non-attendance behaviors. The Latent Class Model estimates reveal considerable differences across population segments in terms of choice behavior and preferences. In fact, while some consumers choose based on this attribute, a sizable segment of the population ignores it, suggesting that there may be room on the market for these products with potential implications in terms of environmental and food policy formulation.

Food Neophobia in Celiac Disease and Other Gluten-Free Diet Individuals

The only treatment currently available to combat celiac disease (CD) is strict adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD), but there may be various determinants of its adherence, including food neophobia (FN), that is associated with sensory aversions, or fears of negative consequences of eating specific food products, that may be crucial for CD patients following a GFD. The aim of the present study was to analyze food neophobia levels and its determinants in CD patients in comparison with other individuals who follow a GFD based on their own decision. The study was conducted in two independent groups of individuals following a GFD: those diagnosed with CD (n = 101) and those following a GFD based on their own decision (n = 124). Each group was recruited with cooperation from the local CD and GFD societies located in Poland. The FN was assessed using the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) and compared between groups, as well as the influence of gender, age, body mass index, educational level, place of residence and employment status was assessed. It was stated, that for the individuals following a GFD, CD was the major determinant of FN. The FNS score values were higher (indicating higher food neophobia) for CD individuals (39.4 ± 9.2), than for those following a GFD based on their own decision (33.6 ± 8.7; p < 0.0001) and it was observed both for general group and for sub-groups stratified by assessed variables. Moreover, the indicated variables did not influence the FNS in any of the analyzed groups. The influence of CD with no influence of other variables was confirmed in the regression analysis. It may be concluded that CD is a major contributor to FN, which can be attributed to fear of developing adverse reactions to gluten-contaminated food products, which is more pronounced in CD patients compared to non-CD patients following a GFD based on their own decision.

Consumers' Perceptions and Preferences for Bitterness in Vegetable Foods: The Case of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Brassicaceae-A Narrative Review

The presence of some healthy phytochemicals in food can be paired with high bitterness, and consumers have a widespread avoidance toward bitter-tasting food. This causes a gap between preferences and healthy needs of consumers. Therefore, this review collected insights from literature belonging to different discipline domains in order to have a broad view of the current state-of-the-art about biochemical aspects and consumers’ perceptions and preferences toward foods with an enhanced bitter taste. In detail, we focused on two core products of the Mediterranean diet: Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) and Brassicaceae, both characterized by specific phytochemicals having strong healthy properties and bitter-pungent taste. Results suggested that, although bitter taste is a general driver of dislike, some exceptions can be represented by: niches of consumers (e.g., innovators and organic buyers), foods consumed with specific purposes (e.g., coffee, chocolate, and alcoholic beverages). The level of bitterness perceived by the consumers can be modulated through exposure, information on benefits, and elements within the environment (e.g., music). Thus, these insights can be used to develop specific campaigns aimed at promoting bitter (healthy) food, considering also the key role that could be played by food pairings.

Perception Towards Organic vs. Conventional Products in Romania

The aim of this study was to elicit answers referring to the consumer perception with respect to organic products. Factors that determine behavior were also considered: Gender, age, education, income, or social status. Analysis of data collected revealed that perception is the psycho-cognitive element that may determine the expression of behavior in relation to the organic production system. Furthermore, organic farming in Romania is a relatively recently formed market segment. The study was carried out by using a questionnaire developed specifically for this purpose, on a sample of 226 respondents. The data obtained from the survey were analyzed by employing the contingency coefficient and Pearson chi-square tests, using the SPSS software version 20. The perception of organic food is associated with its nutritional quality or sensory attributes (appearance, taste, flavor).