Factors that Influence the Perceived Healthiness of Food-Review

Dutch consumers' attitude towards industrial food processing

Industrial food processing and its possible adverse effects on health are widely debated in scientific literature and media. There is not much known about consumers' attitudes towards the processing of foods. Therefore, a questionnaire (n = 463) was distributed and interviews (n = 11) were conducted with Dutch consumers to evaluate the attitudes and associations towards industrial food processing and to assess opinions about communications on food processing and health. The results showed that 51% of the respondents had a neutral, 23% had a positive, and 26% had a negative attitude towards food processing. Respondents with a background in food by profession or education (n = 159) had more frequently a positive attitude towards food processing (P = 0.008). Respondents and interviewees pointed out both positive and negative associations with industrial processing: additives, artificial, not fresh, low nutritional value, unnatural, but also palatability, food safety, shelf life, and convenience. The questionnaire showed that 70% of the respondents thought food processing had a (slightly) negative health effect. Most interviewees indicated that when doing groceries, food processing per se is not relevant in food choices, although some critically inspected the ingredients. Furthermore, interviewees indicated that communication about food and health is scattered and complex. They would like to gain easy and straightforward information from a central source. From the questionnaire respondents, 60% indicated that they would like to have more information about food processing. In conclusion, most Dutch consumers in this study have a neutral and nuanced attitude towards industrial food processing. A connection with food via profession or education showed a more positive attitude, which may indicate the importance of knowledge and the need for clear communication about nutrition, ingredients, and food processing.

Relationship between Presentation, Attitude, and In-Flight Meal Food Healthiness: Moderating Role of Familiarity

This work focused on the perception of the food healthiness of in-flight meals. This work adopts presentation as the determinant. This work also employs attitude as the consequence of food healthiness. This research also examines the moderating effect of familiarity on the relationship between food presentation and food healthiness. This research used a survey, and survey participants were recruited via a Clickworker platform service. Survey participants were experienced with in-flight meals. The number of observations was 317. Moreover, this research tested the research hypotheses using the Hayes process macro Model 7. The results revealed that food healthiness is positively influenced by presentation and that food healthiness positively affects attitude. Moreover, the results revealed that the type of presentation has a positive influence on attitude. Familiarity was a significant moderating variable for the relationship between food presentation and food healthiness. This work sheds light on the literature by identifying the associations among four attributes of in-flight meals. Additionally, the results of this study could be used as a reference to develop better in-flight meals.

Environmental-, Climate-, and Health-Related Dietary Motivations Are Associated With Higher Diet Quality in a National Sample of US Adults With Lower Incomes

BACKGROUND

Plant-based diets can have co-benefits for human and planetary health. Associations between environmental, climate, and health concerns and dietary intake in US adults are understudied, particularly in underserved populations.

OBJECTIVE

The study objectives were to assess how dietary choices motivated by the environment, climate, and health vary by sociodemographic characteristics and how they relate to diet quality and intake frequency of different food groups in US adults with lower incomes.

DESIGN

The study design was cross-sectional.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

A web-based survey was fielded in December 2022 to 1,798 US adults with lower incomes (<250% of federal poverty guidelines).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Environmental-, climate-, and health-related dietary motivations and diet quality and dietary food group intake frequency were assessed.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

Differences in mean dietary outcomes and dietary motivation ratings by sociodemographic characteristics were evaluated using analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Associations between dietary motivations and diet quality scores and dietary intake frequency were examined using generalized linear models adjusted for sociodemographic covariates.

RESULTS

Younger adults, women, nonbinary people, racial and ethnic minoritized groups, and adults experiencing food insecurity reported higher environmental and climate dietary motivations; older adults, higher-income adults, and food-secure adults reported higher health motivations. Agreeing with environmental- (β = 2.28, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.47), climate- (β = 2.15, 95% CI 0.90 to 3.40), and health-related (β = 5.27, 95% CI 3.98 to 6.56) dietary motivations was associated with higher diet quality scores compared with those with neutral rankings. Similarly, agreement with environmental-, climate-, and health-related dietary motivations was associated with higher intake frequency of fish, fruits and vegetables, and plant proteins, but not with red and processed meat intake frequency. Of several climate-mitigation behaviors presented, participants perceived meat reduction as least effective (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Environment, climate, and health were positive motivators of several healthy dietary choices in US adults with lower incomes. Such motivators did not translate to lower intake frequency of red and processed meat.

Simply red? The effects of distinct colours and sustainable production methods on the consumers' preferences for healthier sweet peppers

The purpose of this paper is to thoroughly assess the value of colours in consumers' preferences for sweet peppers, and the association with more sustainable methods of production in the consumers' minds. Furthermore, this study provides novel insights into the influence of colours on the willingness to pay (WTP) for vegetables. It explores the interplay between colours, food attributes, and socio-demographic characteristics among consumers, marking the first attempt to examine this relationship comprehensively. A discrete choice experiment, based on consumers' preferences for sweet pepper attributes (price, colour, and production method), was implemented and a Seemingly Unrelated Regression model was then applied to evaluate the willingness to pay for different colours. The study has revealed that different colours provide consumers with different utilities and WTP in the choices of potential healthier foods. In addition, gender, age, education and number of family components play a role in affecting consumers' WTP of food linked to colour. Finally, it was found that consumers' knowledge for certain pepper colours with different antioxidant contents is interrelated. This study introduces several novelties, in particular a positive correlation between interest in antioxidants and colours was found, suggesting that interest in healthy food properties might move consumers towards a specific sensory choice.

Naturalistic food categories are driven by subjective estimates rather than objective measures of food qualities

Food-related studies often categorize foods using criteria such as fat and sugar content (e.g., high-fat, high-sugar foods; low-fat, low-sugar foods), and use these categorizations for further analyses. While these criteria are relevant to nutritional health, it is unclear whether they agree with the ways in which we typically group foods. Do these objective categories correspond to our subjective sense? To address this question, we recruited a group of 487 online participants to perform a triplet comparison task involving implicit object similarity judgements on images of 36 foods, which varied in their levels of fat and sugar. We also acquired subjective ratings of other food properties from another set of 369 online participants. Data from the online triplet task was used to generate a similarity matrix of these 36 foods. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) of this matrix identified that the strongest determinant of food similarity (the first PC) was most highly related to participants' judgements of how processed the foods were, while the second component was most related to estimates of sugar and fat content. K-means clustering analysis revealed five emergent food groupings along these PC axes: sweets, fats, starches, fruits, and vegetables. Our results suggest that naturalistic categorizations of food are driven primarily by knowledge of the origin of foods (i.e., grown or manufactured), rather than by their sensory or macronutrient properties. These differences should be considered and explored when developing methods for scientific food studies.

Predicting willingness to consume healthy brand foods using the theory of planned behavior: the role of nutritional literacy

Introduction

The willingness to consume healthy foods has highlighted the growing importance of health, even more so when it comes to food choice, and predicting the willingness to consume foods of a healthy brand represents an action that leads to the practice of conscious eating habits, but what is behind this willingness? To answer this question and based on previous studies such as the theory of planned behavior and nutritional literacy, this study aimed to build a predictive model through an empirical study to examine the influence of nutritional literacy (NL) on attitude (ATT), subjective norm (SN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC), as well as to determine the influence of the three variables of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) on the willingness to consume healthy brand foods (WCHBF) in the Peruvian market.

Methods

The research focused on the population that stated that they were consumers of the Unión brand (a brand whose value proposition is the sale of healthy foods), obtaining 482 consumers. The study was conducted under a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design approach.

Results

The results support the existence of a positive and significant effect of NL on ATT, SN, and PBC, finding the exact behavior of SN and PBC in WCHBF; however, in the proposed model, it is observed that ATT has no impact on WCHBF.

Conclusion

Applying strategies that lead to a change in consumer behavior towards healthy brands is a matter of time and will. In this context, the findings indicate that nutritional literacy plays an essential role in the willingness to consume healthy foods, which sheds more light on the design of educational interventions and awareness campaigns that independently inform about nutritional benefits and empower consumers, allowing them to make informed and healthy choices.

Development of Low Glycemic Index Pancakes Formulated with Canary Seed (Phalaris Canariensis) Flour

Consumers prefer food products that, in addition to nutritional properties, also have effects beneficial to health. Non-conventional food plants such as canary seed (Phalaris canariensis) constitute an alternative in the food industry due to nutritional properties, chemical, and bioactive potential. The aim of this research was to develop pancake formulations with the inclusion of canary seed flour to evaluate their proximate composition, overall score, taste and texture sensory acceptability, and glycemic index. Pancakes based on whole-wheat flour mixed with canary seed flour were developed at four substitution levels (control 0, 10, 30, and 50%). The formulations exhibited attractive nutritional properties, mainly due to the levels of protein (~ 8.7%), minerals (~ 5.1%), and total dietary fiber (4.7-5.9%). The overall score and taste showed a statistical difference (p < 0.05) between the formulations. The flours with 10 and 30% showed high sensory acceptability with scores of 6.22 and 6.67 respect to 7-point hedonic scale, between the categories "I like it" and "I like it a lot". All formulations presented a low glycemic index (34-39%) that was significantly influenced (p < 0.05) as the level of substitution increased. The findings represent a new approach to the use of canary seed in the development of healthy food products.

Health-Washing of Ultraprocessed Products on Instagram: Prevalence and Strategies in an Emerging Market

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence of health-related cues as part of the digital marketing of ultraprocessed foods on Instagram among food companies in Uruguay.

METHODS

Cross-sectional exploratory study. All content posted by 118 Instagram accounts of companies promoting ultraprocessed foods in Uruguay over 6 months (from August 2020 to February 2021) was retrieved. The content of 1,893 Instagram posts was coded considering visual and textual cues conveying health-related associations. The number and percentage of posts, including cues within each category and theme, were calculated.

RESULTS

More than half of all posts contained at least 1 visual or textual cue conveying health-related associations. Three main themes emerged: i) product composition, ii) healthy lifestyle, and iii) health and health benefits. The prevalence of health-related cues differed dramatically across product categories, ranging from 100% to 1.5%.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Health-washing constitutes an integral part of the digital marketing of ultraprocessed foods on Instagram in Uruguay. The inclusion of health-related cues can potentially undermine public health efforts targeted at reducing consumption of these foods. These findings suggest that strict and comprehensive regulations on the digital marketing of such products are needed in policies promoting healthy eating habits globally.

Impact of health claims: what has been achieved and what is the future?

Using health claims on foods in the European Union and the United States for more than two decades did not have a noticeable positive impact on public health and neither on the innovation or sales of such food products. The objective was to assess the reasons for this limited impact using a narrative review approach. Consumers assess the value of health claims on foods case-by-case in a way that can be explored with the opportunity, ability, and motivation framework. Perceived relevance of a health claim seems to be an important motivational factor in consumer responses. Thus, targeted marketing of foods with health claims should be applied specifically to those consumers for which the claimed benefit is relevant. Language for the health claim should be used that is reflective for the scientific substantiation as well as credible and clearly understood by the target consumer. The food should be a credible carrier for the claimed benefit, and not be compromised on taste and other sensory properties. Finally, consumers should be made more aware of what health claims are, and what they are not, in relation to healthy eating. With these adaptations the use and impact of health claims may become more effective.

The Influence of Packaging Color on Consumer Perceptions of Healthfulness: A Systematic Review and Theoretical Framework

When consumers evaluate a new product, packaging design plays a critical role. In particular, packaging color is a dominant design cue that influences consumer perception of a product. Several studies have investigated the influence of color on taste. However, there is limited research on the influence of packaging color on consumer health perception. As healthy eating is a focus for many consumers and public decision-makers, more knowledge is needed. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of empirical studies that have investigated the influence of packaging color on consumers' health perceptions and to provide a psychological explanation for the observed effects. The systematic review includes 20 empirical studies across different product groups. The results show that packaging color influences consumers' health perceptions. We argue that the influence of packaging color on consumer health perceptions can be explained by the following mechanisms, which are not mutually exclusive: (1) consumers rely on a color as an explicit signal for health; (2) colors are associated with beliefs that indirectly influence health assessments; and (3) colors trigger mental simulations that influence health assessments. In addition, we provide suggestions for further research that will contribute to a better understanding of when and how packaging color can help consumers make healthier food choices.

Nutritional Description of Processed Foods with Fibre-Related Nutrition Claims in Spain: The BADALI Project

Fibre is one of the most beneficial nutrients for health and is very frequently used in nutrition claims (NCs) to promote foods. These claims may lead consumers to believe that products bearing them are healthy and/or healthier than those without them. The main objective of this work is to address this belief. This is the first exhaustive analysis of seven processed food types with fibre-related NCs (six cereal-based and one plant-based meat analogues) comparing them with those without these claims. The Spanish Food Database, BADALI, was used for this study. Results show that as many as 88.7% of processed foods with fibre-related NCs are classified as 'less healthy' according to the Nutrient Profile Model developed by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO-NPM). When compared to foods without these NCs, similar results were obtained in the whole sample. Most of the observed divergences when analysing individual critical nutrients by food type indicate a deterioration of the nutritional quality. Foods with fibre-related NCs contained more fibre. The more frequent use of whole grain cereals or other fibre-specific ingredients may contribute to this. Some other nutritionally relevant differences were observed and half of them reflected a deterioration of the nutritional quality. In addition, these foods presented a lower prevalence of the organic version, as well as similar rates of mineral and vitamin fortification. Therefore, processed foods with fibre-related NCs are not healthy, nor present a better nutritional profile than those without.

Can Traditional Food Product Communication Convey Safety to the Younger Generations? The Role of Sustainable Packaging

Traditional food products (TFPs) represent a defining part of one's culture, identity, and heritage with crucial economic, cultural, and environmental benefits in society. Younger generations have a positive idea of TFPs, even if this does not lead to actual purchase, possibly due to the fact that they are often perceived to not meet safety criteria. This study focuses on product communication (CP) and packaging referring to the territory (PT) and to sustainability (SP) in order to verify if these have a direct or mediated impact on perceived product safety (PPS). A structural equation model was conducted on a sample of 1079 young Italian cheese consumers. The results allowed us to confirm the hypothesized impact of CP on PPS through the mediation of PT and, particularly, SP. SP has a crucial communicative role in the model, demonstrating the ability to enhance the perception of the safety of TFPs. This research adds to the knowledge in the field of TFPs, focusing on communication and sustainable packaging as crucial factors conveying healthiness, nutritiousness, and perceived safety, consequently leading to a greater diffusion of the products themselves in the market.

Parent Willingness to Pay for School Feeding Programs in Junior High Schools in Malang Regency, Indonesia

In Indonesia, school feeding programs have not been established nationally due to the government's limited budget. To examine the possibility of copayment for school feeding programs, parents' intentions to use the school feeding programs and their willingness to pay (WTP) for these programs should be considered. We conducted an online questionnaire survey among the parents of junior high school students in all five public junior high schools in the Kepanjen District of Malang Regency, East Java Province, Indonesia. We used the contingent valuation method to elicit parents' WTP for school feeding and calculated the price elasticity of school feeding. Factors associated with the WTP were examined using logistic regression analysis. Of the 940 participants, 90% intended to use school feeding programs, and 30% were willing to pay Rp 15,000 (USD 1.05) or higher per meal. Of the 944 students (participants' children), all but two students consumed meals or snacks at school, with 74% consuming foods three or more times daily. Higher WTP for school feeding was associated with frequent food consumption at school, higher income, and a better perception of meals at school. In contrast, lower WTP was associated with more household members. Most parents intended to use school feeding programs with certain WTP irrespective of the price of school feeding. Therefore, school feeding in Indonesia might be expanded through copayment.

Perception and attitudes of street food vendors toward the healthiness of meals prepared and sold in Dodoma

Consumption of street meals among urban dwellers has become inevitable, especially in low- and middle-income countries. It has been linked to higher incidence of dietary-related diseases. Vendors' perceptions and attitudes toward the healthiness of meals can influence nutritional quality of the offered meals. Therefore, the study aimed to assess perceptions and attitudes of vendors toward healthy and unhealthy meals as well as the healthiness of meals they prepare and sell. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 384 street food vendors. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using semistructured questionnaire. Pearson Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used in comparing and testing for the association of perceptions and attitudes to vendors' characteristics. Street food vendors that took part in this study demonstrated good perceptions based on what they perceived to be healthy meals (58.33%) and positive attitudes (95.57%) toward preparation and provision of healthy meals. Perceptions were associated with sex (p = .007), education level (p = .002), and investment cost (p = .000). Results from logistic regression showed that better perceptions of healthy meals were associated with being female (OR = 2.46, p-value < .031), having higher education (OR = 11.88, p-value < .042), and vending experience of 1-5 years and more than 5 years (OR = 3.17, 2.95, p-value < .019, .039, respectively) while having moderate investment cost showed significant lower chances of having better perceptions (OR = 0.33, p-value < .001). Attitudes were associated with sex (p = .002), age (p = .002), marital status (p = .013), education (p = .009), and vending experience (p = .008). Female vendors, having 25 years of age and above, living with partners, with tertiary education, and having vending experience of more than 1 year had shown to have more positive attitudes toward healthy meals. Generally, street food vendors had good perceptions and attitudes toward healthy meals. This implies possible room for change and adoption of better ways of preparing meals. These findings could be used as a stepping stone in improving nutritional and healthy quality of street meals. Increased efforts are needed on the inclusion of nutritional aspects of healthy meals as they were merely considered by vendors. Future interventions on these vendors should focus more on male vendors, vendors with little vending experience, and little education as they had shown to have relatively poorer attitudes and perceptions compared to other groups.

Exploring the underutilized novel foods and starches for formulation of low glycemic therapeutic foods: a review

Rising incidences of life-style disorders like obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are a matter of concern coupled with escalated consumption of highly refined and high energy foods with low nutrient density. Food choices of consumers have witnessed significant changes globally with rising preference to highly processed palatable foods. Thus, it calls food scientists, researchers and nutritionists' attention towards developing and promoting pleasant-tasting yet healthy foods with added nutritional benefits. This review highlights selected underutilized and novel ingredients from different food sources and their by-products that are gaining popularity because of their nutrient density, that can be employed to improve the nutritional quality of conventionally available empty-calorie foods. It also emphasizes on the therapeutic benefits of foods developed from these understudied grains, nuts, processing by-products of grains, fruits- and vegetable-byproducts and nutraceutical starches. This review aims to draw attention of food scientists and industrialists towards popularizing the utilization of these unconventional, yet nutrient rich foods sources in improving the nutritional profile of the conventional foods lacking in nutrient density.

Nutritional Description of Organic and Conventional Food Products in Spain: The BADALI Project

Organic food and drink is undoubtedly a growing market. Consumers perceive organic food as healthy, and nutrition claims (NCs) and fortification may add to this perception. Whether this is true is still a matter of controversy, particularly for organic food products. We present here the first comprehensive study of large samples of six specific organic food types, analysing the nutritional quality (nutrient composition and "healthiness") as well as the use of NCs and fortification. In parallel, a comparison with conventional food is also carried out. For this purpose, the Food Database of products in the Spanish market, BADALI, was used. Four cereal-based and two dairy-substitute food types were analysed. Our results show that as many as 81% of organic foods are considered "less healthy" by the Pan American Health Organization Nutrient Profile Model (PAHO-NPM). Organic foods present a slightly improved nutrient profile compared to conventional foods. However, many of the differences, though statistically significant, are nutritionally irrelevant. Organic foods use NCs very frequently, more than conventional foods, with very little micronutrient fortification. The main conclusion of this work is that consumers' perception that organic food products are healthy is unfounded from a nutritional point of view.

Supporting consumers' informed food choices: Sources, channels, and use of information

Information about food is available from several sources using a variety of communication channels. Following an overview of the different types on food information, the most important source/channel combinations are discussed. The key steps in processing the information toward making a food choice are discussed: consumer's exposure to such information, the attention the consumer pays to it, the understanding and/or liking of the information, as well as the importance of motivation, knowledge, and trust. To support consumers in making informed food choices, it is recommended to ensure that food information is easy to understand and targeted to consumers with a specific need or interest, align the information on the food label with the communication about the food elsewhere ("off label"), provide (non-expert) influencers with transparent information to enable an increase in the trustworthiness of their communications on the web in on social media. Furthermore, increase cooperation between authorities and food producers to create standards that fulfill the legal requirements and are feasible as label elements. Improving food literacy among consumers by including it in formal education would provide consumers with better nutrition knowledge and skills to interpret food-related information in a manner that supports informed choices.

Consumer Awareness of the Degree of Industrial Food Processing and the Association with Healthiness-A Pilot Study

Consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) has been associated with lower diet quality, obesity, and adverse health effects. Not much is known about how consumers evaluate the degree of processing of a food product and how they relate this to healthiness. An online questionnaire was completed by a total of 277 Dutch, 204 Italian, and 181 Brazilian consumers. Consumers were aged 18-65 year, mean 38 ± 13 year, 31% were males, and 71% were highly educated. Pictures of several common food products were evaluated on the degree of industrial processing and healthiness. Thirteen food categories were included, each including one minimally processed food (MPF), one High NS_UPF (Nutri-Score A or B), and one Low NS_UPF (Nutri-Score D or E). Lastly, knowledge and attitude about UPFs were assessed. Ultraprocessing was perceived as unhealthy by the majority of consumers (Dutch, Italian: 55%; Brazilian: 75%) and contributed to weight gain according to: 38% Dutch, 51% Italian, and 70% Brazilian consumers. Low NS_UPFs were correctly rated toward "processed" and "not healthy" in all countries. High NS_UPF were rated as processed but showed large variations in healthiness scores. In conclusion, consumers rated UPFs relatively low in healthiness compared with MPFs with similar Nutri-Scores within the same food category. These preliminary findings suggest that consumers incorporate, to some extent, the degree of industrial processing while assessing the healthiness of food products.

Knowledge and awareness about and use of iodised salt among students in Germany and Greece

BACKGROUND

Iodine is an essential trace element, which is important for human metabolism, growth and mental development. Iodine deficiency may still occur in Europe and the use of iodised salt is an effective measure to enhance iodine intake. Knowledge and awareness about the importance of iodine in nutrition and health can have a positive impact on the use of iodised salt. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the knowledge about and use of iodised salt among university students in two European countries.

METHOD

Data from two countries (Germany and Greece) were extracted from a multi-centre cross-sectional survey, conducted among non-nutrition science/non-medical students from October 2018 to April 2019.

RESULTS

Among the 359 participants in Germany (35% females, median age: 22 years) and the 403 participants in Greece (51% females, median age: 21 years), 41% and 37%, respectively, reported use of iodised salt at home. Users and non-users did not differ by age, gender and Body Mass Index or general interest in nutrition in both cohorts. However, those who had a better knowledge about iodine and (iodised) salt or had previously attended nutrition classes were more likely to report iodised salt usage.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that strengthening the imparting of nutritional information and additional education of young adults are needed and may improve knowledge about and usage of iodised salt.

Visualise the tastes from the label: A study on the taste-colour crossmodal association of crisp and dry

Colour is an important guideline for selection and consumption. It also draws attention to the designers, as some modern design styles require them to illustrate the taste of the product with a limited number of colours. In this case, a precise description of the taste-colour association is required. The present study explored the colour-taste crossmodal association of two tastes, crisp and dry, which are normally found in beers and are the preferred flavours of Chinese consumers. Experiments were carried out to determine the characteristics of the colours associated with the two tastes. And the strength of the tastes perceived from the colours with different hue angles was investigated. The results of this study reveal that the hue and chroma can both affect the perception of these tastes. Both tastes can be perceived from the same colour, but the strength of the taste can be varied from different hues.

Consumer conceptualisations of food-related wellbeing: An exploration of wellbeing-related terms in four industrialised countries

Perceived (or subjective) wellbeing is regarded as key to understanding consumer food choices and the development of strategies to promote desirable eating habits. Yet, in-depth understanding of the specific factors that contribute to people's perceived wellbeing across cultures is lacking. These factors motivated the present research that used word associations to conduct an exploratory analysis of consumer conceptualisations of food-related wellbeing (WB). Adults (n = 4945) living in the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore or Germany, speaking respectively, English or German, took part in the study. Health, pleasure, food quality, positive emotions and social aspects of food consumption were the main associations with food-related wellbeing. Absence hereof was associated with unhealthiness, disgust, negative emotions and poor mental health. The differences in these main associations emphasised the importance of exploring wellbeing, as well as lack hereof. Not doing so leads to an incomplete understanding of this multidimensional construct. The research was conducted with four terms related to wellbeing (each in their positive and negative versions): 'sense of wellbeing' and 'lack of wellbeing', 'feeling good' and 'feeling bad/unhappy', 'satisfied with life' and 'dissatisfied with life' and 'fulfilled in life' and 'unfulfilled in life'. Because these different terms gave rise to different wellbeing associations, researchers in this area must choose their empirical approach with care. The terms 'sense of wellbeing' and 'feeling good' tended to more frequently give rise to health-related associations. Conversely, 'satisfied with life' and 'fulfilled in life' tended to more frequently give rise to positive spiritual and emotional associations of food-related wellbeing. The main conceptualisations of food-related wellbeing were cross-culturally similar, but extension of the present research to other Asian countries was recommended based on several differences between Singaporean participants and those from other countries. In ethnically diverse countries like Singapore, further within-country investigations of different cultures also have merit.

Perception and Understanding of Guideline Daily Amount and Warning Labeling among Mexican Adults during the Law Modification Period

Front-of-pack labeling (FOPL) is a tool that enables consumers to compare foods and select healthier options. Due to low understanding of the Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) labeling among Mexicans, a law was implemented in October 2020 that modified the FOPL to a warning labeling (WL) system. The purpose of this study was to compare the perception and understanding of GDA and WL during the law modification period. We conducted a panel design with two measurements: (1) using GDA label (September 2020) and (2) using WL (October–November). We estimated differences in GDA vs. WL through multinomial logistic regression models and changes were measured through predictive margin contrasts and Wald tests. When comparing the same products with different labels, the participants reported that it would be unlikely/very unlikely that they would consume products packaged with the WL (81.5%; 95%CI: 79.2, 83.8) compared to those with GDA (24.2%; 95%CI: 21.7, 26.7). Consumers’ perception was that the quantities of packaged products they should consume was small or very small when they used the WL (93.8%; 95%CI: 92.4, 95.5) compared to GDA (41.6%; 95%CI: 39.7, 44.6). When comparing food groups, participants were more confident about choosing healthy products when using the WL compared to the GDA. During the implementation of WL in Mexico, the studied population had a better perception and understanding of less healthy packaged foods when using WL, compared to the GDA label.

Factors affecting consumer attitudes to fungi-based protein: A pilot study

Meat substitutes using alternative proteins can facilitate sustainable diets without compromising animal welfare. The fungal protein, also called mycoprotein is the biomass that results from the fermentation of a filamentous fungus. This paper reports the results of a consumer acceptance study of fungal protein-based meat substitutes using a mixed-method design with a web-based survey and a series of semi-structured interviews amongst European participants. Based on the description provided in the survey, 56% of participants were not directly familiar with fungal proteins but they understood its potential societal benefits. The overall Food Technology Neophobia Score (FTNS) of the sample was moderate (M = 40.0, range = 19-62), with more neophilic participants (52.9%) than neophobic (47.1%). FTN was a significant but weak predictor of Perceived Benefits (PB) and Purchase Intentions (PI). Younger participants perceived fungal proteins more positively, and city-dwellers had higher PI than rural dwellers. Reducetarians were more likely to purchase fungal proteins, compared to unrestricted omnivores. Participants with lower acceptance of fungal proteins' association with mould had significantly lower PI than those who were comfortable with it. In turn, familiarity with fungal protein was positively associated with mould acceptance. The qualitative data suggested that the sensory attributes were the most important factor in the acceptance of meat substitutes. The participants also valued clean label products which were perceived as healthier. Familiarity with other products containing mould seemed to assuage concerns and drive acceptance of fungal protein. The findings suggest that the overall acceptance of fungal protein is still rather low. This may be attributed to the perceived low appeal and tastiness of available fungal protein products.

Evaluation of Food Labelling the Products with Information Regarding the Level of Sugar: A Preliminary Study

The aim of this article is to explore the reasons for seeking selected information on a food label, with particular emphasis on certain information about sugar. In order to meet the aim, in 2020, a survey was conducted among consumers aged 18–45. Predictive models (Logistic Regression) were developed for noticing “light” products and reading food labels. The results of our study indicate that consumers are mainly discouraged from reading label information by a large amount of information, the lack of time, and a general reluctance to be interested in label information. When it comes to the factors that lead people to read label information, the naturalness of the product, its organic origin, and physical activity are important. Moreover, respondents who declared that they noticed products on the market defined as “light” were those who were interested in the naturalness of the product, but also consumers declaring that they have nutritional knowledge. The results of the study indicate the need to intensify information campaigns in order to emphasize how important it is for consumers to read the information on food labels. The amount and complexity of information currently appearing on the food label may unfortunately discourage consumers from reading it, so it is important to continuously improve this form of communication with the consumer.

Computational Methods for Predicting and Understanding Food Judgment

People make subjective judgments about the healthiness of different foods every day, and these judgments in turn influence their food choices and health outcomes. Despite the importance of such judgments, there are few quantitative theories about their psychological underpinnings. This article introduces a novel computational approach that can approximate people's knowledge representations for thousands of common foods. We used these representations to predict how both lay decision-makers (the general population) and experts judge the healthiness of individual foods. We also applied our method to predict the impact of behavioral interventions, such as the provision of front-of-pack nutrient and calorie information. Across multiple studies with data from 846 adults, our models achieved very high accuracy rates (r² = .65-.77) and significantly outperformed competing models based on factual nutritional content. These results illustrate how new computational methods applied to established psychological theory can be used to better predict, understand, and influence health behavior.

Brazilian Consumers’ Perception towards Food Labeling Models Accompanying Self-Service Foods

The study aimed to evaluate consumers’ perception of self-service foods’ nutrition labels. This qualitative and quantitative assessment was performed with potential consumers at food services. Four food labeling formats, traditional, simplified, traffic-light, and warning, were proposed to evaluate three types of sandwiches: simple, chicken, and hamburger. Data were collected via an online survey from April to May 2020. The study included 413 subjects. The respondents preferred the traffic-light format, but there was a good understanding and acceptability of all four models. The traffic-light and warning nutrition labeling models, which showed health warnings, led to a reduction in the choice of the Simple Sandwich and the Hamburger. Most respondents (96.1%, n = 397) agreed that it is necessary to complement the information on food labels with ingredients and the number of calories per serving. Therefore, it is essential to have legislation regulating such issues. Consumers’ choices improved with the increase in the information placed on the products. This research demonstrated that nutrition labels explain what exists currently and that consumers require such information. Thus, food labeling may positively influence consumers’ choices.

Added value of physical food products as a stimulus during interviewing

Semi-structured interviews are an often-used method for researching consumer perceptions of food products. However, understanding detailed and in-depth how consumers perceive food products is challenging for researchers because it could be difficult for consumers to express their motives and perceptions. In our previous studies using semi-structured interviews, this difficulty to express perceptions was also recognized, especially when concepts like naturalness, sustainability and healthiness were discussed. However, in both studies physical food products were used as stimuli and there was an indication that there might be differences in the number and type of answers given before and after the use of these stimuli products. Therefore, the current research aimed at showing effects and the possible value of using physical food stimuli products during semi-structured interviews. Two different studies were used to reach this aim, one study about the health perception of mothers and the other study about the naturalness, sustainability and healthiness perception of adolescents, both using snack products as physical stimuli. In both studies, the use of physical stimuli products appeared to be effective and useful. The comparison of the answers with and without stimuli products showed that using stimuli products provides more, and more detailed answers on the perception of the products. Therefore, the results of this study could serve as a guideline on the use of food stimuli products during semi-structured interviews.

Ethnicity, age, and education influence perceptions of vegetable healthiness and macronutrient content

Objective: To assess perceptions of nutritional content and health value of popular vegetables. Design: Cross-sectional online survey. Participants: A total of 760 adults participated in the study. Main Outcome Measures: Likert scale ratings of healthy, calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, for (i) avocado, (ii) romaine lettuce, (iii) white potato, (iv) white onion, and (v) red tomato. Analysis: ANOVAs for continuous variables and Chi-square for categorical variables. Outcomes for nutritional content were compared using separate one-way ANOVAs with ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino vs. non-Hispanic); education (college degree/no college degree); age (18-34, 35-50, 51-70, 70 + ); and diabetes status (with or without diabetes) as the grouping variables. Results: Significant ethnicity effects were found for avocado, lettuce, potato, onion, and tomato. Education level effects were found for avocado, lettuce, potato, and tomato. Age level effects were found for avocado, lettuce, potato, and tomato. Conclusions and Implications: Participant perceptions of the macronutrient content of common vegetables and fruits largely coincided with the US Department of Agriculture values. However, stratifying by ethnicity, age, and education revealed significant differences in both macronutrient perceptions and perceived healthiness. There were no consistent, significant results for interactions of ethnicity by education, nor ethnicity by age. These results suggest that dietary interventions may need to be adjusted based on participant sociodemographic characteristics linked to the perceptions of nutritional value and healthiness.

Insight on Current Advances in Food Science and Technology for Feeding the World Population

While the world population is steadily increasing, the capacity of Earth to renew its resources is continuously declining. Consequently, the bioresources required for food production are diminishing and new approaches are needed to feed the current and future global population. In the last decades, scientists have developed novel strategies to reduce food loss and waste, improve food production, and find new ingredients, design and build new food structures, and introduce digitalization in the food system. In this work, we provide a general overview on circular economy, alternative technologies for food production such as cellular agriculture, and new sources of ingredients like microalgae, insects, and wood-derived fibers. We present a summary of the whole process of food design using creative problem-solving that fosters food innovation, and digitalization in the food sector such as artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, and blockchain technology. Finally, we briefly discuss the effect of COVID-19 on the food system. This review has been written for a broad audience, covering a wide spectrum and giving insights on the most recent advances in the food science and technology area, presenting examples from both academic and industrial sides, in terms of concepts, technologies, and tools which will possibly help the world to achieve food security in the next 30 years.

I Believe It Is Healthy-Impact of Extrinsic Product Attributes in Demonstrating Healthiness of Functional Food Products

Due to the high proportion of impulse purchases and the short time devoted to purchase decisions, packaging and other extrinsic attributes are becoming increasingly important in demonstrating the health benefits of a functional food item to consumers as plausibly as possible. Our research aims at identifying the role of extrinsic features (claims related to ingredients and health claims, organic or domestic origin, as well as the shape and color of packaging), gathered in the course of in-depth literature analysis, in the case of a functional smoothie. Our online consumer questionnaire was completed by 633 respondents, and the answers were assessed by choice based conjoint analysis. Our results show that each examined attribute plays a role in the assessment of health effects. The color blue has the biggest impact on making the consumer believe in the health benefits of the product. This is followed by the indication of organic origin, then the statement emphasizing the natural quality of the ingredients. The assessment of the specific extrinsic attributes is affected by consumers’ general health interest level, their involvement with food items, and their various demographic features.

Future trends of processed meat products concerning perceived healthiness: A review

The 21st-century consumer is highly demanding when it comes to the health benefits of food and food products. In the pursuit of attracting these consumers and easing the rise in demand for high-quality meat products, the processed meat sector is intensely focused on developing reformulated, low-fat, healthy meat products. Meat and meat products are considered the primary sources of saturated fatty acids in the human diet. Therefore, these reformulation strategies aim to improve the fatty acid profile and reduce total fat and cholesterol, which can be achieved by replacing animal fat with plant-based oils; it could be performed as direct inclusion of these oils or pre-emulsified oils. However, emulsions offer a viable option for incorporating vegetable oils while avoiding the multiple issues of direct inclusion of these oils in meat products. Processed meat products are popular worldwide and showing a gradually increasing trend of consumption. Various types of plant-based oils have been studied as fat replacers in meat products. This review will focus on possible methods to reduce the saturated fatty acid content in meat products.

Appraisal survey of the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Jordanian society toward diet and nutrition during COVID-19 era

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior (KAB) of the Jordanian society toward nutrition and diet during the COVID-19 era.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This study is an observational, cross-sectional study using a structured, validated, reproducible, self-administered online Arabic questionnaire. KAB of the study participants was assessed via a web-based, structured, validated, reproducible Arabic questionnaire. The tool for the assessment of the KAB was composed of 33-closed-ended multi-answer questions.

RESULTS

A total of 672 people were surveyed, 70.2% were between 18 and 34, and 69.5% were females. Participants have paid little attention to the healthfulness of their diet in the last year. The majority of participant's attitudes towards using different approaches to manage weight in the next year were: eating smaller portions for weight management, tracking to maximize the amount of time of physical activity, and substituting lower-calorie foods for full-calorie alternatives. Only tenth of participants utilize the time to perform physical activity. The majority made changes to their diet and exercise, and strictly follow commitment in connection with planning for the following year.

CONCLUSIONS

Educators, legislative, food manufacturers, household heads, and policymakers are called upon to improve Jordanians' KAB on nutrition and diet. Furthermore, Jordanian nutrition and diet behavior can be invested to improve the dietary interventions designed by nutrition and dietetics professionals.

Measuring the Effect of Blockchain Extrinsic Cues on Consumers' Perceived Flavor and Healthiness: A Cross-Country Analysis

Many studies in the related literature have proven that the perception of flavor and healthiness can be affected by both the product’s intrinsic and extrinsic cues. Package designs, brands, colors, labels and other visual elements exert and influence consumers’ expectations and guide them toward food decisions. With the increasing initiatives promoted within Europe in support of the adoption of blockchain technology in supply chains and agri-food contexts, in the coming years, packages will be used with additional product information certified with the technology itself. Cueing packages with blockchain-certified information could affect consumers in their overall flavor and health perceptions, similarly to that previously demonstrated with other extrinsic cues. In the present study, we analyzed a sample of 310 primary grocery shoppers from Germany, Italy and the UK, demonstrating the effectiveness of technology-certified information on the package of animal milk in influencing consumers’ flavor and health perceptions and exploring the differences and similarities across the three countries and milk categories.

Effect of Processing and Storage on the Quality of Beetroot and Apple Mixed Juice

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the development of health-promoting and disease-preventing functional foods. Beetroot is a promising vegetable because of its outstanding antioxidant activity, vivid colour, and content of bioactive compounds. In the present study, the quality of pure beetroot and apple juices as well as that of their mixture was evaluated by measuring changes of colour, betalain content, and antioxidant activity during processing and storage. No perceivable colour changes of the beetroot juice were observed after adding apple juice up to 85% of the total amount. However, the antioxidant activity was proportionally reduced with the addition of apple juice. Pasteurization negatively affected the content of betalains but did not influence the antioxidant activity. Storage led to colour modifications and reduction of betalains and antioxidant activity. Through preliminary shelf-life studies, a durability of 65 days at room temperature for apple and beetroot juice blends was calculated. The novelty of this study lies in an extended description of physico-chemical characteristics of a fresh apple and beetroot blended juice obtained from local products, in the study of the effects of processing and storage on its quality, and in the estimation of its shelf-life after storage at different temperatures.

Sounds Healthy: Modelling sound-evoked consumer food choice through visual attention

Food choice is a multifaceted construct that is not solely guided by our internal incentives. In fact, sensory scientist, consumer psychologists, and marketers have demonstrated that external ambient cues, including background music, can influence myriads of subconscious consumer behaviors, effectively leading to increased sales of food and beverages. However, the vast majority of literature in on this topic has thus far been confined to monocultural field studies in which the underlying mechanisms of food choice are unexplored. We therefore studied the explicit and implicit effects of custom-composed soundtracks on food choices and eye-movements in consumers from both 'East' and 'West'. Firstly, based on the results from a pre-study (N = 396), we composed a 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' soundtrack. Subsequently, we recruited 215 participants from China (n = 114) and Denmark (n = 101) respectively for in an in-laboratory eye-tracking food choice paradigm. For each culture, half of the participants listened to the 'healthy' soundtrack and the other half to the 'unhealthy' soundtrack during the experiment. Chi-square tests of independence revealed that across cultures, the healthy (vs. unhealthy) soundtrack led to more healthy food choices. Similarly, the generalized linear mixed models showed that the healthy soundtrack induced more and longer fixations on healthy (vs. unhealthy) food. Finally, a multiple mediation analysis signified a partial mediation effect of sound on food choice through the mediators of fixation duration, fixation count, and revisit count. Our results indicate that, with strategically chosen soundscapes, it is possible to influence consumers' decision-making processes and guide their attention towards healthier foods, providing valuable knowledge for local as well as global food business.