Sensory, emotional, and appropriateness of plant- and meat-based burgers.

The plant-based meat alternative market is experiencing rapid growth. However, whether this growth extends to mainstream consumers will depend on the sensory profile, emotional profile, and situational appropriateness of these products. This study provides a sensory comparison between two plant-based burgers, one hybrid burger, and a conventional 100% ground beef burger. The sensory evaluation was carried out under blind and informed conditions using a between-subject design. Participants (n = 177) were asked to rate the appearance, flavor, odor, and texture of each product and indicate their overall liking. In addition, 26 sensory terms were evaluated using the rate-all-that-apply technique. The study also measured the emotional profile and the situational appropriateness elicited by each product using the check-all-that-apply technique. The results showed that (a) in the blind condition, there were no significant differences observed in overall liking across the four burgers; (b) the plant-based burger made with pea protein received the lowest overall liking score, and its evaluation was not positively influenced by product information disclosure; (c) providing product information influenced the perceived intensity of the attributes associated with meat; (d) discriminatory ability for emotions was higher in the informed condition; and (e) for the situational appropriateness, when prioritizing healthy eating, participants considered plant-based burgers more suitable than the groundbeef burger. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Our results demonstrate that product descriptions could have an impact on consumer acceptance of different meat burger alternatives. In order to launch successfull meat alternatives, product developers and communication marketing specialists should consider the extent to which these alternatives resemble regular meat products in terms of their sensory and emotional profiles and context of use.

The future is crawling: Evaluating the potential of insects for food and feed security.

Current estimations showed that the number of people affected by hunger doubled in the last two years, reaching 9.8% of the global population. According to FAO, in order to satisfy the demand for food in the next few years, it will be necessary to double food production. Moreover, the call for a change in dietary patterns has been raised, showing how the food sector is responsible of 1/3 of climate change where meat-based diets or overconsumption of meat play an important role in the negative environmental impact. Consequently, there is a growing concern in how to achieve the goal of increasing food productions without exploiting environmental resources and to explore the production and use of alternative resources, such as insects. Insects are gaining interests both as food and feed not only to reduce the environmental costs in feed production for common livestock, but also to reduce farmers' dependence on traditional protein sources. In this work we aimed to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art upon insect studies, highlighting the most important results obtained from both an industrial and market perspective. The legislative framework concerning edible insects as food and feed is also analyzed, with the final purpose to highlight recent reforms, relevant case-law as well as unsolved regulatory challenges. From a normative perspective, regulatory efforts are still required to fully take advantage of the potentialities of insects-industry. From a consumer point of view, consumers' willingness to pay a premium is going to be a key issue for economic sustainability of the insect farming chain. To meet the food and feed security challenges, insects will have to be considered all-around, including applications in the food, feed, and other sectors. We believe that this review is an important contribution to the field of food science and will be of interest to researchers, food industry professionals, and policymakers in order to prioritize research questions and help communicate scientific knowledge to a broader audience.

A sensory study on consumer valuation for plant-based meat alternatives: What is liked and disliked the most?

The food sector has witnessed a surge in the production of plant-based meat alternatives that aim to mimic various attributes of traditional animal products. However, overall sensory appreciation remains low. This study employed open-ended questions, preference ranking, and an identification question to analyze sensory drivers and barriers to liking four burger patties, i.e., two plant-based (one referred to as pea protein burger and one referred to as animal-like protein burger), one hybrid meat-mushroom, and one 100 % beef burger. Untrained participants (n = 175) were randomly assigned to blind or informed conditions in a between-subject study. The main objective was to evaluate the impact of providing information about the animal/plant-based protein source/type, and to obtain product descriptors and liking/disliking levels from consumers. Results from the ranking tests for blind and informed treatments showed that the animal-like protein was the most preferred product, followed by the 100 % beef burger. Moreover, in the blind condition, there was no significant difference in preferences between the beef burger and the hybrid and pea protein burgers. In the blind tasting, people preferred the pea protein burger over the hybrid one, contrary to the results of the informed tasting, which implies the existence of affecting factors other than pure hedonistic enjoyment. In the identification question, although consumers correctly identified the beef burger under the blind condition, they still preferred the plant-based 'animal-like' burger.

Consumers' acceptance toward whole and processed mealworms: A cross-country study in Belgium, China, Italy, Mexico, and the US.

The interest in edible insects as food is growing, both in traditional and non-traditional insect-eating countries given their advantages in terms of sustainability and nutritional content. However, only a few studies have conducted cross-country investigations on the acceptance of including processed or whole insects in the diet. Thus, this study aimed to examine to which extent consumers were accepting (i) whole and visible mealworms, (ii) processed mealworms in their diet and (iii) to explore the factors affecting the acceptance level of consuming mealworms in countries with and without entomophagy tradition. An online survey was applied to collect responses (3,006) from five countries-i.e., Belgium, China, Italy, Mexico, and the US-using a quota sampling method. Moreover, an information treatment was included with about half of the participants receiving information about the advantages of edible insects as food (ingredient) and the presence of food safety regulations. Across countries, gender was the main factor affecting acceptance level as men accepted mealworms more than women. Entomophagy tradition mainly explained the differences among countries. Countries with entomophagy traditions (Mexico and China) showed higher acceptance of including whole or processed mealworms in the diet compared to countries with no entomophagy traditions (i.e., Belgium, Italy, and the US). While information and age did affect differently the acceptance of including processed mealworms in countries with entomophagy traditions showing that consumer acceptance was affected by information in Mexico and by age in China. Whereas it was found that younger people (below 42 years old) in countries without entomophagy tradition were more open to accepting processed mealworms in their diet. Moreover, across countries, the acceptance of including processed mealworms was higher compared to whole mealworms. These findings provide insights into which consumer segments to target and the potential impact of information when introducing new insect-based foods in countries with and without entomophagy traditions.

Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: Technological, Nutritional, Environmental, Market, and Social Challenges and Opportunities.

There is a growing awareness that fostering the transition toward plant-based diets with reduced meat consumption levels is essential to alleviating the detrimental impacts of the food system on the planet and to improving human health and animal welfare. The reduction in average meat intake may be reached via many possible ways, one possibility being the increased consumption of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). For this reason, in recent years, hundreds of products have been launched on the market with sensory attributes (i.e., taste, texture, appearance, and smell) similar to their animal counterparts; however, these products have often a long list of ingredients and their nutritional values are very different from animal meat. The present review aims to highlight the main opportunities and challenges related to the production and consumption of PBMAs through an interdisciplinary approach. Aspects related to the production technology, nutritional profiles, potential impacts on health and the environment, and the current market and consumer acceptance of PBMAs are discussed. Focusing on the growing literature on this topic, this review will also highlight research gaps related to PBMAs that should be considered in the future, possibly through the collaboration of different stakeholders that can support the transition toward sustainable plant-based diets.

Exploring the Future of Edible Insects in Europe.

The effects of population increase and food production on the environment have prompted various international organizations to focus on the future potential for more environmentally friendly and alternative protein products. One of those alternatives might be edible insects. Entomophagy, the practice of eating insects by humans, is common in some places but has traditionally been shunned in others, such as European countries. The last decade has seen a growing interest from the public and private sectors to the research in the sphere of edible insects, as well as significant steps forward from the legislative perspective. In the EU, edible insects are considered novel foods, therefore a specific request and procedure must be followed to place them in the market; in fact, until now, four requests regarding insects as a novel food have been approved. Insects could also be used as feed for livestock, helping to increase food production without burdening the environment (indirect entomophagy). Market perspectives for the middle of this decade indicate that most of the demand will be from the feed sector (as pet food or livestock feed production). Undoubtedly, this sector is gaining momentum and its potential relies not only in food, but also in feed in the context of a circular economy.

Strategies to Promote Healthy Eating Among University Students: A Qualitative Study Using the Nominal Group Technique.

INTRODUCTION: The years spent at university are critical in terms of altering people's dietary patterns. This study aimed to: (1) understand the main dietary changes that students experience after starting university; (2) determine the personal and objective factors that hinder healthy eating, and (3) define possible strategies to facilitate healthier diets among university students. METHODS: The nominal group technique (NGT) was used to elicit ideas from 39 students from the University of Parma, Italy. The sample comprised 16 freshmen and 23 non-freshmen. Participants prioritized and weighed their top five ideas regarding dietary changes, barriers to healthy eating, and possible strategies to maintain a healthy diet. A thematic analysis was conducted to compare the priorities across groups. RESULTS: Forty-three themes were elected as the most significant changes related to diet, 39 themes related to personal barriers, 43 themes related to objective barriers, and 55 themes related to strategies. A lack of time for cooking, low financial availability, consumption of unvaried food or junk food, and gaining knowledge about food were identified as the main changes. Personal barriers to eating healthy were intrinsic (i.e., lack of willpower, personal gluttony, and little effort in cooking preparation), poor dietary information, and a busy lifestyle. Market and financial factors (i.e., the high price of healthy products and low financial availability), as well as social factors (i.e., the negative influence of social networks, childhood food education, and origin/tradition), emerged as objective barriers. Possible strategies that could encourage students to adopt a healthy diet include varying the food products offered in university canteens, including organizing spaces where students who prepare meals from home can warm up and eat their food. Student discounts at supermarkets and information on nutrition and a healthy diet were also identified as important ways of supporting students. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE: In order to make students part of the solution, the NGT provided them with the opportunity to equally contribute their ideas and opinions about having a healthy diet in a university context. This could potentially lead to tailor-made solutions for policymakers, educators, and foodservice providers in promoting healthy eating habits.

Toward a reduced meat diet: University North American students' acceptance of a blended meat-mushroom burger.

Reduction of meat intake and increase in vegetable consumption have attracted considerable attention from researchers and food businesses. We conducted a field experiment in a university canteen with the aim of investigating the main behavioral factors determining the consumption of a blended meat-mushroom burger. 296 students who consumed the blended burger completed a structured survey including hedonic and attitudinal questions. We then contacted the same sample after 1 month to measure their reported behavior. Our results show that providing information highlighting the sustainability attributes of mushrooms has the most significant and positive impact on acceptability in comparison to information related to nutrition and indulgence. In addition, the participants' beliefs about the health and sustainable benefits of mushrooms positively impact their attitude toward the blended burger. This then significantly influences their behavioral intention to purchase the product, which proves to be a good predictor of the consumption behavior. Our findings suggest marketing opportunities arising from blending plant-based ingredients with meat products.

The New Challenge of Sports Nutrition: Accepting Insect Food as Dietary Supplements in Professional Athletes.

BACKGROUND: The dietary supplements market is growing, and their use is increasing among professional athletes. Recently, several new protein supplements have been placed in the marketplace, including energy bars enriched with insect flour. Edible insects, which are rich in protein content, have been promoted as the food of the future and athletes could be a reference sample for their continued emphasis on higher protein demand. The present study investigated the potential motivations to accept an energy protein bar with cricket flour, among a group of selected Italian professional athletes. A second aim was also to measure how an information treatment about the benefits of edible insects would have impact on acceptance. METHODS: 61 Italian professional athletes (27 females) completed a structured questionnaire regarding supplements and eating habits, food neophobia, nutrition knowledge, willingness to taste edible insects and the associated factors. A question about sports endorsement was also posed at the end of the survey. RESULTS: all subjects consumed supplements, generally recommended by medical personnel, even though their general knowledge of nutrition was poor (47.8%). Our main results shown that on a seven-point Likert scale, the protein content (5.74 ± 1.01) and the curiosity about texture (5.24 ± 0.98) were the main drivers to taste the cricket energy bar; whereas the feeling of disgust (5.58 ± 1.08) justified the rejection of tasting insects. In addition, the level of food neophobia increases with age (p < 0.05) and reduces willingness to endorse the cricket bar (p < 0.05). Male athletes (4.47 ± 1.69) were more likely to endorse the product than females (3.3 ± 1.49). An increase in willingness to taste was observed after the information treatment (z = 4.16, p < 0.001). Even though the population under investigation is unique, it is important to mention that this study involves a relatively small and convenience sample, and therefore generalizability of the results should be done with caution.

Insects as Feed for Farmed Poultry: Are Italian Consumers Ready to Embrace This Innovation?

The inclusion of insects as a protein source in feed production is not only related to technical, economical, and normative restrictions but is also affected by consumer acceptance. In this study, we evaluated consumers' attitudes, intention to purchase and eat, and willingness to pay for meat obtained from a farmed duck fed with insect-based meal or a live insect diet. We conducted a survey among a sample of 565 consumers to test the effects of information about the benefits of using insects as feed on consumers' attitudes towards animal-based products fed with insects. Providing information on the sustainability and nutritional benefits of using insects as feed increased both attitude towards and intention to purchase and eat meat products made from animals fed with insects. In the treatment group, we found a significant reduction from 21.9 to 14.0% in those who wanted to be compensated for buying a duck fed with an insect-based meal and an increase in those willing to pay the same price-from 64.9 to 72.7%. The information treatment significantly increased the intention to eat such products, suggesting that increasing consumers' knowledge might help in reducing the fears and misconceptions around the topic of using insects as a feed source.

Determinants of US University Students' Willingness to Include Whole Grain Pasta in Their Diet.

College students' lifestyle and eating habits strongly affect their health. Among many healthy eating behaviors, including whole grain food in the diet is known as providing health benefits such as maintaining a steady blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and since it is rich in fiber and minerals, it is essential for the well-being. However, consumers' intakes of whole grain products remain below recommendation, including college students. This study aims to evaluate determinant factors contributing to college students' willingness to include whole grain pasta in their diets. A sample of 499 students enrolled in a US college participated in this study. Most students perceived whole grain pasta as healthy and filling and somewhat tasty. Availability and price were not barriers for consumption. Logistic regression results suggested that factors affecting students' willingness to consume whole grain pasta in the future were the desire to eat, cognitive and affective attitudes, perception of whole grain pasta, as well as having already chosen pasta thanks to its availability at the dining. Two student segments were identified according to their healthy eating perception: Uninvolved and Health-conscious. Cognitive attitudes such as beneficial and essential had positive effects on consumption in both segments, suggesting that information provision covering specific health/nutritional benefits of whole grains for students is crucial.

Food Choice Determinants and Perceptions of a Healthy Diet among Italian Consumers.

Healthy food choices are crucial for a healthy lifestyle. However, food choices are complex and affected by various factors. Understanding the determinant factors affecting food choices could aid policy-makers in designing better strategies to promote healthy food choices in the general public. This study aims to evaluate the food choice motivations and to segment consumer groups, according to their food choice motivations, in a sample of 531 Italian consumers (collected by convenience sampling), through offline and online survey platforms. K-means cluster analysis was applied to identify consumer groups using six food choice motivation categories (health, emotional, economic and availability, social and cultural, environmental and political, and marketing and commercial). The results suggest that the strongest determinants for the food choices of Italian consumers are Environmental factors and Health. Two consumer profiles were identified through the segmentation analysis: Emotional eating and Health-driven consumers. The respondents were found to have a good awareness of what comprises a healthy diet. There is a potential market for healthy and sustainable food products, especially products with minimal or environmentally friendly packages. Food labels and information strategies could be promoted as tools to assist consumers to make healthy food choices.

Impact of sustainability and nutritional messaging on Italian consumers' purchase intent of cereal bars made with brewery spent grains.

This work focuses on the reuse of brewery spent grains (BSGs), the most abundant by-product of the beer industry, today mainly used as animal feed. BSGs are rich in fibers and proteins as well as phenolic compounds, all of which are beneficial for human nutrition. Cereal bars containing 12% BSG were formulated and characterized instrumentally. Moreover, 159 panelists representative of young Italian consumers evaluated the bars in a central location test, along with a commercial cereal bar. Products were first evaluated blind, and then in an informed condition where additional product-specific nutritional and sustainability information was revealed, thus the purchase intent was determined. While the control product outperformed the BSG bar in most of the hedonic and sensory measures, the BSG sample was perceived as "natural/made with natural ingredients" by a significantly higher number of panelists (49%) compared to the control (30%). Additionally, even in the lower performing formulation, a significant positive effect on purchase intent was observed when providing either nutrition (fiber content) or sustainability (use of upcycled ingredients) information. The acceptable price range for the BSG and the commercial bar was very similar, whereas the optimal pricing point for the BSG was lower than the control. For the BSG product, sustainability information had significantly higher impact on purchase intent than nutrition-based information. Results highlight the importance of understanding consumer attitudes toward upcycling and the use of byproducts as ingredients in new food formulations. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Results show how providing information on product nutrition and sustainability can increase purchase intent in the context of a cereal bar containing upcycled ingredients. The findings of this study can help food and consumer researchers to develop acceptable products that include BSG as an ingredient, potentially replacing other cereals in the recipe. The use of this brewery by-product could add value to the beer supply chain and to the final product as well, being also aligned with the current market trend of sustainability and functional health benefits.

Consumers' Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Fish Products with Health and Environmental Labels: Evidence from Five European Countries.

Seafood products are important sources of protein and components of a healthy and sustainable diet. Understanding consumers' preferences for fish products is crucial for increasing fish consumption. This article reports the consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for different fish species and attributes on representative samples in five European countries (n = 2509): France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Consumer choices were investigated for fresh fish in a retail market under hypothetical situations arranged by a labelled choice experiment conducted for seven fish species: Cod, herring, seabass, seabream, salmon, trout, and pangasius. The results show the highest premiums for wild-caught fish than farm-raised alternatives. Ready-to-cook products are generally preferred to whole fish, whereas fish fillet preference is more species-specific. The results show positive premiums for a sustainability label and nutrition and health claims, with high heterogeneity across countries and species. With consumers' preferences and WTP being largely country- and fish-dependent, businesses (fish companies, retailers, and others) should consider the specific market context and adapt their labelling strategies accordingly. Public authorities campaigns should inform consumers about the tangible benefits related with health and environmental labels.

The Influence of Health Messages in Nudging Consumption of Whole Grain Pasta.

Health messages may be an important predictor in the selection of healthier food choices among young adults. The primary objective of our study is to test the impact of labeling whole grain pasta with a health message descriptor displayed at the point-of-purchase (POP) on consumer choice in a campus dining setting. The study was conducted in a large US college dining venue during lunch service; data were collected during a nine-week period, for a total of 18 days of observation. Each day, an information treatment (i.e., no-message condition; vitamin message; fiber message) was alternated assigned to whole grain penne. Over the study period, the selection of four pasta options (white penne, whole grain penne, spinach fettuccine, and tortellini) were recorded and compiled for analysis. Logistic regression and pairwise comparison analyses were performed to estimate the impact of health messages on diners' decisions to choose whole grain penne among the four pasta types. Our results indicate that only the message about vitamin benefits had a significant effect on this choice, with a 7.4% higher probability of selecting this pasta than the no-message condition and 6.0% higher than the fiber message condition. These findings suggest that psychological health claims (e.g., reduction of fatigue) of whole grains seem more attractive than physiological health claims (e.g., maintaining a healthy weight) for university students. In line with the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, our results suggest that small changes made at the POP have the potential to contribute to significant improvements in diet (e.g., achieving recommended levels of dietary fiber). These findings have important implications for food service practitioners in delivering information with the greatest impact on healthy food choices.

Factors Predicting the Intention of Eating an Insect-Based Product.

This study provides a framework of the factors predicting the intention of eating an insect-based product. As part of the study, a seminar was carried out to explore how the provision of information about ecological, health, and gastronomic aspects of entomophagy would modify consumer beliefs regarding insects as food. Before and after the informative seminar, two questionnaires about sociodemographic attributes and beliefs about the consumption of insects as food were given. Participants were then asked to carry out a sensory evaluation of two identical bread samples, but one was claimed to be supplemented with insect powder. Results showed that perceived behavioral control is the main predictor of the intention, followed by neophobia and personal insect food rejection. The disgust factor significantly decreased after the participants attended the informative seminar. Sensory scores highlighted that participants gave "insect-labelled" samples higher scores for flavor, texture, and overall liking, nevertheless, participants indicated that they were less likely to use the "insect-labelled" bread in the future. Our findings provide a better understanding of insect food rejection behavior and help to predict the willingness to try insect-based products based on some important individual traits and information.

The Potential Role of Insects as Feed: A Multi-Perspective Review.

Recently, insects have received increased attention as an important source of sustainable raw materials for animal feed, especially in fish, poultry, and swine. In particular, the most promising species are represented by the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, HI), the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor, TM), and the common house fly (Musca domestica, MD). Although rapid development is expected, insects remain underutilized in the animal feed industry mainly due to technical, financial, and regulatory barriers. In addition, few works have analyzed consumer and stakeholder points of view towards the use of insects as animal feed. In this article, we summarize the main findings of this body of research and provide a discussion of consumer studies regarding the consumption of animals fed with insects. Our review suggests that consumer acceptance will not be a barrier towards the development of this novel protein industry. Furthermore, we conclude that it will be of interest to understand whether the use of this more sustainable feed source might increase consumer willingness to pay for animal products fed with insects and whether the overall acceptability, from a sensory point of view, will be perceived better than conventional products. Finally, the main challenges of the feed farming industry are addressed.

College Students and Eating Habits: A Study Using An Ecological Model for Healthy Behavior.

Overweightness and obesity rates have increased dramatically over the past few decades and they represent a health epidemic in the United States (US). Unhealthy dietary habits are among the factors that can have adverse effects on weight status in young adulthood. The purpose of this explorative study was to use a qualitative research design to analyze the factors (barriers and enablers) that US college students perceived as influencing healthy eating behaviors. A group of Cornell University students (n = 35) participated in six semi-structured focus groups. A qualitative software, CAQDAS Nvivo11 Plus, was used to create codes that categorized the group discussions while using an Ecological Model. Common barriers to healthy eating were time constraints, unhealthy snacking, convenience high-calorie food, stress, high prices of healthy food, and easy access to junk food. Conversely, enablers to healthy behavior were improved food knowledge and education, meal planning, involvement in food preparation, and being physically active. Parental food behavior and friends' social pressure were considered to have both positive and negative influences on individual eating habits. The study highlighted the importance of consulting college students when developing healthy eating interventions across the campus (e.g., labeling healthy food options and information campaigns) and considering individual-level factors and socio-ecological aspects in the analysis.

Explaining Vegetable Consumption among Young Adults: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour.

Although fruit and vegetable consumption is highly recommended for a healthy and balanced daily diet, several European countries do not meet these recommendations. In Italy, only 45% of young people are consuming at least one portion of vegetables per day. Therefore, this paper aims to understand the main determinants of vegetables consumption among young adults to suggest possible intervention strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a samples of Italian students (n = 751), using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as a conceptual framework. A structural equation model (SEM) was developed to test the TPB predictors for vegetable consumption, and the role of background factors (socio-demographic and personal characteristics) in improving the TPB model's explaining power. Overall, 81% and 68%, respectively, of intentions and behaviour variance is explained by the TPB model. Socio-demographic and personal characteristics were found to influence intentions and behaviour indirectly by their effects on the theory's more proximal determinants. Interventions should be targeted to improve perceived behavioural control (PBC), attitudes and subjective norms that significantly affect intentions. Tailored interventions for male students, enrolled in courses other than food science, and doing less physical activity may have a larger effect on behavioural change.