Improving meat tenderness using exogenous process: The consumer response.

The aim of this paper is to investigate purchase intention (PI) for meat obtained through a tenderization process based on a treatment with exogenous proteolytic enzymes. Particularly, perceived risks and perceived benefits on the consumer acceptance of tender meat produced through this emerging technology have been evaluated. In order to achieve the stated objective, a survey was conducted on a national representative sample of Italian consumers (N = 1006), who received information about the traditional and the emerging tenderization processes. Principal Component Analysis and Structural Equation Model were applied to the collected data. Results show that consumer purchase intention for meat treated with exogenous proteolytic enzymes was strongly influenced by perceived benefits and weakly influenced by perceived risks. Another important result is that perceived benefits are mainly affected by trust in science. Finally, a Cluster Analysis was performed to distinguish consumer segments with different response patterns.

Consumer Acceptance and Preference for Olive Oil Attributes-A Review.

Olive oil is largely produced in southern European countries. It encompasses a mix of search (e.g., price, color, packaging features), experience (e.g., taste), and credence attributes (e.g., organic, health claim). The importance of these attributes on consumers' attitudes and preferences for Olive oil has been explored quite extensively in the past. However, a recent body of literature has focused on product nutritional information and health claims in shaping consumers' attitudes and preferences for Olive oil. This work aims to offer an updated review of consumers' acceptance and preferences for Olive oil features. Applying the Systematic Literature Review method, a sample of 47 studies published over the last 20 years was reviewed through descriptive and content analysis. The following attributes, grouped in search, experience, and credence categories, were discussed: origin, sustainability, brand, health and safety, the production process, packaging, color, taste and flavor, and product features. The discussion of marketing and research implications closes the study. The study provides an overview of the literature background of consumer behaviors of Olive Oil, investigating the recent literature focused on product nutritional information and health claims.

Intention to Purchase Milk Packaged in Biodegradable Packaging: Evidence from Italian Consumers.

The dairy industry generates large volumes of liquid waste that can be used to produce biopolymers, potentially employable for the creation of milk biodegradable bottles. In that regard, this paper aims to explore the consumers' intention to purchase sustainable packages, as well as to assess the willingness to pay for it considering renewable packages made using organic waste feedstocks from the dairy industry (e.g., whey) and plant-based material (e.g., corn, sugarcane, etc.). To reach the stated objectives, we collected individual-level information (e.g., age, gender, education, income) from a convenient sample of 260 Italian consumers and a modified version of the Theory of Planned Behavior estimated using a structural equation model. Findings show that attitudes and perceived behavioral control are the most important drivers of the consumers' intention to purchase sustainable packages. Finally, statistics show that respondents slightly prefer to purchase products packaged using plant-based biodegradable material, as well as most of the respondents show a low willingness to pay for milk offered in biodegradable packaging, regardless of the raw material used. Then, policymakers and companies should invest in educational/informational campaigns pointing out the beneficial effects on the environment from the purchase of foods in sustainable packaging. This may potentially increase the consumers' intention to purchase, as well as their willingness to pay for plant-based and dairy whey-based packages by increasing the sustainability of the dairy supply chain.

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.

Consumers' Trade-Off between Nutrition and Health Claims under Regulation 1924/2006: Insights from a Choice Experiment Analysis.

The aim of this paper is to investigate consumers' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for functional mozzarella cheese whose health benefits (reduced fat and enrichment in omega-3) are communicated by using nutrition claims (article 8) and health claims (articles 13 and 14) of the EU Regulation 1924/2006. In order to achieve the stated objective a choice survey was developed and administered to a sample of Italian respondents. The product attributes and attribute levels included in the choice experiment were obtained from in-depth interviews conducted with stakeholders working on the development of this new product in the Italian region of Puglia. Results show that many participants were not aware of functional food. Marketing segmentation performed via latent class analysis indicates that the development of this hypothetical product should be based on the addition of naturally enriched omega-3. In terms of health communication under Regulation 1924/2006, heterogeneity of preferences of the nine identified segments reveals that respondents have a clear preference for products from the Puglia region, for the combined nutrition claim over single nutrition claims and for the reduction of disease health claim (article 14) over the health claim (article 13). In monetary terms, willingness to pay for health claims is higher than nutrition claims.

Consumers' acceptance and preferences for nutrition-modified and functional dairy products: A systematic review.

This systematic literature review collects and summarizes research on consumer acceptance and preferences for nutrition-modified and functional dairy products, to reconcile, and expand upon, the findings of previous studies. We find that female consumers show high acceptance for some functional dairy products, such as yogurt enriched with calcium, fiber and probiotics. Acceptance for functional dairy products increases among consumers with higher diet/health related knowledge, as well as with aging. General interest in health, food-neophobia and perceived self-efficacy seem also to contribute shaping the acceptance for functional dairy products. Furthermore, products with "natural" matches between carriers and ingredients have the highest level of acceptance among consumers. Last, we find that brand familiarity drives consumers with low interest in health to increase their acceptance and preference for health-enhanced dairy products, such as probiotic yogurts, or those with a general function claim.

Hedonic analysis of the price of UHT-treated milk in Italy.

The Italian market for UHT milk has been growing thanks to both consumers' interest in products with an extended shelf life and to the lower prices of these products compared with refrigerated, pasteurized milk. However, because the lower prices of UHT milk can hinder producers' margins, manufacturers have introduced new versions of UHT milk products such as lactose-free options, vitamin-enriched products, and milk for infants, with the goal of differentiating their products, escaping the price competition, and gaining higher margins. In this paper, we estimated the contribution of different attributes to UHT milk prices in Italy by using a database of Italian UHT milk sales and a hedonic price model. In our analysis, we considered 2 UHT milk market segments: products for infants and those for the general population. We found premiums varied with the milk's attributes as well as between the segments analyzed: n-3 fatty acids, organic, and added calcium were the most valuable product features in the general population segment, whereas in the infant segment fiber, glass packaging, and the targeting of newborns delivered the highest premiums. Finally, we present recommendations for UHT milk manufacturers.

Consumer purchasing behaviour towards fish and seafood products. Patterns and insights from a sample of international studies.

The present systematic review was performed to assess consumer purchasing behaviour towards fish and seafood products in the wide context of developed countries. Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar engines were used to search the existing literature and a total of 49 studies were identified for inclusion. These studies investigated consumer purchasing behaviour towards a variety of fish and seafood products, in different countries and by means of different methodological approaches. In particular, the review identifies and discusses the main drivers and barriers of fish consumption as well as consumers' preferences about the most relevant attributes of fish and seafood products providing useful insights for both practitioners and policy makers. Finally, main gaps of the existing literature and possible trajectories for future research are also discussed.