Lifestyle, psychological and socio-demographic drivers in functional food choice: a systematic literature review based on bibliometric and network analysis.

Food-related diseases are a topic of concern for the population and institutions; therefore, regulations have been envisaged to improve consumer knowledge about food properties and to guide them towards healthy food consumption. Europe has addressed the use of claims on labels with two important regulations in 2006 and 2012. The use of claims allows for the differentiation of food products, particularly functional foods, i.e., those that can provide health benefits as part of a standard diet. The study aims to describe the interest of researchers on the topic of functional foods and health claims by observing the trend of publications and highlighting the role of the country on the topic through a network analysis. Another objective is to evaluate the role of lifestyle, psychological and socio-demographic predictors in the choice of functional foods bearing label claims or not, using a systematic literature review. To this aims, a bibliometric and a network analysis were assessed. The results reveal a positive trend in publications and a growing interest in the topic, thus showing that socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle variables partially influence consumer behaviour. In particular, it emerges that educated people and women are more interested in functional foods, showing a higher willingness to pay for them. In addition, physical activity and beliefs regarding the nutritional quality of functional foods are positively correlated with WTP. However, several contradictory results were observed for some variables in the collected studies. For these reasons and considering the high number of functional foods and claims yet to be evaluated, further investigations are recommended.

Balancing Freshness and Sustainability: Charting a Course for Meat Industry Innovation and Consumer Acceptance.

The agribusiness sector is constantly seeking solutions to enhance food security, sustainability, and resilience. Recent estimates indicate that one-third of the total food production remains unused due to waste or limited shelf life, resulting in negative environmental and ethical consequences. Consequently, exploring technological solutions to extend the shelf life of food products could be a crucial option to address this issue. However, the success of these technological solutions is closely linked to the perception of the end-consumers, particularly in the short term. Based on these considerations, this paper presents a systematic literature review of the main technological innovations in the fresh meat industry and of consumers' perceptions of such innovations. Regarding innovative technologies, this review focused on active and smart packaging. Amidst various technological innovations, including the utilization of fundamental matrices and natural additives, a noticeable gap exists in consumer perception studies. This study represents the first comprehensive compilation of research on consumers' perceptions and acceptance of innovations designed to extend the shelf life of fresh meat. Moreover, it sheds light on the existing barriers that hinder the complete embrace of these innovations.

The interplay of food-related lifestyle and eating behavior in Italian women.

Introduction: Women play a crucial role in food shopping and preparation, and their food choices have significant implications for their health and that of their families. This study aims to provide a perspective on women's eating lifestyle, which has undergone significant changes. Methods: A factor analysis was conducted to assess the degree of involvement in food choices and the types of food items consumed among a sample of 399 Italian women. Results: Through cluster analysis, four segments were identified: hedonic food consumers, sustainable- and balanced-diet consumers, food experimenters, and no food fondness consumers. The results reveal a correlation between the degree of food involvement and the type of food consumed. Discussion: Furthermore, the food lifestyle of the sample is partially dependent on age. Individuals aged 25-28 years show more hedonic food consumption behavior, while the older age group (44-64 years) falls into the sustainable and balanced diet consumer cluster (the largest cluster) and the cluster of those who do not express definable food choices (no food fondness).

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.

What Is the Value of a "Mountain Product" Claim? A Ranking Conjoint Experiment on Goat's Milk Yoghurt.

Rural development is complex in marginal and disadvantaged areas, such as mountains, which impose high labour costs and restrict farmers in their choices of crop and livestock. To recognise this problem, the European Union regulates the use of the optional quality term "Mountain product" on the label. Consumers may recognise this label and be more willing to pay for it, resulting in higher revenues for producers using it. This study estimates the willingness to pay (WTP) for a mountain quality label. This WTP is then compared to that of functional and nutrition claims. For this purpose, we used a ranking conjoint experiment, using goat's milk yoghurt-a typical mountain product-as a case study. Using a rank-ordered logit, we show that mountain quality labels generate a significant WTP, higher than that of functional claims. WTP differs by the demographic profile of the consumer. The study provided useful insights about the combination of the mountain quality label with different attributes. However, future studies are needed to adequately understand the potential of mountain certification as a supporting tool for farmers in marginal areas and for rural development.

Consumers' Attitudes and Purchase Intention for a Vitamin-Enriched Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

This study aims to examine Italian consumer preferences for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) enriched with vitamins and to analyze the key drivers that affect consumer choices for this product. Specifically, we assessed consumers' intention to purchase the enriched product compared to the conventional one. The methodology adopted inferential and multivariate statistical techniques: (1) exploratory factor analysis (EFA), (2) ordinary least squares regression (OLS) and (3) non-hierarchical clustering. This study appears to be the first research project related to exploring consumers' interest in an extra virgin olive oil enhanced with vitamins, thereby providing preliminary indications. The main results represent a significant starting point for the development of new marketing strategies for the food industry.

The Role of Individual Knowledge in Functional Olive Oil Preferences: Does Self-Coherence Lead to Different Health Attributes Perception?

This study examined whether health cues influence the choices of olive oil consumers with different degrees of knowledge about the nutritional properties of olive oil. To this end, a direct survey on the consumption of healthy extra-virgin olive oil was implemented by examining the stated preferences of a sample of consumers. Two econometric analyses were carried out to identify the drivers of the consumption of olive oil with high polyphenol content. The logistic model was chosen as the most suitable method to answer the research questions. The results revealed a general consensus among consumers regarding the beneficial properties of olive oil consumption. Moreover, the findings show that different degrees of individual knowledge act as distinctive drivers in influencing the health perception of olive oil consumers. Finally, this study verified that, even for healthy foods, consumers' choices are strongly dependent on their own self-coherence. As a consequence, consumers' knowledge or beliefs that orientate their attitudes are influenced by different motivations and attributes.

Purchasing Drivers of Fresh Citrus Fruits in Urban Italy: Is It All about Taste?

While the medical community supports the growth of citrus consumption as part of a healthy diet, there is limited knowledge about consumer preferences for these fruits. The current study analyzed the purchasing patterns and drivers of fresh citrus fruits from a convenience sample of 346 Italian food shoppers. Results revealed that clementines were the citrus fruit purchased most, followed by oranges and tangerines. Sweetness and smell were important product attributes for respondents. Different drivers affect the purchasing frequencies of various citrus fruits. Taste motivation, with a specific preference for acidity, impacts orange purchasing. Similarly, clementines are purchased primarily for taste motivation, however, the core sensory attribute for respondents in this case was sweetness. Meanwhile, for tangerines, the taste motivation is less important than the energy motivation, and the size together with the color are the core purchasing drivers. These outcomes provide food scientists, agronomists and market practitioners with new insights into Italian consumers' preferences for citrus fruits, thus contributing to a potential expansion of this market.

Quality attributes and harmful components of cured meats: Exploring the attitudes of Italian consumers towards healthier cooked ham.

In recent decades, processed meat consumers have drastically revised their consumption patterns and have gained an increasing awareness of related health concerns. Although several studies have examined the role of meat products in the human diet, we observed a certain scarcity in the multi-perspective approach to the health implications of cocked ham. Therefore, we decided to verify different sources of potentially unhealthy constituents by simultaneously analysing the role that saturated fats, salt and nitrites play in consumer perception. The purpose of this paper was to investigate consumer preferences for healthier processed meat, in particular the specific objective of this study was to evaluate the balance between intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics and the components or additives that could pose a risk to the health of consumers, by considering the sensory and marketing characteristics involved in the choice of cooked ham. With these aims, two different analyses on stated preferences were carried out: firstly, a principal component analysis was performed to identify the main consumer attitudes towards meat products; subsequently, a conjoint analysis was carried out in order to identify the descriptive attributes. The results show that the presence of high salt content and nitrites discourage the intention to purchase, as the presence of a high fat content also does, however at the same time, consumers attach importance to taste, colour and juiciness that are strongly influenced by the above mentioned potentially unhealthy compounds. The overall results are strongly consistent with previous studies but evidence a certain dichotomy between sensory properties and health attributes.

Harmful Compounds and Willingness to Buy for Reduced-Additives Salami. An Outlook on Italian Consumers.

The consumption pattern of salami has been subjected to relatively widespread attention by academician, but few studies concerning the health implications of salami consumption have been published. Since additives and product origins represent important attributes for salami, the objective of this paper is twofold: (i) to explore the role of two additives, salt and nitrates, in addition to the Italian origin, in relation to consumer attitudes and preferences towards salami, (ii) to segment consumer behaviour by assessing their willingness-to-buy salami, in order to verify whether different purchasing patterns can be identified within the different social groups. The analysis was conducted on two different levels. The first was developed through a conjoint analysis, while the second implemented a frequency analysis based on a bivariate analysis. Results show the price as one of the most important variables in identifying the quality level of salami, in addition, certain socio-economic segments of consumers show a significant propensity to pay an additional price for salami with a low salt content and is nitrate-free.