Consumer knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour regarding food safety - A perspective from Laos.

Primary research data on food chain safety at consumer level is needed to help policymakers to decrease the risk of foodborne infections in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to 1) determine Lao people's food safety knowledge, attitudes, and intentions and identify the most influential factors that shape their food safety behaviour, and 2) to support the government in the development of more efficient risk communication programmes. A paper-based consumer survey was implemented to collect quantitative data on the selected topics about Laotian consumers, as well as on the equipment of households regarding the conditions and tools necessary for safe food preparation and storage. A model was developed based on the extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to analyse the factors that affect food safety behaviour. The elements of Knowledge and Perceived Behavioural Control positively influence behaviours, such as using separate chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat foods. According to the model, only 10 % of the Intentions would be translated into Behaviours, which gap can be explained by the lack of a hygienic environment. Although the survey indicated that Laotian people intend to follow food safety guidelines, participants felt they lacked sufficient knowledge. This perception was validated by the knowledge test and behavioural part of the study. In the light of these findings, it is essential to raise awareness and promote food safety knowledge and interventions, such as enhancing food safety education in childhood. This would help to facilitate and encourage adopting safe practices to improve overall food safety at the consumer level, delivering positive impacts also to the food business sector.

Social, ethical, environmental, economic and technological aspects of rabbit meat production - A critical review.

Rabbit (RM) has become a valuable source of nutrients since the 1970s, helping to transform the European food industry into the largest RM producer in the world. However, the RM industry is experiencing a critical period of ethical imbalance. This trend, described as feed conversion ratio, impacts the environmental and financial performance of RM farms, which could lead to an increase production of industrial waste. In addition, the loss of corporate ethical responsibility and sustainable development by RM-oriented companies has further exacerbated the situation. Our objective was to summarize current trends in the RM industry and markets, highlighting possible strengths and weaknesses. This review shows current approaches in sustainable techniques in RM production processes, ethical issue, environmental and processing responsibility of RM producers, as well as social responsibilities and ethical practices of slaughterhouses and RM producers, sustainable environmental practices of slaughterhouses, technological aspects and safety of RM and social drivers in RM market. The analysis of reviewed literature revealed the potential strategies for sustainable RM production.

Insects as food - Changes in consumers' acceptance of entomophagy in Hungary between 2016 and 2021.

Public interest in entomophagy (consumption of insects) has developed significantly over the past several years. Possible nutritional benefits are perceived by consumers according to several recent studies, as well as sustainability and food security. However, most European communities, including the Hungarian, do not embrace entomophagy, despite the widespread practice elsewhere globally. This study aims to evaluate the changes in the perception of entomophagy among the Hungarian population between 2016 and 2021, together with the factors differentiating between acceptive and dismissive consumers. The results of the two representative quantitative surveys indicate that more than 70% of Hungarian consumers are not willing to try entomophagy, which had not changed significantly in the observed period, despite the high media coverage of this topic in recent years. Some groups open to insect consumption can still be identified. According to the socioeconomic segmentation of the data collected in 2021, consumers who accept insect-based foods can be found in high numbers among men between 18 and 39 years old (49.3%). Positive attitudes are less likely to be observed among females; however, 27.6% of highly educated women between 18 and 59 years demonstrated a certain level of interest. Those consumers willing to consume insects are driven mainly by curiosity, and also value high protein content and sustainability, and perceive insect-based food as nutritious. Consumers who prefer local and national food tend to refuse to eat insects in a higher ratio.

What Makes Consumers Purchase Fresh Eggs in Supermarkets: The Effect of Unrealistic Choice Set Matters.

Eggs are the crucial component of daily meals for almost everyone in Taiwan, while the multi-attributes of fresh egg products generate the challenges of marketing and promotions in supermarkets. This study analyzes the market segmentation and consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for fresh egg attributes (i.e., color, traceability, animal welfare, brand, and price). In particular, the effect of the unrealistic choice set is considered in this study. The data collection was distributed near markets, schools, and train stations across Taiwan from July to September in 2020. A total of 1115 valid responses were collected, and the Latent Class Model was used. Results show that fresh egg products in supermarkets reveal a strong preference for animal welfare label with the highest WTP, which is about 64.2 NT$ (≈US$ 2.29). Furthermore, traceability label, farm brand, and brown-color egg still exhibit positive WTP of about 33.4 NT$ (≈US$ 1.19), 32.6 NT$ (≈US$ 1.16), and 32.5 NT$ (≈US$ 1.16) in supermarkets, respectively. However, including the unrealistic choice set can potentially alter the final outcomes, and it provides a good example for researchers who may have the same situation. This research helps to know more about the complexity of attributes for fresh egg products in supermarkets, so marketers would be able to adopt the effective marketing strategies for fresh egg products in supermarkets.

The Heterogeneity of Consumer Preferences for Meat Safety Attributes in Traditional Markets.

In this study, we focus principally on Taiwan's traditional markets, as food safety issues in those markets have been increasing recently. Thus, this poses pressures and challenges in traditional markets in terms of attracting consumers. This research aims to investigate whether there is consumer demand for more quality improvement from butchers and additional product information in Taiwan's traditional markets by surveying consumers' willingness to pay (WTP). This study determines consumers' preferences for the important attributes and also investigates the different consumer segmentation in Taiwan's traditional markets by analyzing the types of Taiwanese consumers who care about food safety and additional product information, including Taiwan Fresh Pork (TFP), QR code (provides product source information), Cold storage, and price. In this study, both Mixed Logit Model and Conditional Logit Model are used to elicit consumers' WTP, and the Latent Class Model is used to understand the market segmentation in Taiwan's traditional markets. The results show that the majority of Taiwanese consumers in traditional markets show preferences and WTP for meat products if Cold storage and QR code are available in Taiwan's traditional markets. This work also provides appropriate strategies for improving the additional product information in Taiwan's traditional markets, which can influence present and potential customers purchasing decisions.