Post-lockdown changes in diet in Italy and the USA: Return to old habits or structural changes?

This study analyses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food consumption at the end of the first lockdown in the New York State (USA) and in Italy (spring 2020). The results of our study show that important changes occurred in food habits in these two countries, in which lockdown was very similar. Three models of response to the shock of the lockdown were noted in both countries. The first model (40%) includes individuals who largely increased their food consumption, the second model (26%) showed a more virtuous and responsible behaviour, while the third model (34%) displayed no change in food consumption. Diet quality in terms of healthiness and sustainability declined in the USA, while in Italy, approximately one-third of the sample showed an improvement in diet in these same areas. The use of sociodemographic, motivational, and behavioural variables to profile subjects who adhered to each food model has made it possible to obtain information that can be used to develop communication campaigns and policies for a healthier and more sustainable diet.

A Methodological Approach to Assess the Effect of Organic, Biodynamic, and Conventional Production Processes on the Intrinsic and Perceived Quality of a Typical Wine: The Case Study of Chianti DOCG.

The aim of this study was to propose a methodological approach to evaluate the impact of the organic, biodynamic, and conventional production processes on the intrinsic and perceived quality of a typical wine. For this purpose, fourteen commercial Chianti DOCG wines from the 2016 harvest were selected based on the type of production management. A survey was set up to get winemaking information from the estate's producer of the wines to estimate the carbon dioxide production under the three types of management. The eligibility, identity, and style properties (the intrinsic quality) of the wines were defined. A group of 45 experts evaluated the differences between wines by the Napping test and rated their typicality (perceived quality). The organic and biodynamic management showed a lower level of estimated values of carbon dioxide production. The overall statistical elaboration of the chemical and sensory data highlighted that the registered differences of the intrinsic, perceived quality, and typicality level of the respective wines, did not depend on the type of management. The comparison of the three kinds of wine by SIMCA modeling, put in evidence that the conventional ones showed a greater homogeneity regarding chemical composition, sensory characteristics, and typicality.

Organic milk preference: is it a matter of information?

This study evaluates how textual information treatments (no information, animal welfare, quality, sustainability, and production cost) applied to organic production affect consumer preferences and willingness to pay for organic milk. We performed a choice experiment on 1250 Italian consumers, using a between-subject design. Our results show that without information, consumers on the average do not show a preference for organic milk. The impact of the information provided on the organic milk preference is mixed. Treatments on quality and production costs have no effect on consumer preferences for organic milk. On the contrary, consumers who received information on animal welfare or about environmental sustainability in organic farming showed a greater willingness to pay for organic milk than for conventional milk. Our results are in line with other studies that have observed that providing information about the ethical features of organic farming, such as animal welfare and environmental sustainability, has the greatest positive effect on consumer willingness to pay. These results are important for the possible strategies that stakeholders of the supply chain may enact to promote organic milk consumption.

Discrete choice experiments with multiple price vectors for products sold in a wide price range.

The discrete choice experiment is a widely used methodology in consumer studies. However, applying this method to investigate the market of products sold in a wide price range could present issues as to the quality of the estimate of preferences. In fact, for this type of product, frequently consumers may have different behaviours when faced with different price levels. For example, some market segments may refrain from purchasing products below certain price thresholds, considering them of an unacceptable quality, while others choose only below certain prices. To work around this problem area, we propose a methodology in which each respondent declares his own price interval of reference and consequently participates in a choice experiment with a price vector coherent with his habits. In this manner, we are able to grasp and include in the estimations the heterogeneity of consumers with respect to price and thus obtain more accurate willingness to pay estimates. •The method describes a procedure to bypass issues related to identifying the price vector in discrete choice experiments that involve products sold in a wide price range.•We propose a discrete choice experiment with different price vectors for consumer segments with different price preferences.

Investigating the role of personal and context-related factors in convenience foods consumption.

In the scenario of food consumptions, we witness the consumer's growing consideration for the "convenience" attribute. Our study intends to understand the consumer behaviour towards convenience-processed foods by analysing in a single model the role of beliefs, personal traits, social influence and market availability. We applied a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to a representative sample of 426 Italian consumers. The results show a correlation between intention to consume convenience-processed foods and social influence, market availability and several personal traits, suggesting strategies for the development of the convenience food market.

Using the animal to the last bit: Consumer preferences for different beef cuts.

Meat is expensive to produce, making it is essential to understand the importance consumers pay to different meat cuts. Previous research on consumers' meat choices has mainly focused on meat species, while consumer preferences for meat cuts has so far only received limited interest. The aim of this study is to shed some light into this relatively unexplored area by answering four research questions. First, this study intends to show the relative importance meat cuts play in relation to other extrinsic product attributes. Secondly, this paper looks into differences in choice criteria between regular and special occasions. Third, consumer segments that differ in their preferences and beef purchase are identified, and, finally, the meat purchase portfolios of these segments are revealed. A stated preference methodology of a discrete choice experiment with cut-specific prices covering several meat cuts simultaneously is proposed to answer the research questions. The sample consists of 1500 respondents representative of the Italian population in terms of age, gender and geographic location The results shows that meat cut is the most important factor when choosing bovine meat followed by quality certification (origin), production technique, the type of breed and price. In terms of consumption occasions, we observe significantly lower price sensitivity for marbled steaks and cutlets for special occasions compared to normal occasions. Segmentation analysis shows that while the choices of two segments (comprising about 40% of the sample) are mostly driven by extrinsic product attributes, the remaining segments are mostly driven by meat cuts. These varying preferences are also reflected in the purchase portfolios of the different segments, while less variability is detected from a socio-demographic perspective.

Typical Vine or International Taste: Wine Consumers' Dilemma Between Beliefs and Preferences.

BACKGROUND: The wine-growing sector is probably one of the agricultural areas where the ties between product quality and territory are most evident. Geographical indication is a key element in this context, and previous literature has focused on demonstrating how certification of origin influences the wine purchaser's behavior. However, less attention has been devoted to understanding how the value of a given name of origin may or may not be determined by the various elements that characterize the typicality of the wine product on that territory: vines, production techniques, etc. METHODS: It thus seems interesting, in this framework, to evaluate the impacts of several characteristic attributes on the preferences of consumers. This paper will analyze, in particular, the role of the presence of autochthonous vines in consumers' choices. The connection between name of origin and autochthonous vines appears to be particularly important in achieving product "recognisability", while introducing "international" vines in considerable measure into blends might result in the loss of the peculiarity of certain characteristic and typical local productions. A standardization of taste could thus risk compromising the reputation of traditional production areas. The objective of this study is to estimate, through an experimental auction on the case study of Chianti, the differences in willingness to pay for wines produced with different shares of typical vines. RESULTS: The results show that consumers have a willingness to pay for wine produced with typical blends 34% greater than for wines with international blends. CONCLUSION: However, this difference is not confirmed by blind tasting, raising the issue of the relationship between exante expectations about vine typicality and real wine sensorial characteristics. Finally, some recent patents related to wine testing and wine packaging are reviewed.

Inhibition of mammalian carbonic anhydrases I-XIV with grayanotoxin III: solution and in silico studies.

Grayanotoxin III (GTX3) was investigated for inhibition of all catalytically active mammalian carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms, i.e. CA I to CA XIV. It showed micromolar inhibition (KIs of 8.01 and 6.13 µM) for cytosolic isoforms CA I and II, respectively. GTX3 showed a submicromolar inhibition (KIs in the range of 0.51-2.15 µM) for the remaining cytosolic (CA III, VII and XIII), membrane-associated/transmembrane (CA IV, IX, XII and XIV), mitochondrial (CA VA and CA VB) and secreted (CA VI) isoforms. This inhibition profile is very different from that of the sulfonamide CA inhibitors (CAIs), which possess different clinical applications. A molecular docking study for GTX3 within the active sites of CA I and II assisted to the understanding of molecular mechanism of the ligand. The interesting inhibition profile, coupled with various possibilities of interacting with the enzyme active site make this family of natural compounds attractive leads for designing novel chemotypes acting as CAIs.

Inhibition of carbonic anhydrase isozymes I and II with natural products extracted from plants, mushrooms and honey.

Different natural products and secondary metabolites from mushrooms, teas, honeys, mosses, plants and seaweeds were investigated for their in vitro inhibitory effects on human carbonic anhydrase (hCA, E.C.4.2.1.1) isoforms I and II. Inhibition data were correlated with the total phenol content in the extract and investigated with the pure compounds believed to be responsible for this activity. Methanolic extracts were prepared for 17 such pure chemicals present in the natural products and for 41 diverse natural products. The IC(50) values were in the range of 0.11-66.50 µg/mL against hCA I and of 0.09-54.54 µg/mL against hCA II, respectively. The total phenol content was in the range of 0.02-1318.96 (as milligrams of gallic acid equivalents) per gram of sample. These data offer new insights on possible novel classes of CA inhibitors based on natural products, possessing a range of chemical structures not present in the classical inhibitors with pharmacological applications, such as the sulfonamides and sulfamates.

A new approach to antiglaucoma drugs: carbonic anhydrase inhibitors with or without NO donating moieties. Mechanism of action and preliminary pharmacology.

The clinically used sulfonamide carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitor dorzolamide (DRZ), a new sulfonamide CA inhibitor also incorporating NO-donating moieties, NCX250, and isosorbide mononitrate (ISMN) (an NO-donating compound with no CA inhibitory properties) were investigated for their intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering effects in rabbits with carbomer-induced glaucoma. NCX250 was more effective than DRZ or ISMN on lowering IOP, increasing ocular hemodynamics, decreasing the inflammatory processes and ocular apoptosis in this animal model of glaucoma. NO participate to the regulation of IOP in glaucoma, having also antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects. The ophthalmic artery, both systolic and diastolic velocities, were significantly reduced in NCX250-treated eyes in comparison to DRZ treated ones, suggesting thus a beneficial effect of NCX250 on the blood supply to the optic nerve. Combining CA inhibition with NO-donating moieties in the same compound offers an excellent approach for the management of glaucoma.