Strategies for Healthier Meat Foods: An Overview.

Functional food products remain the focus of current market trends toward healthier nutrition. The consumption of meat-based functional foods has been a topic of interest in food innovation since some of these products generate controversy due to their possible adverse effects on health. However, studies have demonstrated that meat-based functional products are considered an opportunity to improve the nutritional profile of meat products through the addition of biologically valuable components and to meet the specific needs of consumers. In this sense, some strategies and techniques are applied for processing and developing functional meat products, such as modifying carcass composition through feeding, reformulating meat products, and processing conditions. This review focuses on presenting developed and evaluated strategies that allow the production of healthy and functional meat foods, which application has successfully achieved the sensory, nutritional, and technological parameters mainly affected by such application.

Structural analysis of whey representation between rural and urban populations in western Mexico.

Whey is a by-product derived from cheese making. Despite being rich in nutrients, it is little used, it even represents a problem form the environment in Mexico. In this sense, it is important to know the meanings that are associated with this term, especially when it is intended to develop new products from this by-product. The objective of this work was to analyze the representation of the term whey in rural and urban populations through the Central core Theory. Additionally, the relationship between gender-place of residence with the evoked word is explored. Therefore, three hundred and sixty people (from rural and urban areas) were interviewed face to face in two areas in the western region of Mexico. Word association test was carried out, using "whey" as stimulus; the associated words were ordered according to their importance; the polarity index of each associated word was evaluated. The most frequently mentioned words were analyzed based on their frequency of mention and average importance to identify the conceptual structure of the concept representation. The results show and influence of the place of residence on the conceptual structure. Rural participants tend to generate more words with negative connotations, while the central elements of urban consumers are mainly related to dairy products. When comparing consumers by gender, rural and urban women associate "whey" with aspects of both the production process and dairy products. In the case of men, those from the urban zone, relate to aspects related to nutrition, dairy products and nutrients. In contrast, men from the rural area relate whey mainly to negative aspects such as pollution. The study confirms that there is a link between the place of residence and the conformation of the conceptual structure, where the gender-region relationship influences the definition of the term "whey".

Decoding Gen Z: AI's influence on brand trust and purchasing behavior.

This study focuses on the role of AI in shaping Generation Z's consumer behaviors across fashion, technology, beauty, and education sectors. Analyzing responses from 224 participants, our findings reveal that AI exposure, attitude toward AI, and AI accuracy perception significantly enhance brand trust, which in turn positively impacts purchasing decisions. Notably, flow experience acts as a mediator between brand trust and purchasing decisions. These insights underscore the critical role of AI in developing brand trust and influencing purchasing choices among Generation Z, offering valuable implications for marketers in an increasingly digital landscape.

A deep dive into addressing obsolescence in product design: A review.

In today's fast-paced world, products are constantly replaced by newer and more advanced versions. While some products become outdated due to natural causes such as wear and tear or technological advancements, others are strategically designed with a predetermined shelf life to encourage rapid product turnover. Obsolescence is an essential issue in product design because of its impact on product life, efficiency, and sustainability. Although there are approaches to map and measure possible product obsolescence scenarios, it remains a challenge to quantify and diagnose a product's or component's obsolescence potential based on its design attributes. Therefore, this article aims to analyze the existing literature on obsolescence from a product design perspective. It covers its application in methodological design strategies, metrics for measuring obsolescence from early design stages, and identifying understudied research topics, challenges, and trends. On August 15, 2023, a total of 221 articles published between 1983 and 2023 on SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were selected and analyzed using a content-based research approach encompassing three main aspects: objectives and methodologies, strategies and design phases, and metrics for obsolescence analysis. As main findings, this literature review identified several methodological design approaches aimed at resisting and postponing obsolescence, mainly divided into designing long-life products and extending product life. Nevertheless, this study found no formal identification of product design attributes related to the different types of obsolescence, and obsolescence forecasting metrics have focused on defining whether the scenario happens but do not consider what type of obsolescence the product may exhibit. Consequently, it can be challenging to determine the most effective design strategy to reduce obsolescence. This study has limitations, including the potential for researcher bias to affect the systematization of the information.

The personality puzzle: a comprehensive analysis of its impact on three buying behaviors.

This study aimed at examining the role of personality traits in impulsive buying, compulsive buying, and panic buying simultaneously during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning of the third confinement announced by the Portuguese government, 485 Portuguese answered in this study, mean age of 41.9 years (min = 18, max = 84; SD = 12.9), and 29.9% were men. Analyzes were carried out to investigate the association of Big Five's personality factors with impulsive buying, compulsive buying, and panic buying. Results showed that the three buying behaviors under study have significant and positive correlations between them, and they also correlate with different personality traits. The association of each Big Five factor on buying behaviors differed. While conscientiousness was negatively and openness was positively associated with impulsive buying, conscientiousness was negatively associated with compulsive buying, agreeableness was positively associated with panic buying, and neuroticism correlated positively with all consumer behaviors. Understanding the personality traits that contribute to the development of a disorder may provide valuable insight into preventive measures and effective treatment approaches for some debilitating disorders. This study opens ways for investigating impulsive buying and compulsive buying by relating them to panic buying. It discusses the three different buying behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and future consumer research directions involving other variables.

Beef Handling Practices Among Consumers in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) imports more than 95% of its food. Transportation limitations throughout the territory's supply chain can make temperature control of protein foods challenging for consumers. This study aimed to characterize the beef handling practices used by consumers in USVI to determine any educational needs. Printed and online surveys (n = 620 total) were disseminated in USVI through extension agents and local media sources. Three hundred and thirty-four consumers completed a 30-question food handling questionnaire on consumption patterns and food handling from purchasing to their kitchen. Frequencies and Pearson chi-square tests of independence were performed. Beef ranked second among the different meat types consumed, 92% of consumers bought beef from grocery stores, and 55% removed beef from shelves immediately after entering the store. When shopping, 59.1% of respondents always checked the use-by/freeze-by dates of beef, 46.3% always separated beef from other foods, but only 27.5% always used insulated bags. Eighty-three percent of consumers returned home within 1 h of shopping, 92% took less than 30 min to store groceries in either a freezer or refrigerator (98%) and during power outages, 45.1% maintained cold temperatures of beef. Seventy-two percent of consumers washed their hands for more than 10 s, but 33% of those from households with a vulnerable person did not use soap to wash their hands and dried them with reusable towels. When cooking, 44.6% of consumers thawed beef within the temperature danger zone, 80.1% did not check the temperature of beef for doneness, and 34 respondents cooked hamburgers below 160°F. Future consumer food safety education initiatives in the USVI should address hand hygiene among food preparers in homes with vulnerable persons, temperature control practices by promoting the use of insulated bags, safe meat thawing techniques, and the use of thermometers during cooking.

Getting Connected to M-Health Technologies through a Meta-Analysis.

The demand for mobile e-health technologies (m-health) continues with constant growth, stimulating the technological advancement of such devices. However, the customer needs to perceive the utility of these devices to incorporate them into their daily lives. Hence, this study aims to identify users' perceptions regarding the acceptance of m-health technologies based on a synthesis of meta-analysis studies on the subject in the literature. Using the relations and constructs proposed in the UTAUT2 (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2) technology acceptance model, the methodological approach utilized a meta-analysis to raise the effect of the main factors on the Behavioral Intention to Use m-health technologies. Furthermore, the model proposed also estimated the moderation effect of gender, age, and timeline variables on the UTAUT2 relations. In total, the meta-analysis utilized 84 different articles, which presented 376 estimations based on a sample of 31,609 respondents. The results indicate an overall compilation of the relations, as well as the primary factors and moderating variables that determine users' acceptance of the studied m-health systems.

Consumer Behavior Concerning Meat Consumption: Evidence from Brazil.

Recent research has consistently related the production and consumption of meat with environmental degradation, health problems, and damage to animal welfare. However, meat consumption represents a well-established eating behavior among many consumers. After all, meat is a central food in many cultures, and changing eating habits can be very challenging. Nevertheless, there is a group of consumers who have reduced the consumption of meat in their diet. Understanding the facilitators and barriers that influence these behavioral changes in different cultures and contexts can help to promote future collective reductions in meat consumption. This article investigates the main facilitators of and barriers to the reduction of consumption in the largest meat-consuming market in the world to contribute to the advancement of knowledge on meat-reduced diets. In order to achieve this objective, semi-structured interviews were conducted with consumers who reduced their meat consumption. In this context, a content analysis was conducted to identify 22 facilitators and 15 barriers classified according to the COM-B system. This system conceptualizes Behavior, which can be influenced by Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation. The results of this research corroborate previous discoveries or confirm the presence of a set of facilitators of and barriers to the reduction of meat consumption previously suggested in the literature.

The country-of-origin label impact on intention to consume insect-based food.

The global food consumption scenario and the influence of a country's image on consumer decision-making motivated this research. The global edible insect market is growing, and cultural issues, disgust, and low perception of quality are barriers to consumption. Through an online experiment (n = 194) Brazilian consumers demonstrate that the use of the country-of-origin label (COOL) can result in greater intention and quality expectation regarding a cricket flour. Consumers showed a preference for the flour produced by a positive image country label. Both intention and quality expectation were higher for the cricket flour produced in the United States. Furthermore, the mediation model indicates that quality expectation mediated the effect of COOL on the intention to consume. The results show that even though consumers have created a positive expectation concerning the product, a higher level of neophobia diminished their intention to consume the product and this relates to the aversion and disgust that can exist towards an edible-insect product. The neophobia level can weaken the effect of COOL on intention mediated by quality expectation. The study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the consumer's perception of an insect-based food and provide insights into variables related to the intention to consume by verifying their contribution to the consumer's behavior.

Ultra-refined yerba mate ( Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil) as a potential naturally colored food ingredient

Ultra-refined yerba mate (URYM), with a final particle size of 5 to 12 microns, is an innovation in the market that aims to diversify and increase the consumption of yerba mate ( Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil) through its practicality and versatility of preparation. The present work seeks to evaluate the potential for applying naturally colored URYM in food products. The nature of this study was exploratory, adopting a chemical approach (analysis of the antioxidant potential); physical approach (color stability) and sensory perception. URYM is a suitable naturally colored food ingredient with natural antioxidant appeal. Methanolic extraction of URYM (MEUR) was more efficient in scavenging DPPH radicals compared with aqueous extract of URYM (AEUR) (959.5 vs . 638.1 µmol Trolox g-1). No differences were found between AEUR and MEUR for total phenolic content in mg GAE g-1 (266.4 and 339.0, respectively) and scavenging of ABTS radicals in µmol Trolox g-1 (1008.9 and 1053.8, respectively). Water was able to extract phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity. Ice cream, juice, cake, and cookies emerged as the food products in which consumers used URYM in their homemade foods. With good color stability (no difference between L*, a* and b* parameters during the six-day) and good acceptance, cake with URYM added has a profile described as tasty, sweet, soft, and mate flavor. The results also demonstrated consumer interest in food products and ingredients with a healthy appeal.(AU)

Tobit analysis of canned fish consumption in Erzurum province, Turkey / Análise Tobit do consumo de peixe enlatado na província de Erzurum, Turquia

This study aims to determine the attitudes and behaviors of consumers towards canned fish consumption and to analyze the factors affecting the consumption of canned fish in the Erzurum province, Turkey. Data were collected from 384 households through one-on-one interviews in Erzurum province. The proportional sampling method was used for sampling. In addition, the Tobit model was used to determine the factors affecting the consumption of canned fish. In the model, the demographic characteristics of the consumers and their consumption quantities were included as explanatory variables. The average household size was 4.46 individuals, and canned fish consumption was 161.69 g·year-1per capita. Canned fish accounted for 11.50% of household fish consumption. The proportion of families consuming canned fish was 25.78%. As household fish consumption increases by 1 kg per year, canned fish consumption decreases by 1.29%. Moreover, when the price of canned fish increases by USD 1, canned fish consumption increases by 1.37%. When monthly fish expenditure increases by USD 1, consumption of canned fish increases by 0.48%. The fact that the head of the household is a civil servant increases the consumption of canned fish by 5.23%, and the consumption of canned fish is 11.8% higher in families who consider canned fish nutritious. As a result, canned fish enterprises should influence consumers to consume more canned fish, especially in the summer.(AU)

Este estudo tem como objetivo determinar as atitudes e comportamentos dos consumidores face ao consumo de conservas de peixe e analisar os fatores que afetam seu consumo na província de Erzurum, Turquia. Os dados foram coletados de 384 famílias por meio de entrevistas individuais na província de Erzurum, utilizando o método de amostragem proporcional. Além disso, foi utilizado o modelo Tobit para determinar os fatores que afetam o consumo de peixe enlatado. No modelo, as características demográficas dos consumidores e suas quantidades de consumo foram incluídas como variáveis explicativas. O tamanho médio do domicílio foi de 4,46 indivíduos, e o consumo de peixe enlatado foi de 161,69 g·ano-1 per capita. O pescado enlatado representou 11,50% do consumo doméstico de pescado. A proporção das famílias que consomem peixe enlatado foi de 25,78%. O consumo de peixe aumentou em 1 kg por ano, e o consumo de enlatados de peixe diminuiu 1,29%. Além disso, quando o preço do peixe enlatado aumentou em US$ 1, o consumo aumentou 1,37%. Quando o gasto mensal com peixes aumentou em US$ 1, o consumo de enlatados pescados aumentou 0,48%. O fato de o chefe da família ser um funcionário público aumentou o consumo em 5,23%, e o consumo foi 11,8% maior nas famílias que as consideram nutritivas. Como resultado, as empresas de conservas de pescado devem influenciar os consumidores a consumirem mais conservas de pescado, principalmente no verão.(AU)

O impacto da atmosfera dos estádios nas intenções comportamentais: uma análise do futebol de Pernambuco / The impact of stadium atmosphere on behavioral intentions: an analysis of Pernambuco football / El impacto de la atmósfera del estadio en las intenciones de comportamiento: un análisis del fútbol en Pernambuco

O objetivo do estudo foi analisar o impacto da atmosfera do estádio nas intenções comportamentais dos espectadores de futebol em Pernambuco. Através de uma abordagem quantitativa, observacional de desenho e-survey. A amostra foi composta por 196 torcedores de clubes de Pernambuco. Os dados foram analisados por meio de uma regressão linear múltipla. O modelo foi considerado válido e foi responsável pela variância de 11% das intenções comportamentais. Constatou-se que apenas a dimensão Torcida foi considerada um preditor estatisticamente significativo das intenções comportamentais. Cabe ao gestor esportivo alinhar suas táticas de serviços ofertados, visando a ambientação do estádio positiva aos espectadores.

The objective of the study was to analyze the impact of the stadium atmosphere on the behavioral intentions of soccer spectators in Pernambuco. Through a quantitative, observational approach to esurvey design. The sample consisted of 196 fans from clubs in Pernambuco. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The model was considered valid and was responsible for the 11% variance of behavioral intentions. It was found that only the Cheering groups dimension was considered a statistically significant predictor of behavioral intentions. It is up to the sports manager to align their tactics with the services offered, aiming at a positive atmosphere in the stadium for spectators.

El objetivo del estudio fue analizar el impacto de la atmósfera del estadio en las intenciones de comportamiento de los espectadores de fútbol en Pernambuco. A través de un enfoque cuantitativo y observacional del diseño de encuestas electrónicas. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 196 hinchas de clubes de Pernambuco. Los datos se analizaron mediante regresión lineal múltiple. El modelo se consideró válido y fue responsable del 11% de varianza de las intenciones de comportamiento. Se encontró que solo la dimensión torcida fue considerada un predictor estadísticamente significativo de las intenciones de comportamiento. Corresponde al director deportivo alinear sus tácticas con los servicios ofrecidos, con el objetivo de crear un ambiente positivo en el estadio para los espectadores.

Alegação de propriedades funcionais aumentam a aceitação de muesli de aveia por consumidores / Functional claim increases the acceptance of oat muesli by consumers

Introdução: Mueslis de aveia contêm betaglucanas, uma fibra solúvel com propriedades hipocolesterolêmicas e hipoglicêmicas. Os benefícios do muesli de aveia podem ser alegados em produtos para atrair potenciais consumidores. Objetivos: Este estudo avaliou a influência de uma alegação funcional na aceitação de um muesli de aveia. Além disso, avaliou-se o efeito da aveia do muesli sobre as percepções de saciedade e humor. Métodos: Formularam-se dois produtos: muesli de aveia e muesli de flocos de arroz (controle), para a realização do estudo. Para os testes sensoriais, o muesli de aveia foi apresentado com duas codificações: uma com alegação de alimento funcional e outra sem alegação. Aos consumidores (n=160) foram abordadas questões sobre gosto, interesse de consumo e benefício antes e depois da degustação do mueslis, utilizando escalas hedônicas. Para entender os efeitos do muesli na saciedade e humor, foi realizado um ensaio clínico com 9 mulheres adultas saudáveis (aproximadamente 22 anos). Um desenho cruzado foi usado, com um período de washout de uma semana entre as intervenções. Os indivíduos preencheram um questionário de humor e saciedade usando escalas analógicas visuais antes e após consumir o mueslis no café da manhã. Resultados: O muesli de aveia com alegação foi apontado como o produto mais benéfico entre as amostras (p<0,05), apresentando maiores escores para gosto e interesse de uso. O consumo de muesli de aveia não influenciou o humor e a saciedade dos participantes pois não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre as intervenções (p>0,05). Conclusão: A alegação funcional influenciou a aceitação dos benefícios do muesli de aveia para a saúde dos consumidores.

Background: Oats-based mueslis contain beta-glucans, a type of soluble fiber known for its hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic properties. The claim of these health benefits, oat muesli products may attract potential consumers. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of a functional claim on consumers' acceptance and attitudes toward oat muesli. Additionally, the study evaluated the effects of muesli containing oats on satiety and mood perceptions. Methods: Two muesli products were formulated: one with oats and another with rice flakes (control) for sensory analysis. The oat muesli was presented with two codings (n=160): one with a functional food claim and another without the claim. Consumers were asked about their liking, interest in usage, and perceived benefits before and after tasting the mueslis using hedonic scales. Furthermore, a clinical trial was conducted with 9 healthy adult women subjects (average age 22 years) in a crossover design with a one-week washout period between interventions. The subjects completed a self-perceived mood and satiety questionnaire using visual analog scales (VAS) at Results: The oat muesli with the functional claim was perceived as the most beneficial product among the samples (p<0.05), receiving high scores for liking and interest in use. However, oat muesli consumption did not significantly influence participants' average mood and satiety during the trial (p>0.05), as no significant differences between interventions were found. Conclusion: The inclusion of a functional claim positively affected the acceptance of the health benefits associated with oat muesli.

COVID-19 and the beef market in Latin America: An impact assessment by supply and demand.

The impact of COVID-19 on agricultural markets, especially the beef market, represents one of the greatest food security challenges the world is facing in the post-pandemic era and, for this reason, has been widely documented. This study contributes to the literature through a comprehensive impact analysis of the effects of COVID-19 on both the demand and supply of beef in Latin America and thus provides valuable information for two of the most important links of the beef value chain. Robust econometric methods and a graphic analysis were used that give solidity to the investigation. The analysis used a data panel of supply and demand variables between 2018 and 2022 derived from the US Department of Agriculture. The results suggest that the beef market was strongly affected by the pandemic related health emergency, presenting decreases in both consumption and production. These effects are transitory, however, since the analysis of the post-pandemic data revealed that consumption and production return to normal and seem to grow until smoothing out over time.

A Preliminary Study on the Validity and Stability of Projective Methods: An Application of the Structural Approach of Social Representations with Traditional Mexican Cheeses.

Projective methods are qualitative tools used to study food consumer behavior. In recent years, there has been an increase in studies that use these tools to analyze consumer behavior, particularly with the word association (WA) technique. However, one of the challenges in using these methods is the stability and validity of the data. This research aimed to obtain preliminary information on the stability and validity of the associations generated by consumers with the WA technique, using the structural approach of social representations. For this, two studies were carried out; for the first study, a face-to-face survey was carried out in which 89 consumers participated, who wrote the first words that came to mind with the stimulus "Aculco" on a ballot paper. For the second study, 122 consumers completed the same task as in the first study; however, the participants were recruited from an online survey. A random sample (n = 50) of both studies was selected to explore the stability and validity of the results. In the three study samples, the words were grouped into categories and analyzed through the structural approach of social representations. The frequency of mention of the identified categories was compared with the chi-square test and the average position (AP) and the Cognitive Salience Index (CSI) were calculated. Prototype maps were built to study the structure of the categories according to the central core and peripheral areas. Cluster analysis was performed to corroborate the structure of the representations. Finally, multiple factor analysis (MFA) was performed to determine the similarity of the results obtained from the three samples using the RV coefficient. No statistical differences (p > 0.05) were identified in most of the representations (n = 11) generated from the WA task. Furthermore, the representation "Cheese and dairy products" was positioned in the central core of the three maps. The APs and the CSIs of each representation were similar in the three study samples. The RV coefficient (≥0.80) indicated similarity in the representations obtained. Results of this research can be useful for future studies that attempt to compare the stability and validity of the information based on qualitative and more flexible methodologies. Some methodological implications related to the validity and stability of projective methods are discussed.

Socioeconomic Characteristics, Purchasing Preferences and Willingness to Consume Organic Food: A Cross-Location Comparison of Nine Cities in Central Ecuador.

Agriculture worldwide faces the need to reduce chemical pesticides and produce healthier food. In Latin America, research on the organic food sector primarily focuses on supply. Consumption analysis is crucial for providing information about customers' needs. This paper aims to analyze the Ecuadorian organic food sector, which is an interesting case for investigating the relationship between willingness to consume organic food and socioeconomic factors. To this end, 382 consumers were surveyed. The study applied a logit regression analysis to assess the role of socioeconomic factors in the willingness to consume organic food. Radar diagrams depict the percentage of respondents who checked a particular reason for choosing or refusing organic food. A cross-location comparison analysis was applied to identify differences between locations within the Central Ecuador region. Results reveal that Ecuadorian consumers' awareness rate of organic food is only 53.5%. Regarding organic food's price, 24% of consumers perceive it to be overly expensive. Based on strengthening the supervision of organic food production, various channels should be used to promote organic food consumption and facilitate the recognition of available organic food.

Inter-relação entre direito e alimentação: percepções de consumidores sobre seus direitos / Interrelations between law and food: consumer perceptions of their rights

A concretização do direito à alimentação saudável implica a necessidade de pesquisas acerca de mecanismos que favoreçam a construção de uma cultura apta a reforçar a adoção de atitudes positivas em prol dessa conquista. A presente pesquisa analisou o conhecimento acerca de direitos fundamentais/consumeristas, identificando aspectos relacionados às práticas alimentares cotidianas do consumidor de alimentos em restaurantes de um mercado público. Tratou-se de pesquisa qualitativa, com notas de observação em diário de campo e roteiro de entrevista. Na análise das narrativas, foi produzido o mapa analítico que entrelaçou as falas dos participantes com as categorias mais relevantes: direitos e alimentação; disponibilidade de informações; exigência de informações pelo consumidor; desistência do consumo devido às condições do local. Observou-se que os entrevistados apresentaram desconhecimento sobre os direitos relacionados à alimentação. Tempo, preço, sabor, praticidade e higiene foram valores destacados nas narrativas, porém, não se mostrou compromisso em publicizar dados importantes sobre produtos e serviços oferecidos nos restaurantes. A compreensão dos resultados aponta a necessidade de uma educação em direito à segurança alimentar e nutricional na cadeia de produção e comercialização de alimentos, uma vez que a alimentação precisa ser pensada de modo multidimensional.

The realization of the right to healthy eating implies the need for research on mechanisms that favor the construction of a culture capable of reinforcing the adoption of positive attitudes in favor of this achievement. This research analyzed the knowledge about fundamental rights/consumers, identifying aspects related to the daily eating practices of the food consumer in restaurants in a public market. It is a qualitative research, with observation notes in a field diary and an interview script. In the analysis of the narratives, an analytical map was produced that intertwined the speeches of the participants (3 men and 2 women) with the most relevant categories: rights and food; availability of information; consumer demand for information; consumer demand for information; withdrawal from consumption due to local conditions. It was observed that with regard to knowledge of law related to food, the interviewees showed ignorance. Time, price, flavor, practicality and hygiene were values highlighted in the showed ignorance. Time, price, flavor, practicality and hygiene were values highlighted in the narratives, but there is no commitment to publicize important data about products and showed ignorance. Time, price, flavor, practicality and hygiene were values highlighted in the narratives, but there is no commitment to publicize important data about products and services offered in restaurants. Understanding the results shows the need for education in the right to food and nutrition security in the food production and marketing chain, since food needs to be thought of in a multidimensional way.

Conceptualizing a Product with the Food-Related Lifestyle Instrument.

Product perception is important for consumers' acceptance, especially when it is associated with a geographical location. Consumers' food-related lifestyles (FRLs) have been used to better identify the role that beverages have in people lives. The present study was conducted to understand the conceptualization of mezcal according to consumers' FRLs. Four hundred mezcal consumers were surveyed in Mexico. Participants were asked to describe their experience with the product and consumption habits, to evaluate ten different FRL constructs, and to assess mezcal conceptualization using a check-all-that-apply test. A hierarchical cluster analysis was carried out on the composite variables of the evaluated constructs and their objective knowledge score to define segments. To visualize the relationships among FRL constructs and the terms used to describe mezcal, a multiple factorial analysis was carried out. The results showed four different mezcal clusters. The social and involved segment described the beverage with elements of traditional and food-related activities. The price-quality fixed segment was mainly associated with the product to handcraft process. Uninvolved consumers were not linked to specific terms and uninformed and unaware consumers were novice participants with mainly negative product connotations. Therefore, is important to consider consumers' FRLs to have a better understanding of product conceptualization.

Impact of textual warnings on emotional brain responses to ultra-processed food products.

Background and objectives: Ultra-processed food products (UPF) have been associated with numerous non-communicable diseases. Despite this, the addictive nature of UPF, and the aggressive marketing strategies used to promote them, has created a strong emotional connection between UPF and consumers, and supports their increasing UPF global consumption. In view of the emotional link that consumers often have with UPF, modulating emotional reactions to UPF (by using strategies such as textual warnings) is important in changing consumers' behavior. Since emotions are better understood by assessing individuals' implicit reactions, we conducted an electroencephalographic study applying the event-related potential technique to investigate whether textual warnings were able to modulate the brain responses to UPF stimuli. Materials and methods: Twenty-six participants (19 women) viewed pictures of UPF preceded by a warning sentence about the health risks of consuming UPF or a control sentence while the electroencephalogram was recorded. In addition, the participants rated the picture in respect of pleasantness, arousal, and intention to consume. As emotions are associated with motivational circuits in the brain, we focused on a well-known event-related potential brain marker of the motivational relevance associated with emotional stimuli, namely late positive potential (LPP). Results: The late positive potential amplitude was larger for pictures depicting UPF under the warning condition compared to the control condition, a result that was accompanied by lower pleasantness ratings during the warning condition (compared to the control). Conclusion: Textual warnings about the negative health consequences of consuming UPF changed the emotional responses toward UPF, possibly increasing the motivation to avoid UPF. These results shed new light on the impact of textual warnings on UPF-evoked emotions.

What is a dark kitchen? A study of consumer's perceptions of deliver-only restaurants using food delivery apps in Brazil.

Dark kitchens are restaurants with no storefronts, no direct customer interaction and delivery-only commercial kitchens that rent out shared or private kitchen spaces to food businesses. The objective of this study is to determine consumers' knowledge about dark kitchens and the factors that influence willingness to pay and intention to purchase meals in this restaurant model. It were surveyed 623 Brazilian consumers. First, consumers' knowledge of the term dark kitchen was determined using specific questions. Then, consumers were presented with the actual meaning of dark kitchens and were asked about their intention to use this restaurant model. To this end, participants were presented with 25 indicators to assess the following constructs: willingness to pay and purchase intention, trust in health authorities, trust in food delivery app, perceived food safety, quality control, consumer experience, and solidarity with the foodservice sector. Overall, 73.4 % of participants reported having heard of the term dark kitchen. Using a descending hierarchical classification, four classes of definitions were found. The factor solidarity with the foodservice sector (ß = 0.440; p < 0.001) had the greatest positive influence on willingness to pay and purchase intention, followed by perceived food safety (ß = 0.273; p < 0.001); quality control (ß = 0.125; p = 0.003); consumer experience (ß = 0.110; p = 0.002) and trust in health authorities (ß = 0.059; p = 0.047). Even if consumers cannot accurately describe what a dark kitchen is, there is a positive intention to purchase food produced in this kitchen model. It is important to develop strategies to promote and improve dark kitchen models. Finally, it is suggested that health authorities and app operators pay more attention to improving food safety in these establishments, as consumers have low risk perception about them.