Food Quality and Preference最新文献

{"title":"Consumer perceptions of nutrition labeling on alcoholic beverages","authors":"Aaron J. Staples","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A recent U.S. government proposal aims to mandate expanded nutrition labeling on alcoholic beverages. The rule could improve consumer awareness, but much remains unknown about consumers' perceptions of this labeling initiative. This study utilizes survey data from 769 U.S. beer drinkers to understand consumer perceptions of nutrition labeling, their current knowledge about the calorie content of different beers, and their beliefs about how the reform should be implemented. The results suggest that most consumers believe alcoholic beverages should include nutrition information, such as total calories and macronutrients, and that they may use this information to inform their purchasing decisions. Additionally, consumers consistently underestimate the calorie content of some popular beers. While this highlights existing misperceptions and could lend credence to calls for heightened nutrition labeling, each beer included in the study already bears this information. The fact that most consumers are unaware of the calorie count in products that already communicate nutrition facts suggests that labeling alone may not increase consumer awareness as much as the policy hopes. Lastly, many consumers support greater flexibility for small breweries during the transition, but communicating nutrition facts through a QR code is not a popular option. These results can inform industry decision-making and political discourse on the relationship between transparency in nutrition labeling, consumer preferences, and the challenges small producers face in adjusting to regulatory changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105644"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144721325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Consumers' lay theories on food safety: Insights from a Q-methodology study","authors":"Khalid Joya,&nbsp;Ulrich R. Orth","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105641","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Consumer perceptions regarding food safety influence their purchasing behavior and consequently public health. Individual perspectives on food safety are diverse and subjective, however, suggesting that a universal behavioral change intervention may not be effective. This study examines fundamental lay theories related to food safety with consumers in Germany. Employing Q-methodology, the study identified and profiled distinct consumer groups based on similarities and differences in the specific lay theories held by group members. Sixty consumers in Germany evaluated a pre-assembled Q-set of 40 statements reflecting a wide range of individual opinions and beliefs regarding food safety, resulting in a quasi-normal distribution. Factor analysis revealed four primary lay theories including defining characteristics: (1) Institutional Trustors: “German regulatory organizations are performing exceptionally well in the realm of food safety”, (2) Label Skeptics: “Labels function as marketing instruments rather than food safety indicators”, (3) EU Pragmatists: “Products manufactured in Europe are considered safe”, and (4) Media Cynics: “Media reports regarding food (un)safety often lack accuracy”. Institutional Trustors emphasize regulatory transparency while dismissing corporate influence; Label Skeptics express distrust towards certifications but support policy reforms; EU Pragmatists appreciate supranational standards while steering clear of alarmism; and Media Cynics exhibit heightened risk perceptions influenced by media while simultaneously and paradoxically trusting inspections despite a broader systemic distrust. The findings strengthen the social amplification of risk and affective heuristic frameworks in the context of institutional and media-induced food system trust erosion. Label standardization, EU-focused transparency campaigns, and media literacy programs are recommended to address specific segments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105641"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144696603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of new octagonal front-of-pack labeling on purchasing probability of processed and ultra-processed foods in Colombia","authors":"Henry Sebastian Rangel-Quinonez ,&nbsp;Riccardo Vecchio ,&nbsp;Luisa Fernanda Arenas-Estevez","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105640","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105640","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Front-of-pack labeling (FOPL) has emerged as a key public health tool to inform consumers about the nutritional quality of foods and encourage healthier purchasing decisions. Among the various FOPL systems implemented worldwide, warning labels have gained prominence in Latin America due to their effectiveness in discouraging the consumption of unhealthy products. This study evaluates the impact of black octagonal front-of-pack warning labels (FOPL), introduced by Resolution 254 of 2023 in Colombia, on consumer purchasing intentions for processed and ultra-processed foods. Through an online experimental survey involving 490 food shoppers, 22 commercially available products were evaluated with and without the new labeling. The research examines the relationship between the number of warning labels and purchase probability, as well as the role of individual factors. The findings demonstrate a significant reduction in purchase probability for 20 of the 22 evaluated foods, with an additive effect of the number of labels. Products with four labels showed the largest impact (Cohen's <em>d</em> = 0.34), while those with a single label exhibited minimal changes (Cohen's <em>d</em> = 0.17). Greater label sensitivity was observed among participants with higher education levels and greater familiarity with nutritional labeling. Additionally, a marginally significant inverse relationship was found between product price and the change in purchase probability. These findings offer early evidence on the effectiveness of the Colombian FOPL policy under ecologically valid conditions, and highlight the importance of complementary strategies to enhance its impact across different consumer segments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105640"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144721326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Do not push me to eat insects! Investigating consumer responses to fear appeal in the context of insect-based foods","authors":"Zining Wang ,&nbsp;Jaewoo Park","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105638","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105638","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the context of promoting insect-based foods (IBFs), persuasive messages often go beyond highlighting their nutritional and environmental benefits by emphasizing broader global issues to underscore the necessity of integrating these novel foods into our diets. However, limited research has investigated the impact of such messages on consumer acceptance. Given that these messages may evoke fear responses among individuals, building on existing literature on fear appeal, the present research aims to address this gap by investigating how these fear appeal messages influence the persuasiveness of typical benefit-based communications. In Study 1, we presented preliminary evidence that fear appeal elicits psychological reactance among individuals, and that this effect is mediated by increased perceived freedom threat. In Study 2, we replicated these findings in a more realistic advertising context, showing that fear appeal can negatively impact consumer acceptance of IBFs sequentially through perceived freedom threat and psychological reactance. Overall, these findings enhance our understanding of consumer responses to fear-based messaging in the context of promoting IBFs and offer valuable implications for guiding effective communication campaigns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105638"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144670194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of consumer awareness and prior exposure in preferences for a new regional food label: Evidence from Southwest Florida","authors":"Jianhui Liu ,&nbsp;Yi Li ,&nbsp;Bachir Kassas ,&nbsp;Trent Blare","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105637","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105637","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Consumer demand for locally produced food has increased in recent years, driven by both economic and quality-related perceptions. While many studies have examined the impact of established local and regional labels on consumer preferences, little is known about how consumers respond to newly introduced regional marketing labels and how their awareness of such labels evolves over time. This study addressed this gap by investigating consumer valuation of the “SWFL Fresh” label, a recently launched regional food branding initiative. Using a discrete choice experiment across two survey waves, we examined both the development of consumer awareness and the influence of prior exposure on their willingness to pay. In doing so, we offered new insights into how emerging regional labels gain market recognition and economic value. Results indicated that consumers who have previously seen the label are willing to pay 85 % more per pound of SWFL-labeled tomatoes than those with no exposure. However, no significant differences were observed between survey waves, suggesting that awareness may not have increased sufficiently over time. These findings have strong implications for regional branding strategies, highlighting the need for sustained marketing efforts and consumer engagement to enhance label recognition and economic impact.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105637"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144653689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Choice overload and experienced utility in the Chinese dairy market: The moderating role of decision styles and the impact of information nudging","authors":"Pengcheng Liu,&nbsp;Taotao Tu,&nbsp;Qingqing Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105635","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105635","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the impact of choice overload on consumers' experienced utility—the subjective emotional and cognitive burdens encountered during decision-making—within the rapidly expanding Chinese dairy market. We specifically examine how increasing decision complexity, through heightened product attribute differentiation and the introduction of similar options, affects consumers' emotional responses and overall satisfaction. Utilizing a controlled experimental design with 248 participants, classified as either maximizers or satisficers based on their individual decision-making styles, we manipulated product attributes and options across three experimental conditions. Our findings reveal that heightened attribute complexity and the presence of similar product options significantly increase negative emotions, such as anxiety and confusion, while simultaneously decreasing decision satisfaction. These adverse effects are particularly pronounced among maximizers, who are predisposed to exhaustive evaluation. Crucially, the research demonstrates that information nudging, specifically highlighting positive product attributes, effectively mitigates these negative consequences of choice overload. This strategy simplifies the decision-making process, especially for maximizers, leading to enhanced consumer experiences. By integrating the concept of experienced utility, this study offers a deeper understanding of the psychological costs consumers bear when faced with complex choices in food consumption. The insights provided are valuable for marketers and policymakers seeking to reduce cognitive load and improve consumer satisfaction amidst the growing product variety in the dairy sector, fostering more efficient and consumer-friendly decision-making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105635"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144623619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the association of personal factors with affective responses to plant-based meat alternatives with consideration of their perceived similarity to meat.","authors":"Caroline Giezenaar ,&nbsp;Annu Mehta ,&nbsp;Rebekah E. Orr ,&nbsp;A. Jonathan R. Godfrey ,&nbsp;Meika Foster ,&nbsp;Joanne Hort","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105636","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) have gained popularity as perceived sustainable replacements for meat, yet consumption remains limited. Understanding how personality traits shape PBMA consumption experience is therefore essential. This study surveyed 140 New Zealand consumers, assessing behavioural traits and attitudes related to willingness to reduce meat consumption/increase PBMA consumption. Participants completed tasting sessions evaluating commercially available PBMA products, based on flavour, texture, overall liking and emotions evoked, and sample perceived similarity to meat. Participants reported their demographic information, dietary habits, and frequency of meat and PBMA consumption. Results showed that higher social status derived from PBMA consumption were linked with higher liking ratings and citation proportion of ‘hungry’ for PBMAs. However, high negative attitude towards vegetarianism/veganism was linked to higher citation proportion for ‘unhappy’ for wholefood samples, while lower citation proportion for ‘unhappy’ for somewhat meat-like samples. High meat attachment was associated with lower perceived similarity to meat in both meat-like and somewhat meat-like samples. Additionally, the high meat consumption group reported lower texture and overall liking for meat-like samples. High variety seeking consumers (VARSEEK scores) were positively associated with flavour and overall liking for wholefood samples. Based on dietary groups, meat avoiders, generally driven by environmental and animal welfare concerns, reported more negative emotions such as ‘unhappy’ when tasting wholefood PBMAs compared to omnivores and flexitarians, despite their strong ethical and environmental motivations. The research highlights the impact of consumer behavioural traits and attitudes on their PBMA perception and acceptance, providing valuable insights for improving product development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105636"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144632766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Consumer acceptance of edible seaweed in Mexico: An exploratory study on willingness","authors":"Paola A. Tenorio-Rodríguez ,&nbsp;Sergio Nicasio-Arzeta ,&nbsp;Daniel Robledo ,&nbsp;Yolanda Freile-Pelegrín","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105630","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105630","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Edible seaweed has attracted much worldwide interest in recent years due to its nutritional and environmental advantages. However, seaweed consumption in Latin American countries remains low and is unknown. This study explores Mexican consumers' acceptance and perception of edible seaweed consumption, highlighting its potential as a sustainable food source. A national survey of Mexican consumers identified key factors influencing attitudes toward seaweed, including familiarity, food neophobia, and concerns about food safety. Despite a growing willingness to consume seaweed, particularly among younger individuals, food neophobia emerged as a significant barrier to acceptance. Additionally, regional differences were found to play a role in the willingness to incorporate this food into daily diets. These findings underscore the need to develop effective educational and communication strategies emphasizing seaweed's nutritional benefits and culinary versatility, which could facilitate its integration into the Mexican diet and contribute to food sustainability in the country.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105630"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144596270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Changes in desire for food sensory attributes according to the arousal levels of negative emotions: Focusing on anger and sadness","authors":"Jin-Hong Lee ,&nbsp;Jae-Hee Hong","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Food choice and intake can be influenced by emotional state, driving cravings for certain sensory attributes. This study aimed to investigate how negative emotions with different arousal levels, such as anger (high arousal) and sadness (low arousal), affect sensory desire and identify how eating behavior types—external, emotional, and restrained eating—moderate these changes. Angry, sad, and neutral (control) states were induced using video stimuli over three weeks, with one-week intervals. These were presented in a randomized, counterbalanced order. Sensory desire was measured before and after emotion induction. Craved foods under each emotional state were listed and their sensory, emotional, and imagery attributes were assessed using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) protocol. Participants' eating behaviors were also assessed using Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Results (n=114) showed that emotional states, eating behavior types, and their interaction significantly influenced sensory desire, with emotions having the greatest impact. Anger increased cravings for intense flavors and chewing, while sadness increased cravings for rich flavors and soft textures. Associations among sensory, emotional, and imagery attributes were drawn from CATA results. Spicy and stimulating flavors were related to intense imagery and positive emotions with diverse arousal, while creamy and sweet attributes were linked with comforting imagery and positive low-to-middle arousal emotions. Those who exhibited no specific dietary behaviors (n=37) showed changes in a greater number of sensory desires than external eaters (n=40) and emotional/restrained eaters (n=37). These findings provide deeper insights into the psychological factors driving food intake and cravings related to negative emotions and eating behavior types.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105634"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144632646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding cultural differences across global descriptive sensory panels using Generalized Procrustes Analysis","authors":"Huizi Yu,&nbsp;Beth Logan,&nbsp;Shun Xie,&nbsp;Ellena S. King","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105633","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105633","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the implications of cultural differences on the effectiveness and comparability of global descriptive sensory panels. Six sensory panels spanning three continents (Asia, Europe and North America) evaluated the sensory profiles of six strawberry milk candy products using MMR's descriptive analysis methodology. Each sensory panel developed their own sensory language and scaling, thus allowing for regional differences to be explored. Generalized Procrustes Analysis was applied, to align all the panel data into a consensus sensory space and compare the results.</div><div>The findings demonstrated good alignment in the overall similarities and differences of the products across the panels, due to consistency in the ratings of the key sensory attributes that differentiated the products. Differences were observed across the panels in most other attributes, including fruit flavors and those with lower intensities. Regional differences were, in part, due to cultural familiarity, with sensory panels using locally relevant language and references. Panels from Europe and North America demonstrated closer alignment with one another, compared to those from Asia, especially the Indian panel.</div><div>The findings emphasize the importance of panel training and highlight areas of focus to align panels globally. Specifically, training on lower intensity attributes, fruit flavors, and clearer definitions and standardized evaluation protocols for texture attributes. This approach can mitigate the influence of cultural nuances and foster comparability in global sensory evaluations, enhancing the reliability and applicability of these assessments in a global context. This work offers insights into the development of effective global sensory evaluation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105633"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144723736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}