Food appearances in children's television programmes in Sweden

Studying other television content than advertisements is necessary to better understand the association between TV viewing and dietary habits. The aim of this study was to examine the nature and extent of verbal and visual appearance of food and beverage in children's programmes in Swedish public service television. The study object was the most popular children's TV programme in Sweden, broadcast by commercial‐free public service television channel and watched almost daily by 45% of children under the age of 10 years. The analysed material consisted of 25 h, broadcast at 21 occasions over almost a 5‐month period of the most popular TV viewing season. All appearances and type of food and beverages were coded as well as the context in which the foods were discussed or appeared. Chi‐square tests were performed to analyse if the occurrence of fruits and vegetables and high‐calorie and low‐nutrient (HCLN) foods respectively were associated with the context where food appeared. Mann‐Whitney test was used to compare the representation of the two food groups in terms of degree of propensity to be consumed. Of the 287 programme sections, food or beverage appeared in 78%. Of the food appearances (n = 773), HCLN foods constituted 19%, and fruits and vegetables 39%. More than half of the HCLN food appearances are with children, while only one third of the fruits and vegetables are shown with children. HCLN foods were more often shown being consumed or actively handled, than fruits and vegetables. Food and beverages appear frequently in children's programmes in Swedish public service television. HCLN foods seem to be represented as more attractive, by to a greater extent appearing consumed or actively handled in comparison with other foods. These foods were also frequently shown together with children while fruits and vegetables more frequently appeared with adults than children.     

Relationship between types of food choice motives and well‐being among young and middle‐aged Chinese adults

Food choice plays a vital role in people’s lives and well‐being, and this topic has received more research attention in recent years. The aims of the present research were to identify subgroups of participants who shared similar profiles of multiple motives for food choices, and examine differences across motive types on the well‐being of young and middle‐aged Chinese adults. Participants were 627 Chinese adults aged 18–58 years who completed questionnaire measures. The results of Latent Profile Analysis showed that based on the configurations among different motives for food choice, there were five profiles of food choice motives, corresponding to five types of Chinese adult consumers: unconcerned, mood oriented, weight control oriented, food enthusiast and health oriented. The food enthusiast consumers were more likely to include young adults with high‐income level and educational level, while the unconcerned consumers had a larger share of middle‐aged adults with low income. Results of ANOVA suggested that the types of food choice motives significantly predicted individuals’ well‐being. Specifically, the food enthusiast group had the highest level of well‐being, while the unconcerned group had the lowest level of well‐being. The other three groups had moderate levels of well‐being. The current study is the first to explore the potential influence of food choice motives on well‐being using a person‐centred approach, and the results have practical implications for public health authorities in developing effective interventions, for food companies in tailoring marketing campaigns and for individuals in optimizing food choices.     

Can Export Restrictions be Disciplined Through the World Trade Organisation?

A number of major agricultural exporting countries responded to high food prices from 2007 to 2011 by imposing export restrictions on agricultural commodities in efforts to constrain domestic food price inflation. These restrictions reduced the volume of internationally traded food and exacerbated international price spikes. Net food‐importing countries were faced with growing import bills, and non‐governmental organisations that target food security scaled‐back programme commitments and appealed for increased funding. There have subsequently been a chorus of calls for the development of a formal international framework that could discipline the use of agricultural export restrictions; the agreements of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have been targeted as possible fora for such disciplines. We present a framework in which the efficacy of such disciplines can be analysed and conclude that constraints on agricultural export restrictions are not likely to be effective within the WTO's Dispute Settlement Understanding for two reasons. First, the timelines for dispute settlement in the WTO are too long to be useful in disputes about export restrictions during periods of high food prices. Second, the withdrawal of tariff concessions, or trade retaliation, that could be authorised in such cases would not be a credible response for many complainant countries.     

Exploring consumers' preferences with regard to department and specialist food stores

Consumers' lifestyle changes and striving towards better time management have resulted in the greater choice they are offered with regard to store formats. Therefore, this study was undertaken to identify the factors that influence consumers in their patronage of a particular store format and to categorize department and specialist food store consumers according to their preferences in store layout and product range in a South African context. A qualitative research approach was used and data were collected using semi‐structured interviews with open‐ended questions. Purposive sampling recruited participants shopping for food in a department store in Johannesburg. Forty semi‐structured interviews were conducted before data saturation was reached. Store‐related factors such as store location, appearance and hygiene, service quality, convenience of trading hours, and consistency in store layout predominantly influenced participants in their patronage of a specific store format. Furthermore, product‐related factors such as quality, price, product range and convenient packaging enhanced consumers' store preference. Department store consumers were orientated towards one‐stop shopping and time‐saving strategies, while specialist food consumers were focused on food shopping and the trading hours of the store. Although similarities in participants' preferences with regard to department and specialist food store were found, different preferences were found regarding the placement of specific items within the store. Participants had similar preferences regarding the product range of a food store. However, department store participants emphasized the provision of convenience food and non‐food items. The findings of this study are valuable in providing department and specialist food store retailers with guideline recommendations regarding store layout and product range in order to effectively respond to the needs and preferences of consumers within an emerging economy.     

Comparison of fruit and vegetable consumption among Native and non‐Native American populations in rural communities

Fruit and vegetable consumption of Native Americans was compared with that of non‐Native Americans and determinants of fruit and vegetable intake for both populations were found based upon the Theory of Planned Behavior. A one‐time survey was conducted as part of a larger research project funded by the South Dakota Department of Health. The survey was administered in local grocery stores and supermarkets in six South Dakota communities, including two located on Native American reservations. Of the 1000 distributed surveys, 499 were returned with 230 being usable, resulting in a response rate of 49.9%. Wilcoxon signed‐rank test and two regression models were tested using SAS 9.2 software. Dependent variables were fruit and vegetable intake. Attitudes towards health, fruit and vegetable consumption, perceived difficulty, subjective norm and intention were also measured. Community size, family income, employment status and participation in food assistance programmes [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Women, Infants, and Children (SNAP or WIC)] were socio‐demographic control variables. Overall, Native American participants consumed more fruit and vegetables at home and had a more positive attitude towards healthy diets than non‐Native American participants. SNAP or WIC participation, family health, exercise, intention to live healthier than parents, buying healthy food, and fruit and vegetable consumption when eating out were positively associated with fruit and vegetable consumption among Native Americans, while participation in the SNAP or WIC programme had a negative influence on consumption among non‐Native American participants. Family health, exercise, buying healthy food, fruit and vegetable when eating out, and intention to buy healthy food were positively associated with fruit and vegetable consumption among the non‐Native American population. Theory of Planned Behavior variables (e.g. attitude towards healthy food) significantly contributed to the model explaining fruit and vegetable consumption. The fact that SNAP and WIC participation had an opposite influence on the two populations warrants further research.     

Balancing health,harmony and hegemony: Parents' goals and strategies in children's food related consumer socialization

Parents play a pivotal role in socializing their children for healthy eating. The objectives of the present study were (1) to identify food socialization outcomes valued by parents, and (2) to study how parents socialize their children for (healthy) eating at home and during food shopping. Including both parents' perceptions of valued food socialization outcomes and associated processes addresses a significant gap in the food socialization literature. The study used semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews with parents of young children. Data were subsequently analysed by interpretive, thematic procedures. The sample consisted of middle‐ to high‐income families from two cities in Denmark. Findings reveal four main food socialization goals valued by parents: (1) Nutrition and Health, (2) Healthy Relationship with Food, (3) Food Assimilation and (4) Self‐Regulation and Autonomy. Parents prioritized children's acquisition of a healthy relationship with food which included preserving family relations and harmony, more than strictly attending a nutritious diet, contrasting the focus on the nutritional value of diet usually emphasised by public health authorities. The study therefore concludes that parents' notions of what constitutes healthy diets for their children is not completely aligned with common nutrition‐oriented recommendations. Also, fathers were found to play a very active role in their children's food‐related consumer socialization. The findings underline the importance of addressing the priorities and strategies of both mothers and fathers when marketers and policy makers target contemporary families regarding children's food socialization.     

Label performance and the willingness to pay for Fair Trade coffee: a cross‐national perspective

In this paper, we investigate how label information detailing the performance of the Fair Trade labelling programme with respect to coffee affect consumers' willingness to pay in the US and in Germany. We provide respondents (university students in the US and Germany) information regarding the hypothetical benefits of the Fair Trade coffee programme on its intended beneficiaries on the production side [the revenue gains to participating marginal farmers (scope of the programme)] and, using stated preference conjoint methods, test how this performance criterion relates to the willingness to pay for Fair Trade coffee. Our empirical results identify a ‘threshold’ property of performance‐based labels. In effect, the willingness‐to‐pay for performance‐based Fair Trade labelled coffee exhibits an inverted U shape in the sense that the willingness to pay is positively related to the scope of the programme, but only up to a critical level. Thereafter, the willingness to pay declines as the income gains to participating growers increase further. Interestingly, this inverted U property is exhibited by both the US and German respondents with different critical thresholds.     

Involving consumers in peer‐facilitated home‐based food hygiene training

A community‐based food hygiene initiative was piloted in the Toxteth–Granby area of Liverpool between December 2001 and March 2002. The project aimed to increase awareness and behaviour, related to poor food purchase, storage and handling practices, by actively involving members of the local community in home‐based peer‐facilitated training. Facilitators (23) were actively recruited from within the Toxteth–Granby community, and undertook a 4‐day induction and training programme, which included successful completion of the CIEH Basic Food Hygiene course. Facilitators subsequently recruited and visited nearly 1000 households (992) within the Toxteth–Granby electoral ward, undertook an observation sheet, a detailed questionnaire, and spent approximately 1 hour delivering food hygiene training. Facilitators returned to all households within an 8‐week period, and completed further observation sheets and questionnaires, for use in a comparative analysis. Facilitators and householders received incentives for their involvement in the project. Analysis of the data collected showed that general awareness of a range of food hygiene issues was high (such as hand washing before handling food), and most participants (73.8%) were able to recognise the main symptoms of food borne disease. As a result of the home‐based hygiene training there were significant changes in knowledge, attitudes, and food handling practices, including the use of refrigerators, purchase of chilled and frozen foods, washing or peeling of fruits and vegetables, and the cooking of meat‐based products. The project demonstrates that it is possible for communities to improve their food hygiene awareness and food handling behaviours through home‐based peer‐facilitated training programmes, with minimal input from professionals.     

To Choose (Not) to Eat Healthy: Social Norms,Self‐affirmation,and Food Choice

With the rise of obesity in America, especially within the African‐American community, it is essential to identify strategies to encourage healthier food choices. Limited research has examined what, apart from socioeconomic indicators and targeted marketing, affects African Americans’ food choice. The current research explores how a self‐focus or racial group‐focus, in the absence of explicit eating‐norm primes, social influence, and identity threats, affects food choices and this varies by race. A group‐focus leads African Americans (Caucasians) to demonstrate unhealthy (healthy) food choices. On the contrary, a self‐focus leads African Americans to demonstrate healthier preferences while there is no change in Caucasians’ food preferences. Additionally, the current research shows how self‐affirmation, in the absence of threat, can be an effective mechanism for behavior change, for both African Americans and Caucasians. Affirming valued self‐attributes, after a group‐focus, leads to healthier food choices for individuals of both races. These findings are important as they may help identify ways to increase healthier nutrition choices in general and specifically for African Americans. Potential marketing strategies are discussed.     

The Effect of Aggregation Bias: An NTB‐modelling Analysis of Turkey's Agro‐food Trade with the EU

We explore how different data aggregation levels affect the gravity estimates of non‐tariff barriers (NTBs) in the agro‐food sector, and we examine their related impacts on policy simulations of an expansion to the European Union (EU) that would include Turkey. We calculate two sets of ad valorem equivalents (AVEs) of NTBs using the gravity approach to disaggregated and aggregated Central Product Classification data for 15 Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) agro‐food sectors. We find that the AVEs of NTBs vary substantially across products and that using aggregated data primarily results in greater effects of NTBs. In a second step, we incorporate the AVEs of NTBs into the GTAP model to evaluate Turkey's EU membership and conclude that aggregation bias has considerable effects on both the estimation of NTBs and the general equilibrium simulation results. Utilising different data aggregation levels leads to a great variability of trade costs of NTBs and, hence, to misleading trade and welfare effects.     

Undergraduate students' attitudes towards food shopping and attitudes to time

The objectives of the study are to identify the dimensions underlying two constructs (students' attitudes to food shopping and students' attitudes to time), to use these dimensions to identify student segments and to profile them in terms of the construct dimensions, shopping behaviour and students' characteristics. The study employs a web‐based questionnaire. The useable sample was 744 full‐time undergraduate students at Newcastle University. Results indicated that there are six and seven dimensions underlying attitudes to food shopping and attitudes to time respectively. Three student segments are identified with different attitudes to food shopping, attitudes to time, shopping behaviour and students' characteristics. The implication for marketers is that the student market should not be considered en masse, but that segmentation, targeting and positioning is an appropriate strategy for food retailers to adopt.     

Do consumers care about food miles? An empirical analysis in France

We conducted two qualitative surveys to identify whether food miles, defined as the distance that foodstuff travels between the production location and the consumption marketplace, matter for French consumers. First, two focus groups with ‘conventional’ consumers show that distance is a multidimensional concept, both positively and negatively perceived, and that most consumers are not concerned by food miles and their subsequent environmental impact. Second, 10 face‐to‐face interviews with consumers of locally grown organic food demonstrate that these consumers purchase local food for other reasons than reducing ‘food miles’ and buy imported organic food in spite of increased food miles. We shed light on this situation using theoretical concepts from economics and psychology. Some implications for policymakers and marketers are stressed.     

Consumer Concerns Relating to Food Labeling and Trust—Australian Governance Actors Respond

This study aims to report and critically analyze the responses of governance actors to a set of consumers' concerns relating to food labeling, and by doing so describe how these actors construct both consumer perspectives and the food policy environment in which they work. Fifteen food‐labeling governance actors in Australia and New Zealand were asked to view an online presentation of the findings from a previous study exploring consumer perspectives on food labeling and trust before completing a one‐hour, in‐depth, semi‐structured interview. Colebatch's social constructionist perspective on policy was adopted in the analysis. Participants used their own constructions of Australian food policy, the role of labeling and consumer trust as a means to minimize the consumer concerns. Inadequate critical engagement with the moral dimension of consumer concerns is a core driver of the inertia demonstrated in the Australian government's approach to addressing consumer concerns regarding food matters.     

Competitive communities of practice,knowledge sharing,and Machiavellian participation: a case study

This paper explores the emergence of Machiavellian behaviour in a community of practice (CoP). The CoP was initiated by the top management team (TMT) as a management development initiative. Participants in a manufacturing setting were encouraged to engage in a series of problem‐solving tasks with counterparts from across the organization in a short‐term CoP. A qualitative case study, using in‐depth interviews, was conducted in a large processing plant in the Middle Eastern Kingdom of Bahrain. This is an empirical case study that explores employee participation in a short‐term management development programme which sought to create CoPs to enable knowledge sharing. A competitive element was introduced, and we contend this promoted behaviour which served the individuals rather than the CoP. The findings indicate that TMT intervention changes the dynamics of CoPs, reducing knowledge sharing and collaboration among community members. Recommendations are made to practitioners to be cognizant of the possibility of Machiavellian participation in CoPs.     

Investigating consumers’ green values and food‐related behaviours in Turkey

This study sets out to examine the influence of consumers’ green values on food‐related behaviours. Data were collected from a random sample of 385 consumers in Izmir, Turkey via face‐to‐face interviews. Factor analysis was conducted to identify the underlying dimensions that capture the meaning of green values, which affect shopping, cooking and eating behaviours of consumers. A composite variable that represents consumers’ perception of green values was created to classify consumers into two segments labelled: Negative perceivers (37.7%) and positive perceivers (62.3%). The results indicated that the positive perceivers tended to have healthier and environmentally friendly food consumption behaviours than the negative perceivers. Gender, age, education, marital status, body mass index, regular exercise and smoking were significant for differentiating between the segments. We intend to construct value‐based intervention programmes that are easy to implement, non‐mandatory and cost‐effective for the negative perceivers.     

Food allergic consumers' preferences for labelling practices: a qualitative study in a real shopping environment

Food allergy is a chronic disease that can only be managed through avoidance of problematic proteins in the diet. Inappropriate communication about food allergens can cause stress and insecurity, which may have a negative impact on quality of life. The aim was to investigate whether information provided through current labelling practices meets the need of food allergic consumers. A total of 40 participants (20 adult food allergy suffers and 20 parents of food allergic children) were recruited from two different European countries (Greece and The Netherlands), and interviewed while shopping in a supermarket. Participants were asked to purchase 15 potentially problematic food items as if for their own household. Their information search behaviour was observed, and participants were questioned about their preferences for food allergen information provision. Participants reported experiencing problems associated with current food allergy information provision. It was reported that inappropriate use of fonts, colours and languages, application of precautionary labelling and lack of harmonization in labelling practices across countries can cause (un)necessary dietary restrictions for food allergic consumers. Research is needed to investigate the feasibility and implementation possibilities for new information delivery strategies and amendments to existing European labelling policy.     

Corporate social responsibility in small‐and medium‐size enterprises: investigating employee engagement in fair trade companies

Employee buy‐in is a key factor in ensuring small‐ and medium‐size enterprise (SME) engagement with corporate social responsibility (CSR). In this exploratory study, we use participant observation and semi‐structured interviews to investigate the way in which three fair trade SMEs utilise human resource management (and selection and socialisation in particular) to create employee engagement in a strong triple bottomline philosophy, while simultaneously coping with resource and size constraints. The conclusions suggest that there is a strong desire for, but tradeoff within these companies between selection of individuals who already identify with the triple bottomline philosophy and individuals with experience and capability to deal with mainstream brand management – two critical employee attributes that appear to be rarely found together. The more important the business experience to the organisation, the more effort the organisation must expend in formalising their socialisation programmes to ensure employee engagement. A key method in doing this is increasing employee knowledge of, and affection for, the target beneficiaries of the CSR programme (increased moral intensity).     

Food waste paradox: antecedents of food disposal in low income households

This article aims to identify antecedents of food waste among lower‐middle class families – a paradox, given the financial constraints this population faces. The importance of this research is evident in escalating environmental pressures for better use of our planet's scarce resources. Given that most of the world is low‐income, any behavioral change in this population is likely to have a considerable impact. Empirical data were collected from 14 lower‐middle income Brazilian households, based on observations, in‐depth interviews, photographs and a focus group (n = 6). Five major categories of food waste antecedents were identified: (1) excessive purchasing, (2) over‐preparation, (3) caring for a pet, (4) avoidance of leftovers and (5) inappropriate food conservation. Several subcategories were also found, including impulse buying, lack of planning and preference for large packages. Surprisingly, findings show that strategies used to save money – such as buying groceries in bulk, monthly shopping trips, preference for supermarkets and cooking from scratch – actually end up generating more food waste. This mitigates the savings made during the purchasing phase.     

Role of gastronomic,externality and feasibility attributes in consumer demand for organic and local foods: The case of honey and apples

Local food systems providing high‐value products are seen as a tool to sustain economic activity on family farms in rural areas. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of gastronomic, externality and feasibility characteristics in consumers' demand for local and for organic foods. An Internet questionnaire survey was conducted in 2010 among Danish consumers. 3211 respondents completed the questionnaire, which included questions about respondents' food‐related values and their specific perception of organic and local varieties of honey and apples. Variables related to consumers' food‐related values and product perception were analysed using principal component analysis, in order to identify overall dimensions (factors) in these variables. Although statements about gastronomic attributes (e.g. taste, appearance, quality) were quite strongly represented in three of these factors, externality and availability concerns also contributed significantly to the overall variation in the variables. Multinomial logit choice modelling was used for describing the relationship between these dimensions and respondents' stated choices regarding organic and local varieties of honey and apples. Results suggest that although both organic and local food supply chains are often associated with special attributes such as gastronomic characteristics and relatively beneficial externality attributes, these attributes are perceived differently for the two types of supply chains. Perceived gastronomic quality is the most important determinant for food choice, but externality and feasibility aspects are also important correlates.     

Educating limited resource older adults for better choices to lower risk of food insecurity

United States (U.S.) national and North Carolina state data on older adult food insecurity in combination with associated poor nutrition‐related health outcomes point to a critical need for interventions to improve their food security. Nearly 8% of North Carolinians aged 60 and older and 11% of those aged 50–59 are food insecure, placing North Carolina in the top ten states in the U.S. for food insecurity for both age groups. Therefore, the Better Choices intervention was designed to educate limited‐income older adults in ways to manage their meager resources to purchase more and healthier foods. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Better Choices intervention in improving the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of participants concerning their food money resource management. Older adults (n = 453) with ages ranging from 59 to over 90 years participated in 8 weeks of educational programming delivered by educators in 15 participating North Carolina counties. In a cross‐over program design participating counties were randomly assigned to two groups, to create a control for the food money resource management treatment. A three‐points‐in‐time survey supported longitudinal measurement. Independent samples t‐tests showed no significant differences between groups at baseline. Paired sample t‐test results show the intervention was effective with statistically significant improvement of participants' knowledge regarding preparing a healthy meal on a budget, beans as a low‐cost alternative to meat, and the use of unit pricing to compare products to identify the best value. Participant‐developed action plans reflected planned behavior change. Study results show this group of older adults were capable of and willing to adopt new behaviors for a healthier lifestyle. While not a representative sample, the broad applicability of adult learning and planned behavior theories underpinning the program lead us to conclude that the methods and theories applied in this intervention should be of use to educators and practitioners serving limited‐resource older adult populations.