信息干预可以减少消费者转基因食品客观认知扭曲吗——基于行为实验的证据

社会群体在信息传递中发挥着重要作用,伴随新兴网络群体的发展,政府风险交流的对象不仅仅在于个体,而可能是一个群体.针对中国的现实信息情境,本文基于社会影响理论视角,通过设定现场行为实验情景,探讨了社会影响对消费者转基因食品客观认知水平的作用机制和影响显著性.研究表明,科学知识普及比同伴群体更有利于改善消费者转基因食品客观...     

Genetically modified foods: Consumer awareness,opinions and attitudes in selected EU countries

The dynamic development of biotechnology in recent years has raised serious public concerns about the possible risks arising from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The aim of this study was to investigate consumer opinions regarding genetically modified (GM) foods. The research also aimed at verifying the differences in the attitudes of respondents from two, relatively culturally diverse research sites. To obtain empirical data a face‐to‐face survey was conducted in 2015. It covered a total of 976 randomly selected individuals. The study was performed in the capital of the United Kingdom—London and the Polish capital—Warsaw. The results of the study show that almost half of the respondents were familiar with the GMO concept. According to the respondents, the greatest benefits arising from the genetic modification are: enhanced shelf‐life of food and crops' resistance to extreme climatic conditions. The main disadvantages were: unpredictable consequences of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) modification, production of species‐specific toxins and food allergenicity. Over two thirds of people surveyed support the idea of the obligatory labeling of GM foods. The information presented on food packaging should primarily include potential contraindications to the consumption, indication that food was produced using transgenic sources and a warning about potential allergenicity. An almost equal number of respondents showed intention for purchasing GM food products, an intention to act otherwise, or was not decided. As many as 27.7% of survey participants showed negative attitudes toward GM foods, whereas only 19.8% predominantly positive. It is worth noticing that, with only one exception, no statistically significant differences were observed between the opinions of Polish and British respondents.     

Consumers’ Trust in Food Quality and Willingness to Pay More for National Parks’ Brands: Preliminary Evidence From Italy

In Italy, national parks allow the use of their brand logo and name on the labels of food products produced by firms located within the national parks. However, no empirical research has yet investigated the impact of national park brands on consumers’ attitudes and behaviors. Hence, this empirical study explores the factors that influence consumer trust in food quality and their willingness to pay premium prices for the national park brands. Results from a survey involving a sample of 227 Italian consumers suggest that women and younger consumers trust more and are more willing to pay for national park brands. The origin of food products associated with national parks, naturalness of foods, food quality certifications and branding, and the environment in which the packaged foods originate influence consumer confidence and buying behavior. Implications for food marketers and policymakers are discussed.     

Sodium content in fast foods: assessment of menu items in selected countries

This study was designed considering the ubiquitous presence of sodium in restaurant menus, the rapid growth of U.S. fast food operations globally, the impact of fast food on human health, and recent legislative steps to label sodium content. A strong correlation was found between calories and protein content versus sodium contents. Similar brand named menu items had different nutrient and sodium content in selected countries. When portion sizes of meat and cheese are controlled sodium can be reduced without sacrificing the flavor of the foods and in addition reducing the calories provided by selected menu items.     

Genetic engineering,genetic modification,or agricultural biotechnology: does the term matter?

The risk perception and communication literature appears to use terms such as genetic engineering (GE), genetic modification (GM), and agricultural biotechnology (agbiotech) almost interchangeably. The present research therefore seeks to compare the effect of these three terms on consumers’ cognitive, affective and behavioral component of attitude. The variables under investigation are consumers’ perceptions of risk, benefits, personal control over technology, support and promotion of the development of technology, dread, labeling, and purchase intentions. The study draws on the equivalency framing literature in conducting two question wording experiments whereby participants are randomly assigned to receive a version that uses just one of the three different terms. The first experiment found that the framing effect of food technology as either GE or GM may be contingent on source of information. When the technology was framed as GE and the information source was a consumer organization, respondents reported higher perceived personal control over the technology compared to when the information source was government, newspaper, or no source. Therefore, framing food as GE may be a somewhat beneficial for those who seek to promote the technology while framing the technology as GM might help those who oppose the technology. The second experiment found that using the terms agbiotech and GE were associated with higher perceived benefits, positive feelings, and purchase intention compared to GM. The ‘agbiotech’ term garnered the most relative support for the technology. Implications are discussed.     

Young Chinese and Functional Foods for Mobility Health: Perceptions of Importance,Trust, and Willingness to Purchase and Pay a Premium

Consumers’ desire to enhance diet and health has become a driver for the development of functional food products. China, with one of the largest markets in the world, offers huge potential for these foods. In the context of functional foods, specifically related to mobility health, this study aimed to understand Chinese consumers’ perceptions of the importance of these foods, trust, and willingness to purchase and pay a premium for such foods. A mixed-methodological approach using both focus groups and a survey was used to collect data from Chinese living in New Zealand. Findings show Chinese consumers place a high level of importance on their mobility health. Level of importance increased when asked about the believed importance of this area later in life. Key factors influencing Chinese consumers’ willingness to purchase functional foods were also identified: the carrier/nutrient combination; trust in the product’s country of origin and in the various institutions that may be involved in the production of functional food products; trust in both the product brand and how it is advertised; health motivation; and price. The study offers the food industry insights into the development and marketing of mobility-related functional foods targeted to this market.     

Connecting local food to foodservice businesses: An exploratory qualitative study on wholesale distributors‘ perceived benefits and challenges

Wholesale distributors play a vital role in the foodservice industry. However, despite growing interest in local food systems, little research has considered the motivations and challenges of wholesale distributors in developing and maintaining direct relationships with local farmers. This exploratory study investigates wholesale distributors’ perceptions, motivations, and constraints in buying local food products from local farmers in a study conducted in Vancouver, Canada, and Christchurch, New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 wholesale distributors. Results indicate that purchasing of local foods was perceived as beneficial by wholesale distributors, but they experienced challenges with purchasing. Based on the findings, strategies are posited for both wholesale distributors and farmers to better serve foodservice organizations.     

The Effect of Healthy Food Knowledge on Perceived Healthy Foods’ Value,Degree of Satisfaction,and Behavioral Intention: The Moderating Effect of Gender

ABSTRACT

This study seeks to determine how knowledge about healthy food impacts its perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intention among college students to access healthy foods, and to investigate the moderating effect of gender on the formulated relationships. The results show that knowledge about healthy food positively influences perceived value and behavioral intentions, and perceived value is a significant predictor of satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward healthy foods. In addition, knowledge about healthy food does not significantly influence on satisfaction in this study. The results regarding the moderating effects of gender show that gender only moderates the relationship between satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward healthy foods. These results offer useful information for foodservice companies and educational institutions; more specifically, for gaining a better understanding of college students’ behaviors and perceptions toward healthy foods and developing marketing strategies accordingly.     

How and why restaurant patrons value locally sourced foods and ingredients

As research into local foods has advanced, focus has shifted toward the antecedents that may better explain and predict attitudes and behaviors toward local foods. An expanded nomological network is proposed that integrates new and existing constructs in a means-end chain series of relationships. Relationships are empirically tested with multidimensional operationalizations of focal constructs, fielded in a consumer survey, and analyzed through structural equation modeling. Results demonstrate non-random, systematic patterns of relationships across personal values restaurant patrons hold, benefits they derive from local foods, how they actually define local foods, and their attitudes toward local foods. Contributions to marketing theory include the integration of new constructs with existing theory to establish new relationships that better explain and predict local foods perceptions and attitudes. Important considerations for the marketing of local foods include rethinking the scope of what constitutes local foods, options for positioning local foods, and implications for messaging and design.     

Benefits and transaction costs of purchasing local foods in school districts

Although there are several benefits associated with the consumption and increased awareness of locally grown foods in school districts, there are also costs that prevent increasing the purchase of local foods. This study examined the main benefits and transaction costs perceived by school foodservice directors in a Northeastern State when purchasing local foods. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with school districts’ foodservice directors (N = 11) were conducted. The main criteria for participation was to target school districts who previously or currently purchased locally grown food items. The study showed that school foodservice directors categorized price, food safety and availability as the main components of transaction costs associated with the purchase of locally grown products. They also identified several benefits, such as supporting the local economy, providing better quality food, and ensuring students have access to healthier foods. Future studies could build on these findings to identify specific measures of transaction costs.