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Interest in “natural” food has grown enormously over the last decade. Because the United States government has not set a legal definition for the term “natural”, customers have formed their own sensory perceptions and opinions on what constitutes natural. In this study, we examined 20 ingredients to determine what consumers consider to be natural....
Context in source publication
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As various private sector practices have been introduced into the public sector, some were adopted without careful assessment of potential policy and management implications. One such example is the adoption of pay-for-performance (PFP). While previous research has corroborated that this performance incentive mechanism was implemented without thoro...
Citations
... As mentioned in standard regulation, consumers rely heavily on the concept of naturalness to assess the different aspects of a food product (Román et al., 2017). Although naturalness remains a vague and subjective concept in the minds of consumers (Chambers & Castro, 2018), and can be misleading (Hemmerling et al., 2016), it is nevertheless the principle to which they refer to imagine what an organic food is 9 . ...
... While this research indicates a preference for naturalness in processing methods, there is no indication of what respondents mean by natural. In this present research, we show no uniformity in understanding the concept (Chambers & Castro, 2018). Consumers assess the process itself as unnatural or untraditional (Szymkowiak et al., 2020) indifferently from the biochemical nature of food (induced by the processes) (Hsu et al., 2016). ...
• Objectif Le règlement public du label européen de production biologique, qui introduit des principes applicables à la transformation biologique en général, présente plusieurs faiblesses : l’une d’elles est que la compatibilité entre procédés de transformation et principes du bio a été appréciée sous l’angle des sciences de l’aliment, le point de vue des consommateurs ayant été peu considéré. La présente recherche a pour objectif d’étudier les attentes des consommateurs à l’égard des procédés de transformation en bio, ce qui, dans un contexte d’information très imparfaite, nécessite de saisir leurs représentations. Comment les consommateurs se représentent-ils une transformation dans le cas de produits bio ? • Méthodologie L’analyse de trente entretiens semi-directifs offre des clés de lecture conceptuelle des critères que convoquent les consommateurs pour apprécier dans quelle mesure un aliment transformé peut être qualifié de bio. • Résultats Sans surprise, la naturalité ressort comme étant une dimension transversale importante. Mais le résultat nouveau est la mise en évidence de l’écart entre l’attention des sciences de l’aliment, portée essentiellement sur les effets de la transformation sur la naturalité, et l’attention des consommateurs, portée essentiellement sur la naturalité des procédés eux-mêmes ainsi que sur leur finalité. • Implications managériales Ce résultat pourrait inciter des marques à renoncer à certaines technologies, fussent-elles désirables sur un plan biochimique ou fonctionnel. • Originalité La recherche montre que la manière dont les consommateurs se représentent la transformation alimentaire n’est pas la même selon qu’il s’agisse de produits bio ou de produits conventionnels. Un champ de recherche est donc ouvert.
... As mentioned in standard regulation, consumers rely heavily on the concept of naturalness to assess the different aspects of a food product (Román et al., 2017). Although naturalness remains a vague and subjective concept in the minds of consumers (Chambers & Castro, 2018), and can be misleading (Hemmerling et al., 2016), it is nevertheless the principle to which they refer to imagine what an organic food is 9 . ...
... While this research indicates a preference for naturalness in processing methods, there is no indication of what respondents mean by natural. In this present research, we show no uniformity in understanding the concept (Chambers & Castro, 2018). Consumers assess the process itself as unnatural or untraditional (Szymkowiak et al., 2020) indifferently from the biochemical nature of food (induced by the processes) (Hsu et al., 2016). ...
Fartsi I., Dufeu I., Briand-Decré G, Travers M., Appéré G. (2023), Les aliments transformés peuvent-ils être réellement bio ? Le point de vue des consommateurs, Décisions Marketing, avril-juin, 110. Abstract 1) Objective The public regulation of the European organic label, which introduces principles applicable to organic processing in general, has several weaknesses: one of them is that the compatibility between processing and organic principles has been assessed from the perspective of food science, with little consideration given to the consumers' point of view. The present research aims to investigate consumer expectations concerning organic processing, which requires understanding their representations in a context of very imperfect information. How do consumers perceive processing in the case of organic products? 2) Methodology The analysis of thirty interviews provides keys to the conceptual interpretation of the criteria that consumers use to assess the extent to which processed food can be described as organic. 3) Results Not surprisingly, naturalness emerges as an important cross-cutting dimension. However, the new result is that it highlights the gap between the attention of food scientists, focused mainly on the effects of processing on naturalness, and the attention of consumers, focused mainly on the naturalness of the processes and their purpose. 4) Managerial implications This result could lead some brands to renounce certain technologies, even if they are desirable from a biochemical or functional point of view. 5) Originality Research shows that the way consumers perceive food processing is not the same for organic and conventional products. A field of research is therefore open. 6)
... Alguns determinantes parecem ser particularmente importantes em moldar as reações das pessoas aos riscos alimentares. Por exemplo, alimentos de origem tecnológica são percebidos como mais perigosos que os naturais (Jenkins et al., 2020;Dickson-Spillmann et al., 2011), embora o que é natural nem sempre seja percebido da mesma maneira pelas pessoas (Chambers et al., 2018). Complexidade adicional decorre da situação de risco agudo versus crônico. ...
... These findings align with the previous literature regarding the guiding role of universalism in natural food consumption (Thøgersen and Zhou, 2017;Thøgersen et al., 2015;Aertsens et al., 2009). Because natural foods are considered to healthier, not genetically modified (non-GMO) (Chambers and Castro, 2018), fresher and purer (Rozin et al., 2012) and morally superior to consume than conventional foods (Rozin et al., 2004), the supported hypotheses rationally justify consumers' preference for natural food brands. The present study also observed a statistically significant negative association between universalism and fake news risk (H3), which implies that consumers with high value of universalism respond to fake news about natural food brands by withdrawing completely from the use of these products or switching from the brand about which the news is circulating. ...
Purpose
Fake news represents a real risk for brands, particularly for firms selling essential products, such as food items. Despite this anecdotal acknowledgement, the dynamics of the relationship between fake news and brand reputation remain under-explored. The present study addresses this gap by examining the association of consumer values (universalism and openness to change), brand trust, fake news risk and system trust in the context of natural food products.
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilised a cross-sectional survey design and the mall-intercept method to collect data from 498 consumers of natural food residing in India. To test the hypotheses, which were grounded in the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework, the collected data were analysed using covariance-based structural equation modelling in SPSS AMOS. The conceptual model proposed universalism and openness to change as stimuli, brand trust as an internal state or organism and fake news risk – captured through the tendency of consumers to believe and act on fake news – as a response.
Findings
The findings support a positive association of universalism with brand trust and a negative association with fake news risk. In comparison, openness to change has no association with either brand trust or fake news risk. Brand trust, meanwhile, is negatively related to fake news, and this association is moderated by system trust. Furthermore, brand trust partially mediates the relationship between universalism value and fake news risk.
Originality/value
Notably, the present study is one of the first attempts to understand the fake news risk associated with natural food brands by utilising the SOR framework in an emerging market setting. The study provides interesting insights for policymakers, brands and consumers.
... The use of food additives including hydrocolloids to enhance the properties of bread, especially in commercially sold bread, is a common and accepted practice. However, particularly amongst the health-conscious older population, consumers are avoiding food products with food additive enhancement as they see them as "unnatural" (38). ...
Characteristics of food that influence liking and ease-of-chewing and swallowing are not well-understood. Reformulation of bread to improve nutrient density may improve liking, ease-of-chewing and swallowing which could improve dietary intake particularly with aging. The study aimed to compare objectively and subjectively four breads of increasing nutrient density: $1 white (WB) and wheatmeal (WMB) commercial breads and two in-house formulations of vegetable-enriched breads (VB75 or VB100) which incorporated drum-dried pumpkin and sweet corn flours for physical, sensory and ease-of-chewing and swallowing properties. Each bread underwent instrumental texture analysis. The commercial and vegetable-enriched breads were not different by hardness or springiness but the vegetable breads were up to 25% less cohesive, less gummy and less chewy than the commercial breads. Questionnaires and Likert scale (150 mm) responses were completed by 50 physically active volunteers aged 50+ years. Overall liking of the VB75 and VB100 was rated 40% higher than the white and wheatmeal breads. Vegetable-enriched breads were rated as almost 50% easier to chew (mean ± SD; WB 70.53 ± 39.46 mm, WMB 77.68 ± 33.13 mm, VB75 104.78 ± 30.69 mm, VB100 107.58 ± 24.90 mm) and swallow (WB 70.29 ± 37.98 mm, WMB 77.53 ± 34.88 mm, VB75 104.63 ± 28.25 mm, VB100 104.90 ± 25.54 mm). Vegetable-enriched breads compared to white and wheatmeal breads were instrumentally and subjectively less gummy, cohesive and chewy than commercial breads and have the potential to both improve nutrition and “ease of swallowing” in older people. New areas of research should explore other underutilized vegetables for bread enrichment and their ability to aid swallowing and improve nutrition status.
... Alguns determinantes parecem ser particularmente importantes em moldar as reações das pessoas aos riscos alimentares. Por exemplo, alimentos de origem tecnológica são percebidos como mais perigosos que os naturais (Jenkins et al., 2020;Dickson-Spillmann et al., 2011), embora o que é natural nem sempre seja percebido da mesma maneira pelas pessoas (Chambers et al., 2018). Complexidade adicional decorre da situação de risco agudo versus crônico. ...
Modernization of sanitary inspection in swine slaughterhouses
Brazilians: Risk-based inspection
... Healthiness of the product is one of the main motives in consumers' food choice (Grunert, 2013;Januszewska, Pieniak, & Verbeke, 2011;Milošević, Žeželj, Gorton, & Barjolle, 2012). Healthiness is often associated with sensory (flavor, taste, color, and texture) and natural content characteristics (no additives and natural ingredients) (Chambers, Chambers, & Castro, 2018;Puska & Luomala, 2016). According to the literature, health consciousness could influence how consumers assess the importance of attributes in a food product (Chen, 2013;Schifferstein & Ophuis Oude, 1998). ...
One way to add value to tropical fruit and increase its availability in the global market is to develop new, less perishable, products from fresh fruit. The purpose of this study is to compare the perception of key quality attributes and preferences of dried mango between consumers with different familiarity and health consciousness. This study surveyed respondents from China, Indonesia, and the Netherlands via an adaptive choice‐based conjoint method (n = 483) to evaluate intrinsic quality attributes that influenced consumer preference for dried mango. Consumers in different countries have different texture, taste, and color preferences for dried mango. The most important attribute for the Dutch and Chinese was “free from extra ingredients”, while for Indonesians, it was the texture. Familiarity with dried mango and health consciousness do not influence consumer preference of intrinsic attributes of dried mango. Different preferences of intrinsic attributes of dried mango between countries are related to cultural differences. This study provides useful insights for food manufacturers into the significance of key intrinsic quality attributes in developing dried mango.
Practical Application
Intrinsic quality parameters of dried mango are not perceived in the same way by every consumer and this is related to cultural differences. Crispy texture is important only for Indonesian consumers, while “free from extra ingredients” is the most important for Dutch and Chinese consumers. This information is relevant when developing dried mango products for the respective markets.
... Researchers have also found that distinctions between natural and unnatural tend to lay in the eye of the beholder and can be flexible (Chambers, Chambers & Castro, 2018;Rozin, Fischler, & Shields-Argelès, 2012). Participants in this study often used distinctions between natural and unnatural to make explicit comparisons between conventional and CM. ...
Cellular agriculture uses cell-culturing and tissue-engineering technologies to produce
animal tissues that are biologically, sensorially, and aesthetically similar in nearly every respect to those yielded by conventional livestock production and aquaculture. These technologies promise to satisfy the projected global demand for meat in ways that advance food security without compromising the environment, public health, or animal welfare. Previous studies suggest, however, that consumer acceptance of this “cultured meat” is by no means assured. Research is required to understand the behavioral, normative, and control beliefs and relevant background factors that may inform whether or not people choose to consume such products. For religious adherents, religious beliefs and norms are expected to present salient influences on food choice decisions. This concurrent mixed-methods study explored the influence of religion on Muslim Millennials’ beliefs about cellular agriculture and cultured meat consumption and intentions towards the latter. A majority of participants (94%) claimed they’d be willing to try either cultured beef or cultured fish (or both). Nevertheless, findings also suggest the compatibility of cultured meat consumption with Islamic dietary law and ethical principles will be important decision criteria for many Muslims. These findings also indicate that Muslim Millennials are likely to have different evidentiary thresholds for ascertaining that cultured meat” is by no means assured. Research is required to understand the behavioral, normative, and control beliefs and relevant background factors that may inform whether or not people choose to consume such products. For religious adherents, religious beliefs and norms are expected to present salient influences on food choice decisions. This concurrent mixed-methods study explored the influence of religion on Muslim Millennials’ beliefs about cellular agriculture and cultured meat consumption and intentions towards the latter. A majority of participants (94%) claimed they’d be willing to try either cultured beef or cultured fish (or both). Nevertheless, findings also suggest the compatibility of cultured meat consumption with Islamic dietary law and ethical principles will be important decision criteria for many Muslims. These findings also indicate that
Muslim Millennials are likely to have different evidentiary thresholds for ascertaining that compatibility with sufficient certainty and will turn to different sources of normative guidance to gain desired levels of assurance. This research provides new insights into the convergence of faith and food at a time when challenges to sustainable food systems have made the search for alternative protein sources increasingly urgent. The projected growth of the global Muslim population over the remainder of this century and the increasing economic and cultural clout of Muslim Millennials underscore the importance of these populations for the future of cellular agriculture. While not generalizable to the broader U.S. or global Muslim populations, findings from this study extend our understanding of religion’s influence on lay public acceptance of cellular agriculture and cultured meat.
... The addition of STP increased acceptance of pork patties regardless of addition of SM for Korean consumers, and increased acceptance among US consumers, but only when SM was not present or at low levels [20]. In addition, recent research [55][56][57] has shown that consumers want more "natural" foods, and the use of ingredients with "chemical-sounding names" (in this case, sodium tripolyphosphate) result in reduced perceptions of naturalness. Morse [58] reported an unacceptable soapy flavor when STP was used in meat. ...
Increasing consumer desire for functional food ingredients, including such products as shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes P.) powder (SM), demands that the sensory impact of such ingredients be tested in an appropriate food system. Pork patties are a common food in many Asian countries. Pork patties in this study were prepared with and without SM, an ingredient that is gaining popularity around the world. A lexicon for describing the texture and flavor of cooked pork patties, with and without 0.5% sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), a typical additive to meat, and with varying amounts of SM (0% to 6%) was developed by a highly trained panel to compare sensory properties for each type of patty. The attributes evaluated were juiciness, toughness, rubberiness, mealiness, pork identity (pork ID), meatiness, mushroom, onion, garlic, black pepper, heat/burn, soapy, chemical, animal hair, fatty, salty, sour, bitter, slick, and astringent. An addition of 0.5% STP produced more intense ratings for soapy, salty, sour, and astringent attributes. Without STP, patties containing shiitake mushroom powder had a more mealy consistency but more pork ID than they did with STP.
... Although, at times, naturalness is used as a proxy for ordinary positive qualities, it is often linked to broader moral judgments implying that whatever is "natural" is inherently good (Rozin et al., 2004;Scott et al., 2018). The term "natural" has many meanings and can be used both in absolute terms and, relationally, to express the idea that one thing is more, or less, natural than another (Chambers et al., 2018). In a study of public perceptions of cisgenic crops, Mielby et al., 2013 identified no fewer than five distinct aspects of "unnaturalness" in the reasoning used by lay people: (a) a history-based argument, which builds on the idea that natural entities are independent of human inference; (b) a substance-based argument, where natural entities are free of foreign materials (e.g. ...
The article describes how the idea of “naturalness” was used by three different groups in arguments over the risk of livestock vaccines developed in synthetic biology. Based on interviews with two groups of scientific experts and focus groups with lay people in five European countries, and using Toulmin’s argument analysis as the analytical tool, the article maps and compares the different ways in which “naturalness” was used as a warrant. Several notions of “naturalness” are involved in lay people’s reasoning and several lay people’s understandings of risk relied on their perceptions of the “unnaturalness” of the synthetic vaccines. The notion of “naturalness” was used less by synthetic biology experts and not at all by vaccine experts. Lay people see the vaccine as less natural than other vaccines and therefore as a greater risk. In contrast, synthetic biology experts understand synthetic biology as natural, and relate naturalness, unpredictability and risk.
