Young Consumers\u2019 Preferences for Nonalcoholic Beers: The Impact of Sensory Perception and Label Information

An analysis of the sensory properties, emotional responses and social settings associated with non-alcoholic beer

In a bid to make the use of functional food easier in the management and prevention of diseases, product development and fortification from/with functional foods have become the recent focus of research. This study, therefore, sought to exploit the recent trend in the brewing industry on the production of non-alcoholic beers by investigating the possibility of having a non-alcoholic beer flavored with bitter leaf, a known plant widely reported to have a strong hypoglycemic effect, as against the traditional use of hops, and the effect of the produced beer on the glycemic indices and various diabetic biochemical parameters that serve as biomarkers for type-2 diabetes (T2D). The glycemic indices, as well as the inhibitory potentials of bitter leaf-flavored Non-alcoholic wheat beer (NAWB) in ratios of 100%HP, 100%BL, 75:25BL, 50:50BL, and 25:75BL, on enzymes linked to a high-fat diet/streptozocin (HFD/STZ)-induced T2D albino Wistar rats were investigated. There were no significant difference (p > .05) between the starch (1.72-1.77 mg/100 mL), amylose (0.22-0.24 mg/100 mL), and amylopectin (1.49-1.53 mg/100 mL) contents of the various samples. The Glycemic Index (GI) of the samples ranged from 36 to 73 with 75:25Bl and 50:50BL have the lowest (36) values. The samples reduced blood glucose levels and inhibited pancreatic α-amylase, lipase, and intestinal α-glucosidase activity. The inhibitory potentials of these beer samples on α-amylase and α-glucosidase as well as their ability to reduce blood glucose levels in diabetic rats thus making the bitter leaf flavored NAWB a suitable healthy beverage for better glycemic control in diabetics. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study revealed the potential of producing non-alcoholic wheat beer flavored with bitter leaves as a possible substitute for hops. The potential inherent in bitter leaf in the management of type 2 diabetes can thus be made available through a far-reaching beverage medium such as non-alcoholic beer to help in the treatment/management of T2D. The results of this research could be an eye-opener to the possible utilization of bitter leaf and by extension other plants that have been reported in the management of T2D. The use of the bitter leaf as a substitute for hops in the production of non-alcoholic beer in the brewing industry could help in a health-oriented campaign for safe drinks that could be helpful in the control of blood glucose levels of diabetic patients.

Beer has long been regarded as a cultural beverage, with each culture developing unique production traditions that influence its colour, taste, and strength. Traditionally consumed in social settings, beer is increasingly being replaced by non-alcoholic alternatives due to growing concerns about the health effects of alcohol, religious restrictions, and the impact of alcohol on mental well-being. This study sought to compare alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers in terms of sensory properties and to review production technologies. The literature review included an overview of classical beer production and the main methods for producing non-alcoholic beer, as well as an examination of the effects of alcohol consumption and the benefits of fermented beverages. A sensory study was conducted with a group of 10 participants who evaluated eight beer samples, four alcoholic and four non-alcoholic, using a structured sensory evaluation. The results indicated that non-alcoholic beers consistently received lower sensory ratings compared to their alcoholic counterparts. The largest difference was observed in wheat beer, where non-alcoholic samples scored 37% lower, while the smallest difference occurred in stout beer, with a 13% decrease in ratings. These findings suggest that despite technological advancements and growing consumer demand, non-alcoholic beers remain less acceptable to consumers on sensory grounds. The study highlights the challenges faced by non-alcoholic beer producers in replicating the taste, aroma, and overall experience of traditional beer, while also emphasising the importance of continued innovation in production methods to improve consumer satisfaction.

In recent years, non-alcoholic beers have been gaining popularity. Among the various components that affect the flavor and sensory characteristics of beers, free fatty acids (FFAs) are minor components. However, due to their involvement in beer quality, fast and simple methods for analyzing FFAs in beers are of importance. In this work, we present a liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) method for the rapid determination of FFAs in beers, avoiding a tedious sample preparation and derivatization and allowing the simultaneous study of a large set of FAs, including medium-chain, long-chain, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FAs. The method was applied in the analysis of twelve non-alcoholic and nine alcoholic beer samples from the local market, permitting the comparison of their FFA profiling. Among the 37 FAs studied, 29 were quantified, and palmitic, stearic, oleic and myristic acids were identified as the predominant FAs in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers. The majority of the predominant long-chain FAs, including palmitic, stearic and myristic acids, were found in decreased amounts in non-alcoholic beers, compared to the alcoholic ones, with the marked exception of oleic acid, which was increased in non-alcoholic beers. Among the medium-chain FAs, octanoic acid was found at lower concentrations in non-alcoholic beers, comparing to regular beers, while lauric acid was slightly increased. Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested the correlation of FFAs with the type of beer (alcoholic or non-alcoholic beer).

Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach to determine differential metabolites between regular and non-alcohol beers

The purpose of this study was to understand and predict young consumers' purchase behaviors related to fair trade products. Based on the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991), causal relationships among personal values, beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and purchase intentions associated with fair trade products were examined. Data were collected via Web-based surveys from a random sample of female college students at a large Midwestern U.S. university. Of 9,593 female older echo boomer students invited through e-mail to participate in the Web-based survey, 1,048 responses were returned for an overall response rate of 11%. Eight hundred and thirty-five complete surveys were used for the statistical analysis.;Two phases of data analysis were conducted: preliminary analysis and model testing. First, preliminary analysis of research data consisted of descriptive analysis, principal components analysis, internal reliability assessment of research variables using Cronbach's alpha coefficients, and correlation analysis. Second, model testing was conducted through two steps: existing model testing and alternative model testing. Model testing was performed through maximum-likelihood estimation procedures using AMOS 7.0. In the first step, hypotheses were tested based on results for the fully recursive model. The second step included re-specification and validation of an alternative model using a cross-validation technique. Multi-group invariance was tested for the alternative model using multi-sample path analysis.;Findings of the present study revealed that consumers' personal values (i.e., universalism), past purchase behavior related to fair trade non-food products, beliefs about the fair trade non-food products and business mission, attitudes toward fair trade purchases, and social pressures to buy fair trade non-food products were all important factors in predicting young consumers' willingness to purchase fair trade non-food products. First, the overall findings confirmed elements of the theory of planned behavior. Belief structures, such as behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs, were found to be determinants of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control related to non-food fair trade purchases. It was also found that attitudes and subjective norms were important predictors of behavioral intentions related to the purchase of fair trade non-food products. However, there was no significant relationship between perceived behavioral control and the intention to purchase fair trade products, suggesting that purchasing fair trade products is largely under volitional control. Second, consumers' previous experiences of shopping for fair trade products were critical determinants of the formation of beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions related to fair trade purchases for non-food products. Third, consumers' beliefs about the fair trade mission were found to be an important predictor of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and the intention to buy fair trade non-food products.;The present research provides useful insights into fair trade businesses targeting young consumers and also provides contributions to the academic literature. Fair trade businesses will benefit from knowledge of young consumers' beliefs, attitudes, and purchase intention for fair trade non-food products. Theoretical contributions include an understanding of the significant roles that universalism values and previous purchase behaviors for fair trade non-food products have in formation of beliefs, attitudes, and future purchase intentions. The development of empirically tested model provides a theoretical understanding of the purchase of fair trade non-food products for young consumers.

Functional or emotional? How Dutch and Portuguese conceptualise beer, wine and non-alcoholic beer consumption

Beers produced using different brewing technologies from Spain (intensified technologies) and Czech Republic (classical technologies) were analysed. A comparison of volatile compound profiles from particular lagers and non-alcoholic beers was carried out. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to compare 28 industrial lager beer samples of 3 different types: pale, dark and non-alcoholic. A total of 44 volatile compounds were identified, and 19 of these were quantified. Principal component analysis showed four principal factors, each related to a particular group of compounds. Two factors that explained more than 63.72% of the variability were related to higher alcohols and acetates. Non-alcoholic beers had very low levels of volatile compounds, with the exception of a non-alcoholic Czech beer made using a special yeast that was unable to metabolize maltose and maltotriose, and had a volatile profile closer to that of lagers. Czech lagers brewed using classical technologies differed in their volatile profiles from lagers brewed using modern technologies in Spain, in particular, in the ratio between the contents of higher alcohols and esters.

The market for low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beer has been increasing owing to factors such as health concerns, calorie content, strict traffic laws and religion, among others. Beer presents some good nutritional characteristics such as B-complex vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, fibre, protein and carbohydrates. The availability of non-alcoholic products is still very low in Brazil and worldwide. This study produced four samples of non-alcoholic dark beer derived from a Foreign Extra Stout beer style with 6.6% v/v alcohol using the process of reverse osmosis. The membrane filtration processes showed that the fouling rate coefficient increases with time and permeate volume while the flow decreases. The values of colour, bitterness, pH, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were maintained close to the parameters of the standard beer (counter test) when the reverse osmosis process was conducted with a diluted sample at a temperature of 20 °C. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting young consumers’ purchase intention of green products in Sri Lanka, due to the lack of studies that deliberate green issues in the Sri Lankan context though environmental disputes increasingly affect every side of human life. Moreover, based on the prior researches, this study focuses on three variables that influence on young consumers’ purchase intention of green products such as environmental attitude, environmental knowledge and social influence. Three hypotheses were developed based on the constructed conceptual framework derived from the marketing and consumer behavior literature. The data were collected over a survey technique by conveniently administering structured questionnaires from 150 young consumers in Sri Lanka. First, the analysis was carried out the factor analysis to explore the significance of influencing factors of young consumers’ purchase intention, and multiple regression analysis was performed to explore the factors that influence on young consumers’ purchase intention of green products. The results of the regression analysis indicated that all three variables (i.e., environmental attitude, environmental knowledge and social influence) have a significant and positive impact on young consumers’ purchase intention of green products in Sri Lanka. Moreover, it suggested that the environmental attitude variable was the most significant while social influence was the less significant variables towards young consumers’ purchase intention. The findings of this study provide new insights to marketers to formulate appropriate strategies for promoting green purchase behavior among young consumers in Sri Lanka. Moreover, the study unveiled that marketers need to understand the path that moves the environmental factors to green purchase intention to successfully enhance and redefine the new target markets. The most significant precursor which affects the green purchase intention of Sri Lankan young consumers is environmental attitude followed by environmental knowledge and social influence. But, this study evaluates the construct of purchase intention as an expressed intention for green products based on cross-sectional approach rather than actual purchase for such products. Hence, future scholars should adopt a longitudinal approach in their studies by focusing on changes in consumers purchase intention.
 Keywords: Environmental attitude, environmental knowledge, green marketing, green purchase intention, social influence

By applying motivational values of luxury consumption, this study examined the impact of cultural differences on young consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions toward luxury brands. With the use of survey data (N = 331 for South Koreans and N = 409 for Americans), the study provided support for the hypothesized moderating effect of three perceived values: conspicuous, social, and quality values. The perceived social value was found to influence attitude change favorably among young Korean consumers. The young American consumers tended to increase their attitudes and purchase intentions toward luxury brands if they perceived superior product quality. However, they were more likely to lower their purchase intention as they recognized conspicuous value of consuming luxury brands. On the other hand, the moderating effect of uniqueness and hedonic value was not found. Theoretical and managerial implications were discussed.

Purpose: This study examines the influence of user-generated content (UGC) on the purchase intentions of young consumers in Sri Lanka’s online clothing market. With the rise of Web 2.0 and social media, consumer behavior is increasingly shaped by interactive content. The study explores how UGC impacts consumers' intentions by fulfilling various gratification needs, such as content, social relations, and self-presentation, within the digital landscape. Design/methodology/approach: Adopting a positivist paradigm and a deductive research approach, this study employed a quantitative survey methodology. Data were gathered using self-administered online questionnaires from 250 young Sri Lankan consumers, aged 15 to 29, who used online platforms to purchase clothing. A purposive sampling technique was applied to ensure the sample's relevance to the research objectives. The collected data were analyzed using regression analysis to examine the relationship between user-generated content (UGC) and consumer purchase intentions. Findings: Results indicate that UGC positively influences purchase intention among young consumers through utilitarian and hedonic content gratification. Social relation gratification, including trust and homophily on platforms like Facebook, enhances consumer purchase intention by fostering community and in-group acceptance. Additionally, self-presentation gratification encourages purchase behavior by allowing consumers to project their desired identities and values through social media engagement. Originality: This study contributes to the limited research on UGC’s direct impact on purchase intentions within the clothing industry in Sri Lanka. It expands existing theories by applying the uses and gratifications theory to the online shopping context, offering insights into the specific types of gratifications that drive young consumers’ purchasing decisions. Implications: The findings provide valuable insights for clothing brands and digital marketers in Sri Lanka. By focusing on the utilitarian, hedonic, and relational aspects of UGC, brands can better tailor their social media strategies to engage young consumers effectively. This research emphasizes the importance of creating social media content that resonates with consumers’ functional and identity-driven needs to enhance purchase intentions.

Purpose Packaging is generally regarded as the most effective form of advertising at the most critical stage of the purchasing process: the point of purchase. A product has only a few moments to make an impression and capture the consumer’s attention in this competitive world. This study, theoretically grounded in stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory, aims to investigate the influence of packaging benefits (hedonic and utilitarian) of a new and emerging brand, i.e. Kinza soft drinks, on customer engagement (CE), brand experience (BE) and purchase intention of young Saudi consumers. Design/methodology/approach The survey was conducted with young consumers in Saudi Arabia, and the 221 acceptable responses were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The findings of the research suggest that the hedonic benefits of Kinza soft drink packaging have a significant influence on CE and BE, whereas utilitarian benefits have a significant influence only on CE. CE shows a significant positive influence on both BE and purchase intention toward Kinza soft drinks. BE has a significant positive influence on the young Saudi consumers’ purchase intention. The mediation result reveals that CE significantly mediates the relationship between hedonic and utilitarian packaging benefits and purchase intention, whereas the mediation effect of BE was not confirmed. Originality/value This study is unique as it examines how hedonic and utilitarian packaging benefits of a new soft drink brand influence purchase intention through the unexplored mediating roles of CE and BE among young Saudi consumers, who are an influential yet overlooked demographic in a market dominated by established global brands.

This study aims to propose an extended model of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) which helps us to investigate young Chinese consumers from college and university, and who are aged 18 to 30 years, on purchase intention for organic food. Using a sample of 515, analyses were done using structural equation modeling. The findings indicated that attitude (A), subjective norms (SNs), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) have positive effects on the purchase intention of young consumers for organic food. Moreover, attitude has a positive effect on environmental concerns (EC). Furthermore, EC has a positive effect on young consumers’ purchase intentions for organic food. Findings indicated that EC positively mediates the association between attitude and young consumers’ purchase intentions for organic food. More importantly, the relationship between all latent variables (A, SNs, PBC) and purchase intention by young consumers is positively moderated by environmental awareness.

The key purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of social media marketing on young consumers’ purchase intention in Malaysia with the mediating role of consumer engagement. The constructs considered include Social Media Marketing, Young Consumers’ Purchase Intention, and Consumer Engagement. Data are collected from a simple random sample of 410 active social media users who age 18 to 35 in Malaysia. Linear regression and Hayes Process Macro were performed. The results indicate that social media marketing is significantly and positively related to young consumers’ purchase intention. It further demonstrates the strategic role of consumer engagement acting as a partial mediator on the impact of social media marketing on young consumers’ purchase intention. The finding drawn imply the importance of social media sites respond to the purchase intention of youth. It suggests that companies and marketers should maintain long-term relationship with consumers by redesigning their social media marketing strategies.