Consumer Health Consciousness Research Articles

Occurrence of ochratoxin A in cocoa beans and bean-to-bar chocolates.

The growing health consciousness of consumers has led to an increase in the consumption of artisanal chocolates, mainly due to their recognized health benefits. However, processing steps such as fermentation and drying of cocoa beans can favor the growth of ochratoxigenic fungi. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in cocoa beans (purchased from e-commerce and post-harvest processing) and bean-to-bar chocolates sold in Brazil. An HPLC-FLD method was validated, with recovery values between 84 and 97% and limits of detection and quantification of 0.04 and 0.01 µg/kg, respectively. OTA was detected in 30% of the cocoa bean samples studied (n = 43), with values ranging from < 0.04 to 1.18 µg/kg. Regarding the bean-to-bar chocolates (n = 62), the OTA concentrations ranged from < 0.04 to 1.11 µg/kg, with a prevalence in semi-sweet and dark chocolates. Despite representing a growing market, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report OTA concentrations in bean-to-bar chocolates and Brazilian cocoa beans used to produce this type of chocolate.

Benchmarking nutrition facts panel label – a consumer ethics perspective using health belief model

PurposeThis study examines how health-conscious consumers utilize nutrition facts panel labels when purchasing food products, focusing specifically on the dimension of ethical evaluation. It aims to understand how ethical considerations influence the decision-making process of consumers who prioritize health. By analyzing the impact of ethical evaluation on label usage, the study sheds light on the significance of ethics in consumer behavior in the context of purchasing packaged edible oil.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data were collected using an online survey and a non-ordered questionnaire. In total, 469 valid responses were obtained. The study used SPSS version 27.0 and SmartPLS version 3 for demographic analysis and structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings suggest that three factors – perceived benefits, perceived threats, and nutrition self-efficacy, positively impact the use of NFP labels. However, perceived barriers negatively influence the use of NFP labels. In additionally, ethical evaluation mediates the usage of NFP labels.Practical implicationsIn the health belief model, ethical evaluation functions as a mediator and has a greater influence on NFP label use. This study provides a framework for marketers to promote consumer health consciousness by encouraging them to incorporate NFP labels.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first attempts to demonstrate that ethical evaluation mediate health beliefs and the use of nutrition labels.

Impact on the Determinants of Perceived Quality, Perceived Quality, and Purchase Intention on Organic Foods Considering Consumer Health Consciousness

Impact on the Determinants of Perceived Quality, Perceived Quality, and Purchase Intention on Organic Foods Considering Consumer Health Consciousness

Impact of COVID-19 anxiety on functional foods consuming intention: role of electronic word of mouth

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic, which involving mass quarantines in many nations, has affected consumer health consciousness behaviors, including food consumption. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 anxiety on functional food consumption within the framework of changes in health concerns and electronic word-of-mouth communication through digital platforms, paying special attention to the moderating effect of trust on eWOM information. Design/methodology/approach: This cross-sectional study included 527 participants. The data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. Mediating moderating effects were tested using bootstrapping and multigroup methods. FindingsAnxiety about the COVID-19 virus has a great impact on individuals’ health concerns, word-of-mouth information seeking, and functional food consumption intention. Mediating effects of health consciousness and eWOM on functional food consumption intention were also observed. The anxiety about the COVID-19 virus and health consciousness triggers eWOM communication, and is a strong driver of intention to purchase functional foods if people trust the eWOM information source. Originality/valueWhile scholars have demonstrated the impact of COVID-19 on human behavior, a largely uninvestigated issue is the effect of COVID-19 virus anxiety on health product consumption. This is one of the first studies to examine the interrelationships among COVID-19 anxiety, health consciousness, eWOM, and functional food consumption intention.This study provides valuable insights into consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should consider the effect of COVID-19 virus anxiety on health-related issues and nutritional behavioral consequences. Based on the results, implications for managers and researchers are proposed.

Changes in Package Sizes of Savoury Snacks through Exploration of Euromonitor and Industry Perspectives.

Portion sizes of many energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods and drinks have increased in the past decade, whereas our understanding of the pattern of changes in package sizes remains limited. This study aimed to determine changing trends in sales and package sizes of savoury snacks in Australia, the USA, Japan and Hong Kong, and to investigate industry perspectives for these changes. Sales data (units per capita) between 2006–2020 on savoury snacks were extracted from the Euromonitor International database. Industry perspectives on package size changes were extracted systematically from selected databases, company reports and related websites following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The findings showed that sales per capita of savoury snacks of all package sizes increased across all four countries/regions between 2006–2020. Although changes in the proportion of smaller (<100 g) versus larger (>100 g) package size sales in each country/region over time were modest, Japan and Hong Kong exhibited a consistently higher proportion of smaller package sales compared with Australia and the USA (83.3%, 64.4%, 44.3%, 20.2%, respectively). Industry perspectives showed that increasing consumer health consciousness, demands for convenience and portion control were the main contributors to decreasing package sizes of savoury snacks. Industry reports from 2020 showed an increase in larger package size sales due to consumer purchasing behaviour amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marketing Healthy Diets: The Impact of Health Consciousness on Chinese Consumers’ Food Choices

Dietary choices, as the types and amounts of foods that individuals consume, are a major determinant of human health and environmental sustainability. From a marketing perspective, it becomes imperative to identify and understand the factors that motivate consumers to adopt a sustainable diet and purchase healthy food. This research is an attempt to contribute to the literature by revealing the major driving forces leading to healthy food consumption and identifying its underlying mechanism. Based on a survey of the diets and lifestyles of 307 Chinese consumers in several cities of the Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces, our empirical results indicate that consumer health consciousness is a major predictor of the intention to purchase healthy products. Such a relationship is explained by the psychological benefits associated with the consumption experience and the perceived naturalness of the product. Moreover, a high perceived nutritional value will enhance the mediation influences of the psychological benefit and the perceived naturalness on purchase intention while a low perceived nutritional value tends to negate such an impact.

The effects of consumer consciousness, food safety concern and healthy lifestyle on attitudes toward eating “green”

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to propose a research framework to examine the effects of consumer consciousness, food safety concern and healthy lifestyle on the attitudes toward eating “green” simultaneously in a single study. Besides, the mediating role of healthy lifestyle in forming a positive attitude toward eating “green” is also examined in this study.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based approach was applied in this study. The unit of analysis was individual consumer (aged 18 years and above) who lived in Klang Valley, Malaysia. PLS-SEM was used to test the structural relationship of the constructs in the model based on the 300 useable data collected.FindingsThe results indicated that health consciousness, food safety concern and healthy lifestyle have a significant effect on attitudes toward eating “green”, whereas environmental and price consciousness did not have such effect. A healthy lifestyle also mediates the relationship between health consciousness and attitude toward eating “green”. An individual’s healthy lifestyle that focused on physical health-related activities will increase the effect of consumer health consciousness on their attitudes toward eating “green”.Practical implicationsThe outcome of this study provided deeper insights for firms to assess the feasibility of entering or expanding their operations in the green market with more enduring and effective sales and marketing strategies.Originality/valueConsumers’ acceptance of or resistance toward organic food had become the centre of the research focus by the academician and the industrial practitioners over the years, despite the inconsistencies of the results obtained to predict such behavior. In this study, besides examining the direct effect of the proposed variables on the attitudes toward eating “green”, the mediating role of a healthy lifestyle in forming such attitudes was also examined.

Nutritional Profile and Potential Health Benefits of Super Foods: A Review

The advancement within the food and nutrition sector has resulted in the development of a special category of food, particularly referred to as “superfoods”. Superfoods are special kind of foods capable of exhibiting different positive effects involving prevention of different ailments, provide impetus to the immune system, and essential macro- and micro-nutrients in ample quantities. Nowadays, these are gaining considerable attention due to the increased health consciousness of consumers. In contrast to their exceptional health or even medicinal benefits, which are based on their long history of use, the concept of superfoods is still little understood. The category of superfoods mainly comprises different types of fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. This review sheds light on the nutritional composition as well as the possible intervention in the prevention of various chronic ailments of some significant superfoods. This manuscript could help consumers to use superfoods as part of their diet more often and very effectively.

Determinants of Organic Tea Cultivation and Selection of Efficient Marketing Channels by the Orthodox Tea Growers in Nepal

The trend of organic agriculture in developing countries has increased due to increasing health consciousness of consumers and high demand for organic products in developed countries. However, the rate of conversion to organic production is much slower than in other countries and the tea farmers who work hard all-around a year have not got proper market share due to several reasons. The study was conducted in Suryodaya municipality, Sakejung, Jasbire, Maipokhari, and Sandakpur area of the Ilam district by purposively and randomly selecting 160 tea farmers for questionnaire survey to determine the socio-economic and institutional factors that play a significant role in organic cultivation practice and selection of effective marketing channels. The data were collected from the interview with farmers, direct observation, focus group discussions and key informant interviews using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. The average gross margin per kilogram green leaf was NRs. 17.16 for organic and NRs. 13.15 for conventionally produced ones. The decision of farmers to practice organic orthodox tea production and selection of efficient marketing channel in the study areas was estimated through the Logit model. The involvement of farmers in cooperative and marketing channels followed for the marketing of green leaves and farming years significantly affected the organic cultivation of orthodox tea. The study revealed that the marketing channel; producers–cooperatives–processors–retailers– consumers was found to be the most efficient. The ethnicity, farming experience, and organic production of tea significantly affected the selection of an efficient marketing channel by orthodox tea farmers.

Role of consumer health consciousness, food safety & attitude on organic food purchase in emerging market: A serial mediation model

The study aimed to investigate the direct and indirect impact of health consciousness (HCN) on the purchase intention (PIN) of organic food products in India – a rising hub of organic food consumption. For the indirect effect of health consciousness on the purchase intention, the study added the serial mediation of consumer attitude (ATT) (based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour) and food safety concern (FSC) as major constructs. There is a lack of empirical evidence on the mediating role of FSC in the impact of HCN on ATT or their PIN. Further in a developing country like India, there lacks a comprehensive study considering all the above four factors on organic food consumption. 438 useable responses were collected using the mall intercept method from purchasers frequenting five exclusive organic food stores in a metropolitan city in India. The hypotheses on direct and indirect effect of HCN on PIN and the serial mediation of FSC and ATT was tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). CFA/SEM analysis upon establishing the conceptual model's goodness-of-fit, revealed the insignificance of FSC having direct impact on ATT and PIN and having any mediating role in the impact of HCN on ATT. There was also no significant impact of HCN on FSC. ATT too showed no significant mediating role in the impact of FSC on PIN. Nevertheless, both FSC and ATT together as serial mediators significantly influence the impact of HCN on PIN. Retailers and marketing professionals need to devise strategies based on the study's findings, emphasizing on the details of health benefits and improvements consumers will obtain upon consuming their organic products. Practical implications and theoretical contributions are discussed.

Use of the Versatility of Fungal Metabolism to Meet Modern Demands for Healthy Aging, Functional Foods, and Sustainability.

Aging-associated, non-transmissible chronic diseases (NTCD) such as cancer, dyslipidemia, and neurodegenerative disorders have been challenged through several strategies including the consumption of healthy foods and the development of new drugs for existing diseases. Consumer health consciousness is guiding market trends toward the development of additives and nutraceutical products of natural origin. Fungi produce several metabolites with bioactivity against NTCD as well as pigments, dyes, antioxidants, polysaccharides, and enzymes that can be explored as substitutes for synthetic food additives. Research in this area has increased the yields of metabolites for industrial applications through improving fermentation conditions, application of metabolic engineering techniques, and fungal genetic manipulation. Several modern hyphenated techniques have impressively increased the rate of research in this area, enabling the analysis of a large number of species and fermentative conditions. This review thus focuses on summarizing the nutritional, pharmacological, and economic importance of fungi and their metabolites resulting from applications in the aforementioned areas, examples of modern techniques for optimizing the production of fungi and their metabolites, and methodologies for the identification and analysis of these compounds.

Effect of gamma-irradiation on the thermal, rheological and antioxidant properties of three wheat cultivars grown in temperate Indian climate

Health consciousness of consumers has shifted the trend from consumption of refined wheat flour to whole wheat flour. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation on thermal, rheological and antioxidant properties of whole wheat flours obtained from three cultivars namely, SW-1, SKW-355 & HS-240. The thermal and rheological properties were determined using Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic rheometry, respectively. Onset, peak and endset temperatures of the three wheat cultivars were found in the range of 35.36–45.86 °C, 67.59–86.98 °C and 82.64–112.8 °C, respectively. The rheological study revealed the dominance of storage modulus (G′) over loss modulus (G″) throughout the applied frequency sweep (0-100 s-1). Irradiation treatment of 0–5 kGy resulted in the decrease in thermal properties and in the dynamic moduli of all the flours. Antioxidant properties were significantly (p < 0.05) increased upon irradiation.

Influence of Fine Bubble Processing on the Characteristics of Soybean Beverages

Soybean beverages are popular due to health consciousness of consumers, but soybean beverages, which have a high viscosity or a grassy smell, are less favored. Fine bubble processing for soybean beverages has attached much attention because of its ability to control their viscosity. However, it is not clear how fine bubble processing for soybean beverages affects consumer preferences. In this study, the effect of fine bubble processing on the drinkability of a soybean beverage was examined. As a result, it was found that fine bubble processing for soybean beverages affected the evaluation of drinking such as “mellowness”, “unique/peculiar”, and “ease of drinking”. From principal component analysis, drinking sensation of soybean beverages was expressed by two main components: “tasting” and “rich”. From the comparison between the unprocessed and processed samples, fine bubble processing made soybean beverages tastier and lighter.

Does parasocial interaction with weight loss vloggers affect compliance? The role of vlogger characteristics, consumer readiness, and health consciousness

Drawing on the notion of parasocial interaction (PSI) and the social comparison theory, this experimental research examines how nutritionist video bloggers (vloggers) influence consumer compliance intentions toward healthy, weight-loss diets. Drawing on two samples (Mexican Americans and White Caucasians) and using structural equation modeling and mediation analysis, this research highlights vloggers’ credibility and physical attractiveness, but not homophily, as salient source characteristics that influence PSI, which in turn reinforces compliance intention. Moreover, consumer readiness, consisting of role clarity, ability, and motivation, serves as a partial mediator of the PSI–compliance intention relationship. Lastly, consumer health consciousness emerged as a significant moderator of the PSI–compliance intention relationship among White Caucasians, but not among Mexican Americans. The findings and their implications are discussed.

Practical Methods to Improve the Quality and Safety of FreshCut Fruits: A Review

The ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable market has rapidly grown in recent years due to the health benefits associated with these foods and to the increased health consciousness of consumers with busy lifestyles and increased purchase power. Nevertheless, ready-to-use commodities are more perishable than the original materials. The main factors affecting the loss of consumer acceptability are discoloration, enzymatic browning, dryness and texture loss. These parameters determine the visual appearance of the fruits. For this reason, the fruit processing industry requires the development of techniques capable of keeping safe shelf-life, preserving the original visual and organoleptic fresh-like characteristics of fresh-cut products. Another problem associated with the ready-to-eat products, is the microbiological growth. The metabolism of molds and yeasts is responsible for the qualitative decay of minimally processed fruits, so the products decontamination became essential. Natural antimicrobials, ozone, chlorine dioxide, UV and cold gas plasma are some of the different treatments proposed. In combination with these treatments, some actions are carried out to limit the oxidative browning and the firmness loss. Ascorbic acid is the compound most extensively used to avoid the oxidative browning of the fruits, however nowadays there are many alternatives, like chemical or physical treatments. The edible coatings could be effective systems to preserve fresh cut fruits quality, their actions are due to the barrier forming against external agents; in addiction, they could carry functional ingredients (antioxidant, antimicrobial, calcium salts). In conclusion, the treatments aimed to preserve minimally processed fruits quality could be chemical or physical, innovative or more established, cheap or expensive or they could require complex equipment. This review describes the most significant contributions regarding preservation of fresh-cut fruits in order to evaluate their effectiveness in preserving quality traits.

A Study of Consumer Behaviour towards Genetically Modified Foods and the Moderating Effects of Health Consciousness

With growing environmentalism and health concerns, people have become more conscious of the types of food they consume and the way they are processed. The principle of the present research paper is to explore the behaviour of consumers towards genetically modified (GM) foods and the moderating role of health consciousness. The rationale behind the present study is to address the gap in the past research work wherein most of the researchers have emphasized on major factors that influence consumption of GM foods such as product acceptance, information, higher income and ethical consumption. Findings This paper explores the effect of consumer’s health consciousness on their GM food purchase. The key purpose of the study is to explore the influence of health consciousness of consumers in moderating consumer attitude towards their behaviour in context of GM food products. The results suggest that information provided by the government and the trusted regulatory help consumers to form positive attitude towards GM foods. Practical implications The findings suggest that the marketer should revolve advertisement and marketing strategies around the issues pertaining consumer’s health consciousness. Moreover, government and other trusted regulatory must ensure consumers that GM food are healthy and superior to conventional food. Originality/value This is one of the primary studies to examine the moderating effect of a health consciousness that bears on GM foods. Its empirical findings are projected to benefit the sustained expansion of GM foods.

Consumers Attitude Towards Healthy Food

Nowadays the consumer's health consciousness drives the agri-food market. Superfoods or foods with health-related claims, including organic and functional foods, are the latest trend in the food industry. Since entering the market these products are rapidly gaining a remarkable market share worldwide. In this article, the authors conducted a survey of 300 Greek consumers to better understand attitudes towards these products, through the implementation of factor and cluster analysis and linear regression. Analyzing consumers' perception of healthy food products, in particular, organic and functional foods, is the best way to determine the market orientation and to have a clear market segmentation.

A STUDY ON CONSUMERS PREFERENCE TOWARDS MALTED FOOD IN KANYAKUMARI

Over the last decade the health consciousness of consumers has become an important factor driving the agri-food market .Healthier food products have entered the global markets with force in the past years and rapidly gained market share. Various studies have concluded that better understanding of consumer perception of healthy food its determinants are key success factors for market orientation and development and for successfully negotiating market opportunities .The basic purpose of this research paper is to identify the influence of various factors on the buying decision of consume and also attempts to determine the awareness and perception of the consumers.

Consumer behaviour in fortified food choice decisions in India

PurposeThe purpose of the conceptual paper was to identify diverse factors that had an impact on the purchase decision of fortified foods and beverages (FFB), and the specific aim was to critically review the role of consumer health consciousness and the labelling aspects of the acceptance of FFB.Design/methodology/approachThe study was based on a systematic and extensive review of literature, which had been carried out by searching electronic databases focusing on the different factors influencing consumer acceptance of health foods from the year 1975 to 2016.FindingsBased on the extensive review of literature, the study identified important factors that had influenced the consumer acceptance of FFB. Further, the study has proposed an integrated FFB acceptance model for the Indian health food market.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed conceptual model of consumer acceptance of FFB needs to be empirically tested. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.Practical implicationsThe proposed consumer acceptance model can act as a guideline to the marketers to segment and position their food products successfully. Moreover, the study will also help the health policymakers to form and execute the required policies to augment the public health.Originality/valueGiven that there was a lack of information about buyers and non-buyers of functional/FFB in India, the research study can be taken as a starting point upon which other studies that investigate the attitudes and the purchasing behaviour of consumers of FFB can be built.

Impact of Consumers’ Self-Image and Demographics on Preference for Healthy Labeled Foods

Consumers are becoming more health conscious. Increasingly, products that are labeled “healthy” are being marketed as new retailers and new brands vie for the consumers’ share of wallet. This research identifies the self-image factors that constitute a health conscious image of the self and examines how self-image impacts consumer buying of foods that are labeled healthy. It also makes an effort to find out whether specific self-image factors are significantly associated with demographics. This study employs a scale consisting of 15 statements that included four statements from the Health Consciousness scale developed by Gould. The psychometric properties of the scale used in the study are reported. The study uses factor analysis to identify five factors of consumer self-image as they relate to health consciousness. Furthermore, the study explores the relationship between demographics such as age, gender, education, and relationship status with the self-image factors and reports results for consumer preferences for choosing healthy foods when hungry. This research has important implications for marketers in the health food industry and for such other companies that might use consumer health consciousness as a basis for market segmentation and strategy design.