Health Appeal Research Articles

Meat products as prebiotic food carrier.

Abstract Meat products are widely consumed around the world, and, for that, can be a very interesting prebiotic food carrier due to the need for developing healthier formulations such as reduced fat and fiber increasing in processed meats. This chapter aims to discuss prebiotic compounds and dietary fibers classified as functional ingredients with physiological properties and their potential applications in meat products due to the common metabolic interface between these components. The prebiotic compounds isolated, such as inulin, and fructooligosaccharides, and ingredients that carriers prebiotic compounds, such as seeds, pulses, and nuts are addressed as fat and meat substitutes. An overview of the health appeal of prebiotic compounds and the main strategies to obtain healthier meat products are discussed. The importance of animal fat to technological and sensory properties in meat products and the relevance and strategies of its substitution using prebiotics to guarantee healthier meat products is reviewed, as well as the use of chia derivates as potential prebiotics to replace animal fat. Also, a critical analysis is carried out on the effects of adding prebiotic fibers in different product categories: emulsified, fermented, and restructured meat products. Finally, the strategies to substitute meat using seeds and pulses, which are sources of prebiotic compounds, are covered.

Healthy (In)Congruence: When Hispanic Identity and Self-Framed Messages Increase Healthier Choices

Health appeals to promote wellness and healthful choices can be framed individually or socially (benefit to self/others). Across three studies, the authors identify the influence of self-construal and cultural identity on health appeals and find that Hispanic consumers display identity-incongruent attitudes toward healthy eating appeals. Specifically, the authors show that Hispanics exhibit more positive responses to self-framed versus social-framed healthy eating appeals. Cultural perceptions of healthy eating are highlighted as the underlying mechanism and message framing as moderator of these effects. The findings of this research integrate message framing, cultural identity and self-construal theory as part of the conceptual model to explain the process behind these contradictory yet novel effects.

Effect of the addition of young bamboo culm flour as a sugar and/or fat substitute in cookie formulations

One of the innovation strategies of the bakery industry is the use of new ingredients capable of increasing the health appeal of products. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of partial substitution (15%) of wheat flour by young bamboo culm flour (YBCF) in cookies formulations, using a central composite design with two variables (sugar and fat reductions) and three replicates at the central point. Formulations were selected by surface response methodology (p<0.10) and evaluated over 28 days of storage for stability and nutritional composition. Only sugar reduction led to significant differences in the diameter of the cookies. Formulations with 50% of reduction of sugar and fat (F2 and F3, respectively) were selected for the study, in addition to a control formulation (CF). Moisture content and water activity of the cookies remained low throughout the storage, as recommended for the maintenance of the crispness. Cookies F2 and F3 were light-colored, similar to CF, and presented lower energy value (0.83 and 11.73%, respectively), compared with CF. These results indicate that YBCF may be a promising ingredient for the bakery industry, once it contains high fiber levels and allows the reduction of up to 50% sugar and fat in cookies.

The Influence of Family Communication Patterns on the Processing of Messages to Increase Family Health History Seeking Intentions

ABSTRACT The current study extends family communication patterns (FCP) research to assess how family communication schemata (conversation and conformity orientation dimensions) influence systematic processing of health appeals intended to persuade individuals to seek family health history information, emphasizing an updated conceptualization of family conformity (i.e., the expanded conformity orientation scale). Our results suggest that conversation orientation and the conformity dimension of parental control are the primary drivers of systematic processing of family health history messages. Systematic processing, in turn, was significantly associated with more positive attitudes and greater intentions to seek health information from family members. Our results suggest family communication patterns may impact individual engagement with family health history campaign messages, thus campaign designers may want to consider how best to tailor messages to match family communication characteristics.

A Robust DNA Isolation Protocol from Filtered Commercial Olive Oil for PCR-Based Fingerprinting.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has elevated commercial value due to its health appeal, desirable characteristics and quantitatively limited production, and thus it has become an object of intentional adulteration. As EVOOs on the market might consist of a blend of olive varieties or sometimes even of a mixture of oils from different botanical species, an array of DNA-fingerprinting methods have been developed to check the varietal composition of the blend. Starting from a comparison between publicly available DNA extraction protocols, we set up a timely, low-cost, reproducible and effective DNA isolation protocol, which allows an adequate amount of DNA to be recovered even from commercial filtered EVOOs. Then, in order to verify the effectiveness of the DNA extraction protocol herein proposed, we applied PCR-based fingerprinting methods starting from the DNA extracted from three EVOO samples of unknown composition. In particular, genomic regions harboring nine simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and eight genotyping-by-sequencing-derived single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were amplified for authentication and traceability of the three EVOO samples. The whole investigation strategy herein described might favor producers in terms of higher revenues and consumers in terms of price transparency and food safety.

Categorizing Three-Dimensional Symmetry Using Reflection, Rotoinversion, and Translation Symmetry

Symmetry is a property that has been widely examined clinically as a measurement of health and aesthetic appeal. Many current techniques that assess geometric symmetry rely on interpretation from a trained operator or produce two-dimensional measurements that cannot express the three-dimensional character of an object. In this article, we propose a comprehensive markerless method that describes an object’s symmetry using three types of fundamental symmetry, reflection, rotoinversion a combination of reflection and rotation and translation a process of reflection and rigid movement. This is done by mirroring an object over an arbitrary plane and aligning the mirrored image with the original object in a position that minimizes deviation between both objects. Each object’s symmetry can be displayed in two ways, numerically, with a best plane of symmetry or “Psym”, a fixed point and the mirrored objects rotation and magnitude of translation in relation to the original object, and visually, through a 3D deviation contour map. Three examples were made: Model 1 showed reflection symmetry and resulted in a standard deviation of 0.002 mm, Model 2 expressed rotoinversion symmetry and produced a standard deviation of 0.003 mm and Model 3 expressed translational symmetry which resulted in a translation magnitude difference of 0.015% with respect to model height. This simple procedure accurately recognizes reflection, rotoinversion and translation symmetry, takes minimal time and expertise and has the ability to expand previous case specific methods to a global application of symmetry analysis.

Lactose-Free Dairy Products: Market Developments, Production, Nutrition and Health Benefits.

Lactose-free dairy is able to provide the essential nutrients present in regular dairy products, like calcium and vitamins, to those that are not able to digest lactose. This product category currently has a wide and growing health appeal to consumers. In recent years, the quality and product variety in the lactose-free dairy segment has been increasing significantly, giving consumers more tempting products to decide from. As a result, lactose-free dairy is now the fastest growing market in the dairy industry. This review discusses the market developments and production possibilities and issues related to the wide variation of lactose-free dairy products that are currently available. Additionally, the health benefits that lactose-free dairy may offer compared to dairy avoidance are illustrated.

Integrating Negative Social Cues in Tobacco Packaging: A Novel Approach to Discouraging Smokers

Smoking is an international health crisis. Tobacco packaging is an important vehicle to convey antismoking messages, which to date have been predominantly limited to fear‐based health appeals. Using an experimental approach, we examine whether a novel alternative—using negative social cues on packaging—is effective at discouraging smoking. Our results support the notion that packaging which conveys to smokers that “others” view smoking negatively is sufficient to trigger feelings of self‐consciousness, which in turn reduces smoking intentions. This approach is particularly effective in “isolated” smokers who do not see smoking as identity‐relevant or congruent with their social self. These findings suggest that for a particular segment of the smoking population, the integration of negative social cues on packaging may be an effective complement to current fear‐based appeals.

Preaching to the middle of the road

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore strategic differences in marketing communication tactics for vegan and humane meat brands.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis was used to categorize the types of persuasive appeals used on the packaging of vegan and humane meat brands.FindingsHumane meat brands use animal welfare and environmental appeals more often whereas vegan brands use taste appeals more frequently.Social implicationsMarketers’ communication strategies for alternatives to traditional meat consumption are different from those of activists and non-profit organizations. By targeting middle of the road consumers, both vegan and humane brands can support widespread efficient and curtailment behaviors and in the process benefit consumers, the brands and society.Originality/valueAnti-consumption and/or reduction of meat and animal by-products are arguably the most impactful ways in which consumers can alter their diets to positively impact individual and societal well-being. Consumers seeking alternatives to traditional meat consumption may either chose more sustainable meat products (efficient behaviors) or reduce/eliminate meat consumption (curtailment behaviors). Existing research suggests that such consumers can be divided into two segments – those driven by personal motives (health and/or taste) and those motivated by prosocial concern (environmental sustainability and/or animal welfare) and brands should match persuasive appeals to consumer motives, i.e. curtailment-focused vegan brands should use environmental or animal justice appeals and efficiency-focused humane meat brands should use taste or health appeals. However, the present research assumes marketers’ perspective and demonstrates that both vegan and humane brands target middle of the road consumers striving to balance multiple personal and prosocial goals, being socially responsible without compromising taste.

Técnicas persuasivas de comunicação em comerciais de alimentos para o telespectador brasileiro

O telespectador é exposto a grande quantidade de mensagens que buscam persuadi-lo a escolher um determinado produto. A elevada proporção de propagandas de alimentos não saudáveis pode influenciar hábitos alimentares e contribuir para a obesidade. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar técnicas persuasivas de comunicação em propagandas de alimentos não saudáveis veiculadas na televisão. Uma amostra de 19 comerciais foi analisada em busca das técnicas persuasivas referidas na literatura. As técnicas mais frequentes foram conveniência, qualidade, sabor, valorização social e diversão. Também foram identificadas elevação do humor, oferta premiada, personagens animados e saudável, frequentes nos resultados de estudos nacionais e internacionais. Os resultados reforçam a pertinência do estudo psicológico das técnicas persuasivas, contribuindo para programas voltados a indivíduos que enfrentam problemas de saúde como obesidade, diabetes ou hipertensão. Podem, também, colaborar para ações preventivas para educar e conscientizar a população para a importância de escolhas mais conscientes e, possivelmente, saudáveis.

The Opposing Mediational Effects of Apprehensive Threat and Motivational Threat When Inoculating Against Reactance to Health Promotion

ABSTRACTThis investigation assessed how a threatening inoculation forewarning about psychological reactance affected message targets’ derogation of a subsequent health appeal. A two-mediator model showed that apprehensive threat—the traditional operationalization of inoculation’s psychological function based on fear arousal—and motivational threat—an alternative operationalization of inoculation’s psychological function based on the activation of thoughtful counterargumention—both significantly intervened between the experimental inoculation treatment and message derogation, with motivation leading to less and apprehension leading to more derogation of the health appeal. The inconsistent mediational effects were of equal magnitude, which masked the significant indirect effects of inoculation as a null total effect. Theoretical and methodological implications of these results are discussed.

Prevalence of child-directed and general audience marketing strategies on the front of beverage packaging: the case of Chile.

Front-of-package (FOP) marketing strategies of a wide variety of beverages were catalogued to examine the prevalence of each strategy prior to a sweeping Chilean restriction of child-directed marketing aimed at reducing obesity-related disease among Chile's youth. Photographs of 1005 beverage packages were quantitatively content-analysed to code whether a variety of child-directed, health-oriented and other marketing strategies (e.g. sales promotions) were present on each product's FOP. Strategies were then analysed based on beverages' product category, total sugar, energy and tax status (beverages with added sugars are taxed at different rates). Photographs were taken in six urban supermarkets in Santiago, Chile, representing five different supermarket chains. Beverages using child-directed characters or nature/fruit references were higher in total sugar and beverages with child-directed characters or childhood/family references were higher in energy than beverages without these respective strategies. Of the beverages taxed at the highest rate (greatest amount of added sugars), 49 % used nutrition and health appeals and 80 % used nature or fruit appeals. Plain waters and plain milks were less likely than other selected product categories to use health-oriented appeals or multiple FOP strategies in combination. FOP marketing on beverages varied according to the nutritional quality of the product, with heavier use of health-oriented and child-directed strategies in less healthy products. Marketing activities warrant continued observation to evaluate how industry responds to new marketing restrictions as these restrictions are evaluated in the light of existing taxes and other regulatory efforts to improve diets and reduce obesity-related disease.

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Emerging Trends in Health Communication: The Powerful Role of Subjectivism in Moderating the Effectiveness of Persuasive Health Appeals

AbstractIn this article, we draw from key lessons in social psychology in order to organize emerging trends in health communication. A quarter century ago, Ross and Nisbett (1991) distilled social psychology's major insights into three fundamental principles: situationism, subjectivism, and tension systems. The principle of subjectivism – the idea that to predict and successfully change behavior, we must first appreciate a person's understanding of a given situation – is of particular importance and has the potential to bring together health‐related investigations of (i) message framing, (ii) regulatory focus, (iii) construal level, and (iv) psychological mindset. These lines of research are readily applied to goal setting and self‐regulation, and they illustrate the powerful role of subjectivism in determining the effectiveness of health communication. We summarize this research and discuss how a better appreciation of subjectivism illuminates these investigations and gives rise to a cohesive set of implications for designing more persuasive health appeals.

Is the Marker the Message? The Role of Some Scalar Adverbs in the Processing of a Public Health Appeal and Its Effectiveness

In this study, we argue that studies in persuasive communication have been undertaken until now without considering enough the main ideas of pragmatics as regards the communication process and the use of language. In particular, we suggest that in this area of research, it could be relevant to ponder the processes involved in the message processing by taking into account the “inferential” and “intentionalist” paradigm of communication. To support our claim, we propose an experimental study designed in the area of health communication which consists in investigating the impact of some linguistic items defined as scalar adverbs on some attitudinal outcomes and the message elaboration. It shows that the introduction of such adverbs in an epidemiological information message increases the self-risk perception, the perceived relevance of the prevention programs, and as regards the message processing, reduces the cognitive elaboration of its content for the benefit of its communicative intention. The persuasiveness of such linguistic items in a preventive message as well as the conditions under which they are likely to act as peripheral cues are addressed in the conclusion of the study.

More on Inoculating Against Reactance to Persuasive Health Messages: The Paradox of Threat

ABSTRACTThis research examined the efficacy of inoculation as a strategy to mitigate psychological reactance based on the level of threat communicated in the forewarning and subsequent persuasive health appeal. Two 2 (inoculation) × 2 (freedom-threatening language) experiments were conducted. The first (N = 181) used elaborated inoculation designed to enhance the threat of impending reactance to a message advocating for responsible alcohol consumption. The second (N = 159) used limited inoculation designed to minimize the threat of impending reactance to a message advocating for responsible soft drink consumption. Results showed that elaborated inoculation increased reactance, whereas limited inoculation decreased reactance but only when the subsequent appeal used less freedom-threatening language. These findings suggest that inoculation has the potential to facilitate or buffer reactance depending on the level of threat communicated in inoculation forewarnings and in subsequent persuasive health appeals.

How products induce regulatory fit: evidence from the health domain

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test whether the simple exposure to different types of products can trigger different motivational orientation on consumers (prevention vs promotion), which in turn would match message frame and increase persuasion. Design/methodology/approach – Three experiments test whether exposure to product categories can trigger consumer’s regulatory focus orientation. Participants in the pilot study are students, while participants in the two other studies are consumers. Findings – A first pilot study randomly exposed participants to a product that could trigger promotion orientation (e.g. orange juice) versus a product that could trigger prevention orientation (e.g. sunscreen). Participants exposed to promotion (prevention) product suggest more promotion (prevention) strategies to reach a particular goal (preparing for their final exam). Study 2 shows that gain (vs loss)-framed messages using health appeals have better evaluations when featuring promotion (vs prevention) products. Study 3 generalizes these results using another sample and different product categories. Research limitations/implications – The paper uses some product categories and including other categories would increase external validity. Practical implications – The practical implication is to help marketers to choose the right health argument to match the product category they are trying to sell. Originality/value – Theoretically, the results from three studies show that exposure to products can temporarily trigger a consumer’s regulatory focus and that messages using health arguments that are consistent with this regulatory focus are more persuasive than those that are not. Managerially, these results help managers to adapt the right message in function of the product category.

Motivations behind Preferences for Local or Organic Food

ABSTRACTThis article aims at understanding the food choice motives underlying consumer preferences for organic versus local food. A sample of 720 German consumers is employed to investigate self-stated preference for organic or local food and the underlying food choice motives of health, natural content, price, animal welfare, and sensory appeal. Consumers preferring organic over local food put comparatively higher value on the motives of natural content and animal welfare and less on sensory appeal and price. For both groups, however, natural content and animal welfare are the most important motives, followed by sensory appeal, and lastly health and price.

How Healthy is the Food Promoted to Children on the Indian Television? Implications for Regulators and Child-Health Advocates

This paper is an analysis of the content of children-targeted food advertisements on the Indian television (TV), with an objective of studying the promotion of health or a lack thereof. We used content analysis technique to analyse 64 h of children's TV advertisements for food (1166 advertisements). The content categories and their codes were created from the literature. Frequencies of the content categories were recorded and statistically analysed using cross-tabulation and chi-square analysis. The study found heavy promotion of junk food with high sugar content to the children, ignoring the recommended dietary guidelines. Most advertisement used the taste and health appeal, had straight-sell execution style and contained no disclaimers. Celebrity endorsement, animation and price discounts were selectively used in the promotion. Foods with faster-growth-related health claims were promoted by food multinational companies and pharmaceutical companies. Ayurveda-based food products were also promoted. This research is of immediate concern to the public health authority and advertising regulators as the findings point at lack of control on both the nature of the products promoted and the manner in which they are promoted. The sample was limited to a network of three national channels with high viewership and the regional channels were not considered. The study provides fresh child-specific advertising insights of a relatively unexplored but significant market to the food marketers.

The ultrastructure of shelled and unshelled cashew nuts

Cashew nuts have many attributes, including sensory, nutritional and health appeal, which contribute to their worldwide acceptance. We demonstrate details of the microstructure of shelled and unshelled cashew kernels with regard to pericarp and cotyledon organization. This study also provides evidence of the colonization of these kernels by filamentous fungi. Nuts were examined by scanning electron and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Staining with acridine orange was performed. A tight lignified palisade layer adjacent to the exocarp surface explains the hardness of the shell's pericarp. The mesocarp contains large secretory cavities that confer a spongy property to this tissue. Papillose cells, which are responsible for secreting CNSL (cashew nutshell liquid), were observed to cover the inner wall of these cavities. Lipid components are readily released from the parenchyma and appear as oil droplets. The outer surface of the shelled samples exhibited a dense Aspergillus infestation.