An analysis of the relationship between meat substitutes consumption and purchase intention : a study on consumer behavior

In recent years there has been a growing interest of consumers and companies in making more sustainable decisions across all industries. In this case, the meat industry stands out, where the tendency to replace meat with alternative foods has been increasingly pronounced. Nevertheless, what can contribute to this change in consumer preferences? This study explores the factors that may influence consumer behavior towards meat substitutes, such as the type of packaging and the type of protein, also considering the attitude of food neophobia and sustainability consciousness. The collection of information was indispensable for the success of this study. Thus, primary data, such as the distributed questionnaire. The results obtained indicate that the type of packaging does not influence consumer purchase intention, regardless of the type of protein. However, it was confirmed that the higher the awareness regarding sustainability, the higher the intention to purchase meat substitutes and the lower the intention to purchase meat, being an important finding in this study. Finally, food neophobia also has a moderating effect on the model. The higher the food neophobia the lower the purchase intention for meat substitutes while for meat it remains constant.Nos últimos anos tem vindo a verificar-se um crescente interesse por parte dos consumidores e das empresas em tomar decisões mais sustentáveis, transversal a todas as indústrias. Neste caso, destaca-se a indústria da carne, em que a tendência para substituir a carne por alimentos alternativos tem vindo a aumentar. Mas o que é que pode contribuir para esta alteração das preferências do consumidor? Este estudo explora os fatores que podem influenciar o comportamento do consumidor relativamente aos substitutos da carne, como o tipo de embalagem, o tipo de proteína, a atitude de neofobia alimentar e a consciência de sustentabilidade. A recolha de informação foi imprescindível para o sucesso deste estudo. Desta forma, para suportar esta investigação compilaram-se dados primários, como o questionário distribuído. Os resultados obtidos indicam que o tipo de embalagem não influencia a intenção de compra do consumidor, independentemente do tipo de proteína. No entanto, confirmou-se que quanto maior a consciência relativamente à sustentabilidade, maior a intenção de compra de substitutos da carne e menor a intenção de compra de carne, sendo uma conclusão importante neste estudo. Finalmente, a neofobia alimentar também tem um efeito moderador no modelo. Quanto maior a neofobia alimentar menor a intenção de compra por substitutos da carne enquanto para carne se mantém constante

In vitro assessment of silk fibroin aerogel particles loaded with adenosine for wound healing

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Acompanhamento do desenvolvimento de produtos alimentares inovadores para idosos

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo acompanhar o desenvolvimento de produtos alimentares inovadores para idosos para a marca própria do Continente, no âmbito do projeto IdeaLab da equipa de inovação de produto da MC Sonae. O IdeaLab utiliza o Design Thinking para envolver o cliente e consumidor no desenvolvimento de produtos de forma a acompanhar e dar resposta às tendências mundiais do mercado. O processo de Design Thinking encontra-se dividido em três etapas, a Inspiração, a Ideação e a Implementação, e neste relatório são descritas as duas primeiras fases do projeto. Com o envelhecimento da população mundial é necessário atender e compreender as necessidades da população idosa em crescimento. Na fase de Inspiração deste projeto foi possível identificar as diferentes necessidades nutricionais, patologias e compreender o público-alvo através de pesquisa bibliográfica, entrevistas e shadowing. Depois de analisada toda a informação recolhida, foi definido o problema a abordar – a desidratação. A desidratação consiste na depleção de água corporal e de eletrólitos devido a perdas hídricas por patologias existentes, à diminuição da ingestão de líquidos ou uma combinação de ambos, sendo que em Portugal cerca de 16,3% dos idosos encontram-se hipohidratados ou em risco de desidratação. A população idosa sabe o que é a desidratação, mas não tem conhecimento da gravidade das suas consequências, e com o envelhecimento natural ocorre a perda da perceção e regulação homeostática da sede, o que agrava a situação. Adicionalmente, muitos idosos não apreciam nem têm estabelecido o hábito de beber água regularmente. Assim, deu-se início à fase de Ideação com a criação de personas e das suas jornadas para, através de sessões de ideação em equipa, se encontrarem as soluções ideais para a população para que se está a desenvolver novas soluções e produtos alimentares. Dessas sessões surgiram três potenciais produtos para promover a hidratação do idoso prevenindo ou controlando a desidratação: filtros para garrafas, garrafões ou AquaLeve® para aromatizar a água; produtos para aromatizar o momento de consumo sem interferir com o sabor da água; e pó, pastilhas efervescentes ou concentrado para dar sabor à água. Conclui-se que estes produtos devem ser práticos, clean label, sem aditivos ou edulcorantes, com sabores tradicionais ou reconhecidos para idosos e com embalagens adaptadas à destreza manual dos idosos para incrementar a adesão a uma maior ingestão hídrica.The aim of this work was to assist the development of innovative food products for the elderly for Continente's own brand, within the scope of the IdeaLab project of the MC Sonae product innovation team. IdeaLab uses Design Thinking to involve the client and consumer in the development of products in order to monitor and respond to global market trends. The Design Thinking process is divided into three stages, Inspiration, Ideation, and Implementation, and this report describes the first two phases of the project. With the aging of the world’s population, it is necessary to meet and understand the needs of the growing elderly population. In the Inspiration phase of this project, it was possible to identify the different nutritional needs, pathologies and understand the target audience through bibliographic research, interviews, and shadowing. After analyzing the information collected, the problem to be addressed was defined – dehydration. Dehydration is defined as the depletion of body water due to pathological fluid loss, decreased fluid intake or a combination of both, in Portugal around 16.3% of the elderly are hypohydrated or at risk of dehydration. The elderly population knows what dehydration is, but they are not aware of the severity of its consequences, and with natural aging there is a loss of perception of thirst, which aggravates the situation. The elderly do not necessarily appreciate or make a habit of drinking water regularly. Thus, the Ideation phase began with the creation of personas and their journeys to, through team ideation sessions, find the ideal solutions for the population for which the product is being developed. From these sessions, three potential products emerged to promote hydration among the elderly, preventing dehydration: filters for bottles or AquaLeve® to flavor the water; products to aromatize the moment of consumption without interfering with the taste of the water; and powders, effervescent tablets or concentrates to flavor the water. It is concluded that these products must be clean label, without additives or sweeteners, with traditional or recognized flavors for the elderly, with packaging adapted to the manual dexterity of the elderly and practical

Servidor de terminologias clínicas baseado em HL7 FHIR como ferramenta de interoperabilidade semântica

A partilha de dados no setor da saúde é essencial para tornar possível a transformação digital, todavia é um dos principais desafios atualmente a nível global, sendo agravado pela heterogeneidade e o grande volume de informação gerado pelos sistemas tecnológicos. Uma das principais soluções para garantir a interoperabilidade de dados é o uso de standards no âmbito da saúde que uniformizam a definição de conceitos clínicos relevantes entre diferentes instituições. Neste contexto, surge o Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (HL7 FHIR), um padrão de comunicação e modelação de dados em saúde e as terminologias normativas, tal como o Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine – Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT) ou o Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC), que facilitam a partilha de informação entre diferentes sistemas. Para garantir o mapeamento e gestão de diferentes terminologias (standards ou locais) é ainda indispensável a utilização de um servidor de terminologias. Assim, o principal objetivo deste trabalho, desenvolvido ao longo de um estágio na Glintt, é a conceção de uma proposta de um servidor de terminologias clínicas baseado em HL7 FHIR como ferramenta de interoperabilidade semântica, de modo a permitir fazer o mapeamento entre terminologias dos diferentes clientes e, por conseguinte, melhorar o atendimento médico e a prestação de cuidados. No total realizaram-se três ciclos iterativos da metodologia Action Research. Primeiramente, fez-se o levantamento dos requisitos funcionais e não funcionais do servidor, assim como se idealizaram modelos representativos da interação administrador-servidor de terminologias. Seguidamente, construíram-se mockups e fez-se a conceptualização de toda a interface visual do servidor. Numa terceira e última fase, foi implementada uma prova de conceito tendo por base a especificação definida. Posto isto, os objetivos propostos inicialmente foram cumpridos com sucesso, todavia serão necessárias mais iterações de desenvolvimento até que a solução promova efetivamente a interoperabilidade semântica nos sistemas de informação em saúde e comece a introduzir melhorias significativas neste setor.The sharing of data in the health sector is crucial in enabling digital transformation. However, it remains one of the biggest challenges faced today globally, being magnified by both the diversified and the large volume of information generated by technological systems. One of the main solutions to ensure data interoperability is the use of health patterns that standardize the definition of relevant clinical concepts between different institutions. Furthermore, the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (HL7 FHIR) emerges, this is a standard of communication and modelling of health data and normative terminologies, such as the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT) or the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC), which facilitate the sharing of information between different systems. To ensure the mapping and management of different terminologies (standards or locals), the use of a terminology server is still crucial. Thus, the main goal of this report, developed over an internship at Glintt, is to design a proposal of a clinical terminology server based on HL7 FHIR as a semantic interoperability tool, in order to enable the mapping of different customer terminologies and, therefore, improve the health care delivery. In total, three iterative cycles of the Action Research methodology were performed. First, the functional and non-functional requirements of the server were identified, and models representative of the terminology administrator-server interaction were also generated. Subsequently, mockups were built and the entire visual interface of the server was conceptualized. In a third and final phase, a proof of concept was implemented based on the defined specification. Hence, the objectives initially proposed were successfully achieved, however there is still a need to develop more iterations until the solution effectively promotes semantic interoperability in health information systems and begins to introduce significant improvements in this sector

Market reactions when firms from less developed countries take over firms in more developed countries : analysis of countries by four levels of income

Cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are becoming increasingly prevalent in the worldwide M&A activity, as companies seek to expand their operations, access new markets, and achieve competitive advantage. However, the existing research on M&As has primarily focused on domestic deals or is limited to public or US-based companies. This paper aims to address this gap by examining the short-term market reactions when firms from less developed countries acquire firms in more developed countries. The study sample categorizes bidders and targets based on their country’s income level, comprising 1,216 deals announced between 1987 and 2022. Empirical evidence strongly suggests that these transactions have a positive impact on cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) of acquirers. This dissertation also investigates whether various factors such as cultural distance, geographical distance, the use of financial advisors, the institutional conditions of the home country, and the degree of innovation of the host country explain bidders’ returns. The results show that cultural distance, as measured by the composite cultural index (CDI), is negatively associated with CARs. The degree of government effectiveness of the home country and the R&D spending relative to the GDP of the host country also have a negative impact on CARs, which contradicts prior literature. Nevertheless, as most results are mixed, the research cannot identify with certainty the factors that drive the positive CARs observed, highlighting their complexity.As fusões e aquisições (F&A) transfronteiriças estão a tornar-se cada vez mais predominantes na atividade de F&A a nível mundial, uma vez que as empresas procuram expandir as suas operações, aceder a novos mercados e obter vantagens competitivas. No entanto, a literatura existente sobre F&A tem-se centrado principalmente em transações nacionais ou limitado a empresas públicas ou sediadas nos EUA. O presente documento visa colmatar esta lacuna, analisando as reações do mercado a curto prazo quando empresas de países menos desenvolvidos adquirem empresas de países mais desenvolvidos. A amostra do estudo categoriza adquirentes e adquiridos com base no nível de rendimento do seu país, compreendendo 1.216 transações anunciadas entre 1987 e 2022. A evidência empírica sugere fortemente que estas transações têm um impacto positivo nas cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) dos adquirentes. A dissertação também investiga se fatores como a distância cultural, a distância geográfica, a utilização de consultores financeiros, as condições institucionais do país de origem e o grau de inovação do país recetor, explicam os retornos dos adquirentes. Os resultados mostram que a distância cultural, medida pelo índice cultural composto (CDI), está negativamente associada às CARs. O grau de eficácia do governo do país de origem e a despesa em I&D em relação ao PIB do país recetor também têm um impacto negativo nas CARs, o que contradiz a presente literatura. No entanto, como a maioria dos resultados são divergentes, a investigação não consegue identificar com certeza os fatores que determinam as CARs positivas observadas, realçando a sua complexidade

A responsabilidade social empresarial : uma reflexão crítica sobre o Lidl e o Intermarché

A crescente preocupação por parte da população relativamente aos efeitos negativos que as empresas produzem no meio ambiente e social precipitou a adoção de políticas que promovam a Responsabilidade Social das Empresas por parte dos seus líderes. Assim, o objetivo desta dissertação consiste em perceber quais as medidas de Responsabilidade Social adotadas por empresas ligadas à grande distribuição, centrando a análise em dois complexos de retalho. Tendo por base os objetivos traçados para a investigação, que se centram na recolha de informações sobre as práticas de promoção da Responsabilidade Social adotadas pelas empresas da grande distribuição, procurou-se realizar uma análise crítica sobre as suas políticas de RSE, através de uma abordagem qualitativa. Através da realização de dois estudos de caso, na qual se procedeu à recolha de dados por meio de realização de entrevistas e análise de documentos, foi possível obter uma visão mais alargada sobre os processos que promovem a RSE desenvolvidos dentro da cadeia de comando de duas unidades de retalho de empresas internacionais do setor, sendo elas o LIDL e o Intermarché. Além disso, foi possível estabelecer uma relação entre os processos adotados e a estrutura das empresas, sendo exploradas tanto a vertente interna, relativa à interação com os trabalhadores e cadeia de fornecimento, como a vertente externa, relativa à proteção do meio ambiente e apoios oferecidos às instituições e comunidades locais.The growing concern of the population regarding the negative effects that companies produce on the environment and society have precipitated the adoption of policies that promote Social Responsibility by the leaders of companies. Thus, this dissertation aims to understand which measures have been adopted and analyse their impact on two retail complexes. Based on the research objectives, focused on gathering information that allow for critical analysis, a qualitative approach was used in this work. Through data collection based on interviews and document analysis, it was possible to obtain a broader view of the processes that promote CSR developed within the chain of command of two retail units of international companies in the sector, which are LIDL and Intermarché. Furthermore, it was possible to establish a relationship between the processes adopted and the structure of the companies, exploring both internal aspects, related to the interaction with employees and supply chain, and external aspects, related to the protection of the environment and support offered to local institutions and communities

Emerging challenges and opportunities in innovating food science technology and engineering education

Progress in science, technology, innovation, and digital capabilities call for reassessing food science, technology, and engineering (FST&E) education and research programs. This survey targeted global professionals and students across food disciplines and nutrition. Its main objectives included assessing the status of FST&E higher education, identify challenges and opportunities, and furnishing recommendations. Seven topics affecting the future of the FST&E curricula were evaluated by the panel as ‘High’ to ‘Very high’, namely: ‘Critical thinking’, followed by ‘Problem-solving projects’, ‘Teamwork/collaboration’, ‘Innovation/Open innovation’ and ‘Multidisciplinary’. The importance of academic partnership/collaboration with the Food Industry and Nutrition Sciences was demonstrated. Significant positive roles of the food industry in collaboration and partnerships was found. Other essential food industry attributes were related to internships, education, strategy, and vision. Collaboration between FST&E and nutrition sciences indicated the high standing of this direction. The need to integrate or converge nutrition sciences and FST&E is emphasized, especially with the growing consumer awareness of health and wellness. The study provides insights into new education and learning opportunities, and new topics for future curricula.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Microbial conjugated linolenic acid-enriched fermented milk using lipase-hydrolyzed flaxseed oil: biochemical, organoleptic and storage traits

The bioactive conjugated linolenic acid (CLNA) can be microbiologically produced by different probiotic strains when in the presence of α-linolenic acid (α-LNA). Food matrices are a good vector, such as has been previously demonstrated with fermented milk enriched with microbial CLNA by Bifidobacterium breve DSM 20091 from lipase-hydrolyzed flaxseed oil. The aim of the present work was to further assess the nutritional, biochemical and organoleptic properties of the developed dairy product, as well as its storage stability throughout 28 days at 4 °C, proving its suitability for consumption. Milk lactose hydrolyzed into glucose (0.89 g/100 g) and galactose (0.88 g/100 g), which were further metabolized into lactic (0.42 g/100 g), acetic (0.44 g/100 g) and propionic (0.85 g/100 g) acids. Titratable acidity reached 0.69% and pH 4.93. Compared with the control (no CLNA), fat content was slightly higher (2.0 g/100 g). Acetic acid was the major volatile (83.32%), lacking important dairy flavor contributors, like acetaldehyde. Sensory analysis revealed predominant astringency and bitterness. No microbial concerns arose during storage, but the CLNA content increased, and some saturated fatty acids seemed to oxidize. In conclusion, the CLNA-enriched fermented milk revealed reasonable compositional properties, yet further improvements are needed for optimal consumer acceptance and a prolonged shelf-life.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Life cycle assessment of hemp-based milk alternative production in Lower Saxony, Germany, based on a material flow analysis of a pilot scale

Purpose: Recently, demand for plant-based milk products (PBMP) has increased for multiple reasons, such as the rapid population growth expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, health concerns such as lactose intolerance, nutritional aspects, ethical reasons, and environmental concerns. This leads to increased demand for food and competition for natural resources. Hemp-based milk is an emerging dairy alternative, and stakeholders in the supply chain are becoming increasingly interested in learning about the environmental effects of its production. This article aims for a comparative life cycle assessment of hemp-based and bovine milk with fat and protein correction to account for the differences in macronutrient content. Methods: The cradle-to-factory gate LCA relied on experimental cultivation and milk production in Lower Saxony, Germany. Inventory was based on primary data from fields and the pilot plant of DIL e. V. and on literature and ecoinvent database to develop a life cycle assessment (LCA) model. The LCA was performed using Simapro 9.3 software and IMPACT 2002+ impact assessment method. The life cycle stages include cultivation, harvesting, and milk production. The study compared hemp-based milk to bovine milk based on 1 kg fat and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) as a functional unit (FU). Co-products are taken into consideration using mass-economic allocation. Results: The results showed that hemp cultivation accounted for the highest impact (99%) in the production chain of hemp milk production. The GWP of 1 kg of FPCM hemp-based milk is 0.42 kg CO2 eq. The energy consumption for 1 kg of FPCM hemp-based milk is 4.73 MJ (12.26% lower than bovine milk). The other main factors impacting hemp-based milk production were terrestrial ecotoxicity (6.444E2 kg TEG soil) and aquatic ecotoxicity (2.458E2 kg TEG water). Hemp fiber was the co-product with 40% of the allocated impacts. The results are sensitive to the changes in fat-protein contents, functional unit, and system boundaries. The results demonstrated that the impacts of hemp milk production were within the range indicated for other PBMP production and 51.7% lower than bovine milk production in terms of GWP. This range primarily stems from field emissions, fertilizer application, and machinery usage during cultivation and harvest. Conclusion: The results of the comparisons of bovine milk and hemp-based milk were dependable on the FU. The hemp-based milk has the potential to be a more sustainable alternative to bovine milk due to considerably lower impacts in impact categories—land occupation (99% lower than bovine milk), global warming (52% lower than bovine milk), and ionizing radiation (23% lower than bovine milk). It is primarily due to less use of agricultural machinery, less land requirement, and lower NH3 emissions than bovine milk in various stages of milk production.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The good bank: preference of banking institutions based on perceptions of corporate environmental and social causes

Introduction: This study aims to contribute to understanding factors that explain consumers' preferences for banking institutions. We specifically explored the roles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)—targeted primarily at Environmental causes and secondarily at Social causes—on corporate image (CI), consumer satisfaction (CS) and consumer loyalty (CL). We tested whether integrating a CSR description with an emphasis on environmental causes into the bank marketing strategy would positively affect CI, CS and CL. We also inspected the effect of online banking vs. direct human contact, and perception of price fairness, as well as that of the consumers' demographic variables. Methods: A survey was carried out online, with 322 international respondents recruited through social networks. Participants were randomly directed to one of eight different bank conditions, each combining descriptions where Environmental and social CSR, Price fairness, and direct human contact with the clients varied. After reading the bank description participants filled out a questionnaire that addressed their perception of the bank's CI and their projections of CS and CL. Results and discussion: Results indicated that participants favored the banks that included CSR as part of their description, with the perception of price fairness being the second critical factor in the respondents' CI, CS, and CL. Direct human contact vs. remote banking did not play a role in the participant's ratings of the bank, which is in line with more current studies. We concluded that businesses in the banking sector enhance their global reputation when investing in environmental and social CSR. The question What makes banks attractive to consumers? was addressed to us by a consumer's awareness association preceding our decision to conduct a study on the topic. Studies on the banking sector report that banks have succeeded over the years in attracting and retaining customers, due to factors that encompass a strong brand name and investment in the brand image (Zhang, 2015), the perceptions of quality and functionality of their mobile digital services (e.g., AlSoufi and Ali, 2014; Mbama et al., 2018), the perceived value of human contact provided by traditional banking services versus time-effectiveness, lower costs and saved time provided by fintech (e.g., Mainardes et al., 2023) and loyalty incentives such as rewards in purchases or programs that foster customers feelings of status (e.g., Chaabane and Pez, 2017). However, the brand image per se, and the emotions that the customer associates with it, have a powerful direct effect on intentions of consumer loyalty (Ou and Verhoef, 2017) and thereby on the brand's continuous profit.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio