Innovation-the acceptance of novel food technologies by university students

The aim of the study was to examine the attitude of Hungarian students toward novel food processing technologies. A questionnaire survey was made with sample N ;2I2. Three novel (PEF - pulsed electric field. HPP - high pressure processing and nanotechnology) and two traditional (pasteurization, fortification) technologies were studied. The respondents got a technical definition of these technologies. Based on the description, the respondents evaluated three statements (whether the technologies were extremely good or extremely bad. unreasonable or reasonable and how much do they agree with or oppose the use ot these technologies) on a 1-7 point Likért scale. According to the results respondents have the most positive attitude toward HPP and pasteurization and accept the nanotechnology the least. The rationality of the technologies got the highest scores but respondents supported the application of the technologies the least. This suggests the negative emotional acceptance of the technologies. The K-means cluster analysis was used for grouping the respondents. We could define four clusters based on the acceptance of the technologies. The "Slightly differentiating accepting group" (N=64) judged the technologies nearly as equal, except nanotechnology. They had the most positive attitude toward fortification of foods. The acceptance of nanotechnology was also the highest within this group. The "Open for novel technologies group " (N=37) evaluated all the technologies between 4.0-5.5 except pasteurization, to which the lowest preference level was attached. This group mostly preferred fortification and PEF. The "Traditional technologies supporting group" (N=59) opposed nanotechnology the most. The highest preference was attached to the well known fortification and pasteurization. "Naturalness expecting group" (N=56) mostly preferred the HPP and pasteurization and they were mainly against fortification and nanotechnology'. The considerable differences between the groups were primarily caused by the different judgement of the well-known fortification and the less known nanotechnology. This study was carried out in the framework of the NovelQ EU FP6 project

Not Just Sustainable : Communicating Growing Practices in a Statewide

While food texts like labels and descriptions are considered persuasive, few are written by growers themselves, and thus growers have infrequent opportunities to influence consumers through written communication. This study seeks to discover how retail growers frame descriptions of themselves in a print and online directory. The study employed a qualitative textual analysis of 406 growers’ 460-character directory listings to identify how they frame themselves and distinguish their operations from others’ operations. Results indicate growers predominantly use three frames: a product frame, a process frame, and an experience frame. Frames are sometimes used in combination with each other, and some growers use particular frames intensively. Both practices provide differentiation opportunities for growers. Growers of the same type tended to use the same type of frame, so growers seeking differentiation opportunities could use frames not commonly used by growers of their type. Since growers are not often professional communicators, agricultural communicators and extension educators can use the findings from this study to help educate growers about how to communicate about their operations

Identification of key factors in texture aversion and acceptance

All five senses contribute to the experience of eating, giving feedback on whether to continue or stop the process of consumption. Sensory feedback loops help the consumer modulate food ingestion by determining nutritional value and possible hazards. Texture is one sense integral to the eating process that may lead to a food being accepted or rejected. However, which specific oral textural features contribute to overall acceptance and rejection of a food is not well understood. In our first study, we used three different cultures, Poland, U.S.A., and Singapore, to explore common texture features in food. Our results show that all three cultures were twice as likely to mention texture combinations (multiple textures) with a texture contrast when describing foods, they liked, in comparison to foods they disliked. However, the western countries did not prefer extremely diverse texture combinations unlike the Asian country. In a second study, we measured the motivations and sensory attributes that lead to food rejection and specific texture qualities within rejected foods. Our results demonstrate unpleasant sensory attributes represents the largest reason people reject to eat a food with 94% of individuals rejecting a food due to its texture, a rate comparable to flavor-based rejection. This may be due to the mere number of aversive texture terms (outpacing liked terms) and the same food may be rejected due to a single or combination of texture terms. However, individual differences exist with touch sensitivity increasing motivations to reject and influencing the relationship primary eating senses (including texture) have with rejection as well as clusters of individuals rejecting foods due to different texture types (e.g. brittleness/elasticity or hardness/fat content). Together, these studies show the complexity of oral textures in food perception which influence adult’s food choice

Undergraduate & Graduate Commencement Exercises Program, May 17, 1980.

Bryant University Undergraduate & Graduate Commencement Exercises Program, May 17, 1980

Measuring Factors Regarding Branded Lawn: Gauging the effect of Branding on Purchase Decision

Lawn was never such a popular formal wear fabric as it has become now. Using sophisticated technology, textile mills in cooperation with the local designers are producing the finest quality of lawn. The purpose of this research is to find out the effect of brands on the purchase of lawn and to understand the female buyer behavior for branded lawn. 150 females of posh areas of Karachi were chosen as the sample size for this research. Linear Regression technique was used to test the hypothesis. Keywords: Retail, Fundamentals, Brand Value

Journal of Applied Communications vol. 98 (3) Full Issue

Journal of Applied Communications vol. 98 (3) - Full Issu