Antecedents of consumer evaluation and consumption of functional food

The overall aim of this dissertation is to improve the theoretical and empirical understanding of consumers’ behavioral tendencies toward functional food consumption. The main purpose is to provide a deeper understanding of antecedents that are relevant for explaining consumer evaluation of functional food and consumption behavior. Functional foods are food products that have been enriched to make them healthier or to prevent diseases. This thesis contributes to the existing literature on the explanation and understanding of individual differences in the evaluation and consumption of functional food by combining a variable- or construct-centered approach (SEM) with a person-centered approach (clustering technique). The present research enhances the understanding of the underlying motivations behind consumers’ evaluation of and behavior toward functional foods. Key findings include (a) the differential influence that hedonic and utilitarian eating values exert on attitude toward consuming functional food, (b) the differential effect of future- and immediate time perspectives on consumption of functional food, (c) the nature of the personality trait–time perspective–behavior relationship, and (d) how consumer profiles differ in their evaluations of and propensities to consume functional food. The results should be useful to better target functional food according to consumers’ motivational antecedents and personal features

Consumers’ attitudes and intentions toward consuming functional foods in Norway

Source at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.103827. © 2019 The Authors.This study investigates antecedents of consumers’ attitudes and intentions to eating functional foods in a representative sample of Norwegian consumers (N = 810). The theory of planned behavior (TPB), with an extension of self-efficacy and descriptive norms and, as well, hedonic and utilitarian eating values, is used as a conceptual framework. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is applied to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings differed significantly between the basic and extended model, particularly for the perceived behavioral control (PBC) constructs. Perceived control over behavior was insignificantly related to intention and consumption frequency in the basic model and significantly negatively related in the extended model. The inclusion of self-efficacy, conceptualized as confidence in the ability to consume functional foods regularly, proved to be the most important explanatory factor of intention. Descriptive and injunctive norms were both significant and relatively strong predictors of intention. However, injunctive norms lost explanatory power when descriptive norms were included in the structural model. The strong influence of attitude on intention also diminished in the extended model. Utilitarian eating values clearly outperformed hedonic eating values as a basis for explaining consumer attitude toward eating functional foods. Whereas utilitarian eating values were strongly and positively associated with participants’ attitude toward the consumption of functional foods, hedonic eating values were less strongly and negatively related to attitude. Thus, the food industry needs to improve the hedonic value of functional foods to commercially succeed

Fisk i farta - en pådriver for holdningsendring blant ungdom?

Formålet med denne oppgaven var å kartlegge ungdoms holdninger til fisk og laks, samt deres forventninger til produktet laksewrap. Ved å utsette utvalget for en direkte smakserfaring med laksewrap, ønsket jeg å teste effekten av erfaringen på holdningene og forventningene i forkant. På bakgrunn av erfaringen ønsket jeg også å teste utvalgets lojalitet til produktet målt som intensjoner for å spise det i fremtiden, og i hvilken grad de ville anbefale produktet til andre. Undersøkelsen viste at ungdommene hadde positive holdninger til både fisk og laks. De positive holdningene var blant annet basert på utvalgets syn på fisk og laks som god mat. Det var også stor enighet om at fisk og laks var klokt å spise. Holdningsstyrke målt som sikkerhet i holdningsposisjon var høy både for fisk og laks, hvorav hele 70 % angav at de var sikre i holdningsposisjonen. Forventningene til laksewrapen var også høye. Det gjaldt spesielt for påstandene om at den skulle være spennende og god å spise. Holdningsstyrken overfor laksewrapen var imidlertid noe lavere enn for fisk og laks. I etterkant av erfaringen med laksewrapen viste det seg derimot at de relativt høye forventningene ikke ble innfridd, og at smaken var en avgjørende årsak til de negative vurderingene. Produkterfaringen innvirket også på holdningene til fisk og laks. Innvirkningen var signifikant og negativ. Holdningsstyrken overfor fisk og laks i etterkant av produkterfaringen var, som forventet, tilnærmet lik styrken i forkant. Holdningsstyrken overfor laksewrap endret seg derimot betraktelig etter at utvalget hadde erfart produktet. Lojalitet til produktet var lav

Relationships between functional food consumption and individual traits and values: A segmentation approach

This study aimed to identify, describe, and compare consumer segments based on food- and health-related values and traits and how the segments are related to functional food consumption. A hybrid hierarchical k-means clustering approach was used to identify homogeneous consumer segments based on food innovativeness, food self-control, hedonic eating values, convenience orientation, health importance, and weight management concern. Based on a representative sample in Norway, three consumer segments were identified: the careless, the self-controlled, and the convenience-oriented. The careless were uninterested in food and health matters and did not appreciate novelty or variation in their food choices. The self-controlled were the most receptive to novelty and food innovation and highly engaged in health matters. The convenience-oriented were the most inclined to consume functional foods, had a pronounced convenience orientation, and were concerned about weight gain. How the industry needs to adapt its marketing strategy across consumer segments are discussed

Kompetanse - og arbeidskraftbehov i den marine næringen - en studie blant bedrifter i Møre og Romsdal

Studien Kompetanse- og arbeidskraftbehov i den marine næringen i Møre og Romsdal kartlegger faktisk kompetansebehov og ønsker om tilgang til kvalifisert arbeidskraft i marin næring. Studien er også en kartlegging av de forventninger næringen har til utdanningssystemet i Møre og Romsdal. Kartleggingen av i alt 71 bedrifter i den marine næringen i Møre og Romsdal, viser at mange av disse har et middels til stort behov for rekruttering i årene som kommer. Behovet for rekruttering er ikke minst tydelig med tanke på arbeidskraft med høyere utdanning, det vil si til yrker som flere av de samme bedriftene opplever som vanskelig å rekruttere arbeidskraft til. Den marine næringen omfatter en bredt sammensatt type bedrifter. Behovene til kompetanse blant bedriftene er således også sammensatte. Ser man etter fellesnevnere med tanke på de ønskene bedriftene har til utdanningsbakgrunnen hos kandidatene de ønsker å rekruttere i årene som kommer, er det to trekk som skiller seg ut. For det første har man behov for en utdanning som kombinerer en teoretisk og praktisk innretning. For det andre ønsker man kandidater med spesialisering inn mot næringen, men som samtidig har en bredde i bunnen. Disse trekkene går igjen både med tanke på de ønsker man har for kandidater med utdanning både fra videregående og høyere nivå

Individual differences in functional food consumption: The role of time perspective and the Big Five personality traits

Prior research suggests inconsistent relationships between individuals’ personality traits, time perspective, and specific behavior. In a large representative sample of Norwegian consumers (N = 810), we investigated the relationships between the Big Five personality traits, domain-specific consideration of future consequences (CFC), and consumption of functional foods. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized associations. Both CFC-Future and CFC-Immediate were positively related to the consumption of functional foods, whereas personality traits exerted no direct influence on consumption. Several significant associations between personality traits and CFC-Future and CFC-Immediate were found, and three of the five personality traits—Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism—exerted indirect effects on consumption frequency via CFC-Future. Results support an integrative and hierarchical understanding of how personality traits and time perspective interact in explaining variation in functional food consumption. The findings support the notion that (domain-specific) CFC is better conceptualized as two distinct—albeit related constructs—that are shaped, in part, by broader personality traits

Strategic considerations for establishing a large-scale seaweed industry based on fish feed application: A Norwegian case study

Soy protein concentrate (SPC) is a key ingredient in fish feed and most of it originates from Brazil. However, the Brazilian soy industry has reportedly resulted in significant environmental problems including deforestation. Consequently, new sources for protein are investigated and protein extracted from farmed seaweed is considered an alternative. Therefore, we investigate how seaweed protein product (SPP) can compete against SPC as a protein ingredient for fish feed. The study uses the positioning matrix, cost analyses involving the power law, and uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo simulations, and key research challenges are identified. The initial finding is that, with the emerging seaweed industry, the cost of producing SPP is too high to be competitive for fish feed applications. To overcome this challenge, two solutions are investigated. First, substantial investments in cultivation and processing infrastructure are needed to accomplish scale, and a break-even scale of 65,000 tonnes is suggested. The second but more promising avenue, preferably in combination with the former, is the extraction of seaweed protein and high-value seaweed components. With mannitol and laminaran as co-products to the SPP, there is a 25–30% probability of a positive bottom line. Researches on extraction processes are therefore a necessity to maximize the extraction of value-added ingredients. Over time, it is expected that the competitive position of SPP will improve due to the upscaling of the volume of production as well as better biorefinery processes.publishedVersio

Fishery changes and implications - need for a wider approach to address socioeconomical effects in fisheries management

Probabilistic maturation reaction norms (PMRN) were used to investigate changes in the maturation of sardine cohorts and to discuss whether genetic effects, environmental effects or both are plausible explanations of maturation changes. Long‐term changes in maturation were described using samples collected from landings off the western Portuguese coast since 1947. Estimates of the length at 50% maturity (L50) were calculated for 44 years of the study period and were shown to be good proxies of PMRN midpoints of recruit spawners (Lp50 for age 0–1 fish). Data collected during acoustic surveys were used to explore density‐dependent and environmental effects on the maturation probability of recruit spawners since 1996. Sardine probability of maturing at a given length declined from the early 1950s to the late 1960s, corresponding to an increase of ca. 2 cm in both L50 and Lp50. This trend reversed abruptly in the early 1970s but became shallower or even halted in the early–mid‐1990s. Long‐term changes in maturation probability showed a direct relationship with fish condition in the growing season preceding maturation. The maturation trend also agrees with reported warming of Portuguese coastal waters since the 1970s while survey data support the relationship between Lp50 and SST in the growing season. The hypothesis of a genetic change, possibly induced by high fishing exploitation, could explain the positive trend in maturation probability since the 1970s but is not consistent with the earlier reversal of that trend. On the other hand, the consistency of trends in L50/Lp, condition, and temperature provides support to the hypothesis of direct environmental effects on sardine maturation probability