The assessment of business customers’ satisfaction in the B2B market on the example of a metallurgical company

The guarantee of a company’s success in the business to business (B2B) market is the acquisition of customers satisfied with the purchased products or services and loyal to the company. The metallurgical industry is a specialised sector with a narrow group of buyers. In order to ensure mutualrelations in the B2B market, numerous activities are carried out to strengthen the ties between business partners. One of such activities is the assessment of customer satisfaction, which gives the company an opportunity to learn about the needs, preferences, and expectations of its customers. The aim of the study was to assess the satisfaction of business customers with the cooperation with a chosen company in the metallurgical industry, a world leader among solutions in the metal heat treatment sector. The CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) technique was used to achieve the aim of the work, in which proprietary research instruments were used. To assess the loyalty of the company’s business partners, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) was used. The study was carried out at the turn of 2021/2022 in two stages of cooperation between the company and its business partners. The first verification was carried out after signing the final protocol and the second after the end of the warranty period. The study was global. 104 companies from various industries and operating on international markets participated in the survey. The results of the conducted research showed a high rating of customer satisfaction with the cooperation with the company. This is evidenced by both the high values obtained of the NPS index (51.7% for tests made after the device was launched, 55.6% for tests carried out after its warranty period), and high ratings of customer satisfaction with the products and services offered by the company. The results of the study also allowed the authors to identify areas of the company’s activity for further improvement

A survey on Polish consumers’ perceptions of meat produced from stem cells in vitro

Despite the dynamic development of technology related to the production of artificial meat, this product faces one more important challenge in terms of gaining consumer acceptance. In the literature on the subject, limited research has been done on the perception of meat in vitro across different societies; therefore, there is little knowledge of the possibility of its acceptance and the type of barriers it may encounter. The aim of this study was to assess the perception of meat produced from stem cells in vitro by Polish consumers. The study was voluntary and was conducted based on an internet survey addressed to people aged 12 to 60+. Convenience sampling of respondents was used. The research sample consisted of 424 respondents with a diversified sociodemographic profile. The results showed a diversified interest in meat produced from stem cells in vitro among Polish consumers. Many respondents were not able to clearly define their preferences for this type of product. Young people showed the greatest positive interest in innovative in vitro meat. The greatest concerns of consumers were related to the lack of knowledge about this type of food, the lack of its inherent naturalness and potential negative health effects

Polish Consumers’ Attitudes Towards ‘Clean Meat’

An understanding over potential consumers’ openness and need for a product, as well as their reservations and expectations, is essential for launching a new product, ‘clean meat’ not being an exception. Research has been conducted in terms of attitudes, perception, and reservations, but most often in forms of analysing declarations rather than actual observations of consumer behaviour. The aim of the study was to assess consumer attitudes towards ‘clean meat’, in particular acceptance, perception, barriers, and factors influencing attitudes towards ‘clean meat’. The study was voluntary, conducted using online survey and addressed to respondents up to the age of 55 years. The research sample consisted of 418 respondents, representing a diversified sociodemographic profile. The results of the survey showed that for many respondents meat was an important part of their diet and eaten frequently. A majority of the respondents were not aware of the meaning of the expression ‘clean meat’, though after a brief introduction to the product, a majority expressed being open to trying it. Availability, taste, and higher price were identified as the biggest barriers against trying ‘clean meat’, and potential of the invention, interest aroused, and its perceived benefit for the environment were the qualities most associated with this invention

Influence of physical activity on orange and lemon flavors perception of isotonic drinks

Rynek napojów izotonicznych jest jednym z najszybciej rozwijających się obszarów dotyczących produktów o charakterze funkcjonalnym. Napoje izotoniczne należą do grupy napojów funkcjonalnych, które zgodnie z uregulowaniami prawnymi muszą spełnić określone cechy dotyczące osmolalności, zawartości węglowodanów, wartości energetycznej i zawartości sodu. Głównymi funkcjami napojów izotonicznych są nawodnienie organizmu i utrzymanie prawidłowej zawartości składników mineralnych w ustroju człowieka, zwłaszcza po wzmożonej aktywności fizycznej. Smak w przypadku napojów izotonicznych, ze względu na ich specyficzny charakter oraz dawkowanie, musi satysfakcjonować konsumenta, zarówno przed, jak i po wysiłku fizycznym. Celem pracy była ocena wpływu wysiłku fizycznego na percepcję smaku pomarańczowego i cytrynowego napojów izotonicznych przez młodych mężczyzn. Zakres badań obejmował przeprowadzenie testu sensorycznego opartego na metodzie wskaźnika rozcieńczeń N przed i po próbie wysiłkowej wykonanej zgodnie z testem Wingate. Wyniki przeprowadzonych badań wskazują, że wysiłek fizyczny znacząco obniża zdolność rozpoznania zarówno smaku pomarańczowego, jak i cytrynowego napojów izotonicznych.The isotonic drinks market is one of the fastest developing markets among functional food products. Isotonic drinks belong to the group of functional beverages which, in accordance with legal regulations, have to meet certain features regarding their osmolality. The main functions of sports drinks are rehydration and maintaining a proper mineral content in the human body, especially after intense physical activity. Due to specific nature and dosage of isotonic drinks, their taste has to satisfy a consumer both before and after exercise. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of physical activity on the orange and lemon flavors perception of isotonic drinks among the young men. The scope of the research included sensory test based on N dilution method performed before and after the physical exercise which was the Wingate test. The results of the study indicate that physical exercise significantly reduces the ability to identify both orange and lemon flavors of isotonic drinks

The assessment of business customers’ satisfaction in the B2B market on the example of a metallurgical company

The guarantee of a company’s success in the business to business (B2B) market is the acquisition of customers satisfied with the purchased products or services and loyal to the company. The metallurgical industry is a specialised sector with a narrow group of buyers. In order to ensure mutual relations in the B2B market, numerous activities are carried out to strengthen the ties between business partners. One of such activities is the assessment of customer satisfaction, which gives the company an opportunity to learn about the needs, preferences, and expectations of its customers. The aim of the study was to assess the satisfaction of business customers with the cooperation with a chosen company in the metallurgical industry, a world leader among solutions in the metal heat treatment sector. The CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) technique was used to achieve the aim of the work, in which proprietary research instruments were used. To assess the loyalty of the company’s business partners, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) was used. The study was carried out at the turn of 2021/2022 in two stages of cooperation between the company and its business partners. The first verification was carried out after signing the final protocol and the second after the end of the warranty period. The study was global. 104 companies from various industries and operating on international markets participated in the survey. The results of the conducted research showed a high rating of customer satisfaction with the cooperation with the company. This is evidenced by both the high values obtained of the NPS index (51.7% for tests made after the device was launched, 55.6% for tests carried out after its warranty period), and high ratings of customer satisfaction with the products and services offered by the company. The results of the study also allowed the authors to identify areas of the company’s activity for further improvement

Designing the Quality Characteristics of Berry Processing Byproducts Using Fermentation

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in berry fruit processing byproducts, namely, seeds, pulp, and peel, due to the high content of nutritionally valuable ingredients. The market is seeing an increase in the popularity of fermented products, especially those from vegetables or fruits. Fermented fruit pomace can be used as an ingredient or food additive. Many studies have confirmed that the fermentation process can increase the antioxidant activity of plant extracts due to the decomposition of cell walls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality and antioxidant potential of fermented berry pomace (from chokeberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, and strawberry) in terms of its potential use as an alternative source of valuable ingredients for the design of new food products. The scope of this research included assessing microbiological quality, vitamin C and total phenolic compound (TPC) contents, and antioxidant activity using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays. The polyphenolic compound and vitamin C contents, as well as antioxidant activity, depended on the mixture of microbial strains used for fermentation and the type of fruit pomace. The most favorable parameters for TPC, ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP were obtained for chokeberry pomace samples inoculated with yeast cultures. Chokeberry pomace exhibited the highest vitamin C content when inoculated with a mixture of bacteria

Raspberry seed extract improves the ferroxidase activity of ceruloplasmin in patients with lower artery chronic total occlusion

Ceruloplasmin (Cp) is the major antioxidant in plasma, a protein that carries about 95% of the total copper. Multiple biochemical activities of ceruloplasmin have been described, including copper transport or oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) for subsequent uptake by transferrin and ferritin. Reduction of the pool of free Fe(II) ions by Cp prevents the generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species by oxidation of Fe(II), thus inhibiting the Haber-Weiss reaction. The removal of both free Fe(II) and Fe(III) ions from blood plasma by polyphenols enhances the antioxidant system of the living organism. However, the mechanism of interactions between exo- and endogenous antioxidants is still under consideration. The effect of raspberry seed extract (RSE) on the ferroxidase activity of ceruloplasmin isolated from plasma of patients with chronic arterial occlusion of the lower limbs due to atherosclerosis (CpAO) was investigated. Moreover, the effect of RSE on the ferroxidase activity of Cp isolated from healthy volunteers (CpC) was also estimated. The ferroxidase activity of Cp, expressed as ΔFe(II), was determined by spectrophotometry with the use of the Fe(II) – histidine complex and ferrozine as a chromogenic reagent. The addition of RSE to samples with the same amount of both CpAO or CpC in each caused an increase in ΔFe(II). The polyphenol-rich RSE may assist Cp in the fight against free radicals and reactive oxygen species when the disease occurs due to an excessive use or reduced production of endogenous antioxidants