Veilig voedselgedrag van consumenten op schaal

Voedselveiligheid hangt voor een groot deel af van consumentengedrag. Het meeste eten wordt thuis klaargemaakt, en fouten daar kunnen bepalend zijn voor de volksgezondheid en voedselveiligheid. Consumentengedrag is lastig te reguleren door voedselveiligheidswetgeving en epidemiologische modellen omdat we thuis geen controle toelaten. Door simpelweg te registreren wat mensen goed en fout doen, kun je voedselveiligheidsgedrag wel bestuderen, maar de verschillende niveau’s in gedragingen blijven zodoende buiten beeld. Bijvoorbeeld: het vakkundig gebruik van een vleesthermometer (lastiger dan je denkt, en als je het verkeerd doet breng je bacteriën naar het midden van je lapje vlees) hangt af van het bezit van zo’n ding (bijna niemand in Nederland, in Noorwegen heeft vrijwel elk gezin een vleesthermometer). De Nederlandse consument vindt een vleesthermometer overbodig en lastig in gebruik. Aan de andere kant heb je misschien wel eens het televisieprogramma De Smaakpolitie gezien, waar keurmeester Rob Geus de meest smerige studentenkeukens laat zien. Het opstapelen van vieze, schimmelende afwas gaat de meeste mensen gelukkig te ver. Het voldoen aan minimale eisen ten aanzien van een schone en veilige keuken en voeding kunnen we daarom ook als voor de hand liggend gedrag beschouwen

Transforum system innovation towards sustainable food. A review

Innovations in the agri-food sector are needed to create a sustainable food supply. Sustainable food supply requires unexpectedly that densely populated regions remain food producers. A Dutch innovation program has aimed at showing the way forward through creating a number of practice and scientific projects. Generic lessons from the scientific projects in this program are likely to be of interest to agricultural innovation in other densely populated regions in the world. Based on the executed scientific projects, generic lessons across the whole innovation program are derived. We found that the agricultural sector requires evolutionary rather than revolutionary changes to reshaping institutions. Measuring sustainability is possible against benchmarks and requires stakeholder agreement on sustainability values. Results show the importance of multiple social views and multiple stakeholder involvement in agricultural innovation. Findings call for flexible goal rather than process-oriented management of innovation. Findings also emphasise the essential role of profit in anchoring sustainable development in business. The results agree with concepts of evolutionary innovation. We conclude that there is no single best solution to making the agri-food sector more sustainable densely populated areas, but that the combination of a range of solutions and approaches is likely to provide the best way forward

Combining experimental observation and modelling in investigating feedback and emotions in repeated selection tasks

People seem to learn tasks even without formal training. This can be modelled as the outcome of a feedback system that accumulates experience. In this paper we investigate such a feedback system, following an iterative research approach. A feedback loop is specified that is detailed using contemporary ideas on human behaviour. The resulting model is investigated in an empirical study. Finally, we consider a computational mechanism to explain the results. This approach is aimed at understanding how a feedback mechanism might work rather than at observing its outcomes. In this paper, we study the approach through adjustments in card selections in a game consisting of repeated card choices. Playing this game, participants do not know what rules determine gains and losses. Therefore there is some tension between exploring the options and achieving immediate profit. To decide in such situations it is argued that often evaluations below the level of conscious awareness, such as affect, play an important role. The results support the hypothesis that participants would draw better cards as the game progressed. There is some evidence that emotions are involved, since the hypothesis that profit and emotions are correlated is confirmed. Further evidence that formal logic is not sufficient follows from the observed effects of music on card selections. In the second part of the paper the aim is to understand the results from a computational point of view. Four possible ways of integrating feedback into a decision criterion are compared. Using one of these mechanisms, a computational model is investigated that might describe the role of music in card selection. Although there are limitations to both the empirical and computational findings, the chosen approach indicates that computational modelling of experiential appraisal, at a preconscious level, and the effect of external factors, such as music, is in principle feasible, and can lead to a research agenda aimed at understanding such phenomen

Een onderzoeksagenda naar de relatie tussen voedselrisico en consumentengedrag

Current government policy is striving to reduce the microbial contamination of foods to zero level. However, it is possible that consumers who perceive lower risks of contracting foodborne diseases will take less care of foods. A literature study was carried out to review scientific knowledge about the consequences of the reduction of foodborne infections to a zero level for consumer cooking behaviour. A workshop was then organised to determine the research agenda for this subjec

De invloed van informatie over risico's, voordelen en bestaande attitudes op post-attitudes ten opzichte van voedselproductiemethodes

Het effect van eenzijdige versus tweezijdige informatievoorziening en bestaande attitudes op post-attitudes is onderzocht. Met name is gekeken naar de mogelijke asymmetrische invloed van positieve en negatieve informatie op post-attitudes. Daarnaast is gekeken hoe bestaande attitudes dit effect beïnvloeden. Eenzijdige informatie beïnvloedde attitudeformatie in de richting van de informatie. In tegenstelling tot de verwachting had negatieve informatie in een tweezijdige boodschap geen dominant effect op attitudeformatie. Het effect van tweezijdige informatie was afhankelijk van bestaande attitudes wanneer de informatie verschillende domeinen betrof (gezondheid en milieu), maar had geen effect wanneer de informatie eenzelfde domein betrof

Eten van waarde : peiling consument en voedsel

This report provides a description of a scientifically-funded instrument that measures and explains the perceptions (or 'thoughts') and behaviours (or 'actions') of consumers with regards to food quality values. A description of its application is presented to generate insights into how modern Dutch consumers think about food, what Dutch consumers actually buy and the relationship between perceptions and behaviours

Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology : an expert stakeholder analysis

Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the publi