Understanding, defining and measuring the trait of superstition.

Superstitious beliefs influence a wide range of decisions and activities in the everyday life. Yet, superstition has received little attention in the consumer behaviour literature, which is surprising since superstitious behaviours are found in numerous related domains, such as sports (Schippers & Lange, 2006), gambling or travelling. In the psychological and sociological literature, there is no consensus regarding the definition and measure of superstition (Mowen & Carlson, 2003). For some authors, superstition includes all types of paranormal beliefs (i.e. religion, astrology…) which we think are not relevant for superstition construct. Other authors have a very narrow definition of superstition restricting it to popular beliefs such as (black cats bring bad luck; if you break a mirror, you will have bad luck; the number 13 is unlucky”). The aim of this research is threefold: (1) to better define the superstition construct (2) to develop a scale that measures superstition and (3) to discuss the interest of superstition for marketing. An exploratory qualitative study allowed us to define superstition as “beliefs and/or practices that have no religious nor scientific foundations and which lead people to think that certain facts (external events or one’s own actions), or objects can bring good or bad luck, or be signs announcing positive or negative consequences”. Three quantitative data collections helped us develop a scale that contains 27 items and 5 dimensions (good fortune popular beliefs a = 0,84 ; misfortune popular beliefs a = 0,85 ; belief in destiny a = 0,83 ; magical thinking a = 0,86 ; defensive pessimism a = 0,67). Finally, the article concludes on future research and how the superstition construct could help explain irrational decision making.Consumer behavior; Superstition; marketing; échelle de mesure;

Interval analysis on non-linear monotonic systems as an efficient tool to optimise fresh food packaging

IATE Axe 5 : Application intégrée de la connaissance, de l’information et des technologies permettant d’accroître la qualité et la sécurité des alimentsInternational audienceWhen few data or information are available, the validity of studies performing uncertainty analysis or robust design optimisation (i.e., parameter optimisation under uncertainty) with a probabilistic approach is questionable. This is particularly true in some agronomical fields, where parameter and variable uncertainties are often quantified by a handful of measurements or by expert opinions. In this paper, we propose a simple alternative approach based on interval analysis, which avoids the pitfalls of a classical probabilistic approach. We propose simple methods to achieve uncertainty propagation, parameter optimisation and sensitivity analysis in cases where the model satisfies some monotonic properties. As a real-world case study, we interest ourselves to the application developed in our laboratory that has motivated the present work, that is the design of sustainable food packaging preserving fresh fruits and vegetables as long as possible

Parameters uncertainties and error propagation in modified atmosphere packaging modelling

IATE Axe 5 : Application intégrée de la connaissance, de l’information et des technologies permettant d’accroître la qualité et la sécurité des aliments Publication Inra prise en compte dans l'analyse bibliométrique des publications scientifiques mondiales sur les Fruits, les Légumes et la Pomme de terre. Période 2000-2012. http://prodinra.inra.fr/record/256699International audienceMathematical models are instrumental tools to predict gas (O2 and CO2) evolution in headspaces of Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP). Such models simplify the package design steps as they allow engineers to estimate the optimal values of packaging permeability for maintaining the quality and safety of the packed food. However, these models typically require specifying several input parameter values (such as maximal respiration rates) that are obtained from experimental data and are characterized by high uncertainties due to biological variation. Although treating and modelling this uncertainty is essential to ensure the robustness of designed MAPs, this subject has seldom been considered in the literature. In this work, we describe an optimisation system based on a MAP mathematical model that determines optimal permeabilities of packaging, given certain food parameters. To integrate uncertainties in the model while keeping the optimisation computational burden relatively low, we propose to use an approach based on interval analysis rather than the more classical probabilistic approach. The approach has two advantages: it makes a minimal amount of unverified assumption concerning uncertainties, and it requires only a few evaluations of the model. The results of these uncertainty studies are optimal values of permeabilities described by fuzzy sets. This approach was conducted on three case studies: chicory, mushrooms and blueberry. Sensitivity analysis on input parameters in the model MAP was also performed in order to point out that parameter influences are dependent on the considered fruit or vegetable. A comparison of the interval analysis methodology with the probabilistic one (known as Monte Carlo) was then performed and discussed

FAMILIA CON NIÑO DE PRIMERA COMUNIÓN [Material gráfico]

Copia digital. Madrid : Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, 201

A Food Packaging Use Case for Argumentation

International audienceWithin the framework of the European project EcoBioCap (ECOefficient BIOdegradable Composite Advanced Packaging), aiming at conceiving the next generation of food packagings, we introduce an argumentation-based tool for management of conflicting viewpoints between preferences expressed by the involved parties (food and packaging industries, health and waste management authorities, consumers, etc.). In this paper we recall briefly the principles underlying the reasoning process, and we detail the main functionalities and the architecture of the argumentation tool covering the overall reasoning steps starting from formal representation of text arguments and ending by extraction of justified preferences. Finally, we detail its operational functioning through a real life case study to determine the justifiable choices between recyclable, compostable and biodegradable packaging materials based on stakeholders’ arguments

Effect of HP/T treatments of in-package food on additive migration from conventional and bio-sourced materials

Correspondance: [email protected] audienceMigration was assessed during and after two HP/T treatments intended to perform a pasteurization (800 MPa for 5 min, from 20 to 40 °C) and a sterilization treatment (800 MPa for 5 min, from 90 to 115 °C) and were compared to conventional pasteurization and sterilization respectively. The specific migration of actual packaging additives used as antioxidants and UV absorbers (Irganox 1076, Uvitex OB) was investigated in a number of food-packaging system combining one synthetic common packaging (LLDPE) and a bio-sourced one (PLA) in contact with the four food simulating liquids defined by EC regulations. After standard HP/T processing, migration kinetics was followed during service life of package material using FTIR spectroscopy. LLDPE withstood the HP sterilization whereas it melted during the conventional sterilization. No difference was observed on migration from LLDPE for both treatments. In the case of PLA, migration of Uvitex OB was very low or no detectable for all the studied cases

An argumentation system for eco-efficient packaging material selection

UMR IATE Axe 5 : Application intégrée de la connaissance, de l’information et des technologies permettant d’accroître la qualité et la sécurité des aliments UMR IATE Axe 3 : Transferts de matière et réactions dans les systèmes aliment/emballageInternational audienceWithin the framework of the European project EcoBioCap (ECOefficient BIOdegradable Composite Advanced Packaging), aiming at conceiving the next generation of food packagings, we have designed an argumentation-based tool for management of conflicting viewpoints between preferences expressed by the involved parties (food and packaging industries, health authorities, consumers, waste management authority, etc.). The requirements and user preferences are modeled by several rules provided by the stakeholders expressing their viewpoints and expertise. Based on these rules, the argumentation tool computes consensual preferences which are used to parameterize a flexible querying process of a packaging database to retrieve the most relevant solution to pack a given food. In this paper, we recall briefly the principles underlying the reasoning process, and we detail the main functionalities and the architecture of the argumentation tool. We cover the overall reasoning steps starting from formal representation of text arguments and ending by extraction of justified preferences which are sent to the database querying process. Finally, we detail its operational functioning through a real life case study to determine the justifiable choices between recyclable, compostable and biodegradable packaging materials based on stakeholders’ arguments

Production and end-of-life scenarios

Funding Information: The studied PHBV pellet production was carried out at a pilot scale (FCT-UNL, Portugal and IVV Fraunhofer, Germany) and subsequently simulated to an industrial scale (i.e. upscaling of 50 times) within the context of the Horizon project “Granting society with low environmental impact innovative packaging” (GLOPACK). The production at these two scales was assumed to obtain a similar function (or the same functional unit (FU), i.e. 1 kg of PHBV pellets formulated for food packaging to be delivered at the gate, including two main steps. PHBV powder was first produced from fruit residues via microbial synthesis, followed by extraction and purification, namely “PHBV powder production” hereafter. Secondly, the additive (i.e. boron nitride as a nucleating agent) was added to the PHBV powder (0.5 wt%) to increase the PHBV crystallinity, followed by compounding into pellets, referred to as “material processing”. Lignocellulosic fibres, e.g. milled wheat straws) were also considered as an optional filler (up to 20 wt%) (Fig. 1). More details regarding microbial synthesis can be found in Matos et al. (2021). Funding Information: We thank GLOPACK's Consortium partners for providing data and sharing expertise, in particular the colleagues from Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), University of Montpellier, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, and InnovEn, for assisting in acquiring the primary data and modelling the industrial production (upscaling). Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The AuthorsIn the context of a circular bio-based economy, more public attention has been paid to the environmental sustainability of biodegradable bio-based plastics, particularly plastics produced using emerging biotechnologies, e.g. poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) or PHBV. However, this has not been thoroughly investigated in the literature. Therefore, this study aimed to address three aspects regarding the environmental impact of PHBV-based plastic: (i) the potential environmental benefits of scaling up pellet production from pilot to industrial scale and the environmental hotspots at each scale, (ii) the most favourable end-of-life (EOL) scenario for PHBV, and (iii) the environmental performance of PHBV compared to benchmark materials considering both the pellet production and EOL stages. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was implemented using Cumulative Exergy Extraction from the Natural Environment (CEENE) and Environmental Footprint (EF) methods. The results show that, firstly, when upscaling the PHBV pellet production from pilot to industrial scale, a significant environmental benefit can be achieved by reducing electricity and nutrient usage, together with the implementation of better practices such as recycling effluent for diluting feedstock. Moreover, from the circularity perspective, mechanical recycling might be the most favourable EOL scenario for short-life PHBV-based products, using the carbon neutrality approach, as the material remains recycled and hence environmental credits are achieved by substituting recyclates for virgin raw materials. Lastly, PHBV can be environmentally beneficial equal to or even to some extent greater than common bio- and fossil-based plastics produced with well-established technologies. Besides methodological choices, feedstock source and technology specifications (e.g. pure or mixed microbial cultures) were also identified as significant factors contributing to the variations in LCA of (bio)plastics; therefore, transparency in reporting these factors, along with consistency in implementing the methodologies, is crucial for conducting a meaningful comparative LCA.publishersversionpublishe

A Decision Support System to design modified atmosphere packaging for fresh produce based on a bipolar flexible querying approach

UMR IATE Axe 3 : Transferts de matière et réactions dans les systèmes aliment/emballage UMR IATE Axe 5 : Application intégrée de la connaissance, de l’information et des technologies permettant d’accroître la qualité et la sécurité des alimentsInternational audienceTo design new packaging for fresh food, stakeholders of the food chain express their needs and requirements, according to some goals and objectives. These requirements can be gathered into two groups: (i) fresh food related characteristics and (ii) packaging intrinsic characteristics. Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is an efficient way to delay senescence and spoilage and thus to extend the very short shelf life of respiring products such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Consequently, packaging O2/CO2 permeabilities must fit the requirements of fresh fruits and vegetable as predicted by virtual MAP simulating tools. Beyond gas permeabilities, the choice of a packaging material for fresh produce includes numerous other factors such as the cost, availability, potential contaminants of raw materials, process ability, waste management constraints, etc. For instance, the user may have the following multi-criteria query for his/her product asking for a packaging with optimal gas permeabilities that guarantee product quality and optionally a transparent packaging material made from renewable resources with a cost for raw material less than 3 e/ kg. To help stakeholders taking a rational decision based on the expressed needs, a new multi-criteria Decision Support System (DSS) for designing biodegradable packaging for fresh produce has been built. In this paper we present the functional specification, the software architecture and the implementation of the developed tool. This tool includes (i) a MAP simulation module combining mass transfer models and respiration of the food, (ii) a multi-criteria flexible querying module which handles imprecise, uncertain and missing data stored in the database. We detail its operational functioning through a real life case study to determine the most satisfactory materials for apricots packaging

A Decision Support System to design modified atmosphere packaging for fresh produce based on a bipolar flexible querying approach

UMR IATE Axe 3 : Transferts de matière et réactions dans les systèmes aliment/emballage UMR IATE Axe 5 : Application intégrée de la connaissance, de l’information et des technologies permettant d’accroître la qualité et la sécurité des alimentsInternational audienceTo design new packaging for fresh food, stakeholders of the food chain express their needs and requirements, according to some goals and objectives. These requirements can be gathered into two groups: (i) fresh food related characteristics and (ii) packaging intrinsic characteristics. Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is an efficient way to delay senescence and spoilage and thus to extend the very short shelf life of respiring products such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Consequently, packaging O2/CO2 permeabilities must fit the requirements of fresh fruits and vegetable as predicted by virtual MAP simulating tools. Beyond gas permeabilities, the choice of a packaging material for fresh produce includes numerous other factors such as the cost, availability, potential contaminants of raw materials, process ability, waste management constraints, etc. For instance, the user may have the following multi-criteria query for his/her product asking for a packaging with optimal gas permeabilities that guarantee product quality and optionally a transparent packaging material made from renewable resources with a cost for raw material less than 3 e/ kg. To help stakeholders taking a rational decision based on the expressed needs, a new multi-criteria Decision Support System (DSS) for designing biodegradable packaging for fresh produce has been built. In this paper we present the functional specification, the software architecture and the implementation of the developed tool. This tool includes (i) a MAP simulation module combining mass transfer models and respiration of the food, (ii) a multi-criteria flexible querying module which handles imprecise, uncertain and missing data stored in the database. We detail its operational functioning through a real life case study to determine the most satisfactory materials for apricots packaging