Measuring Consumers’ Acceptance in Food Labels: a Cross-Country Investigation on Usefulness, Ease of Use and Trust

Front-Of-Pack Labels (FOPLs) are being increasingly investigated as a tool to guide customers toward healthier food choices. Existing theoretical models focused on consumers understanding have not been able to provide clear evidences of which labels are more effective on food choices. Drawing on extant studies conducted on primary grocery shoppers from Italy, France and the UK we developed a new framework, the Front-Of-Pack Acceptance Model (FOPAM), to evaluate label effectiveness in terms of usefulness, ease of use, attitude, trust and behavioral intention. Our findings highlight significant relationships between perceived usefulness, ease of use of the labels and trust towards them, and the way consumers form their attitudes and intentions towards buying healthier product

Layer dependence of graphene-diamene phase transition in epitaxial and exfoliated few-layer graphene using machine learning

The study of the nanomechanics of graphene $-$ and other 2D materials $-$ has led to the discovery of exciting new properties in 2D crystals, such as their remarkable in-plane stiffness and out of plane flexibility, as well as their unique frictional and wear properties at the nanoscale. Recently, nanomechanics of graphene has generated renovated interest for new findings on the pressure-induced chemical transformation of a few-layer thick epitaxial graphene into a new ultra-hard carbon phase, named diamene. In this work, by means of a machine learning technique, we provide a fast and efficient tool for identification of graphene domains (areas with a defined number of layers) in epitaxial and exfoliated films, by combining data from Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) topography and friction force microscopy (FFM). Through the analysis of the number of graphene layers and detailed \r{A}-indentation experiments, we demonstrate that the formation of ultra-stiff diamene is exclusively found in 1-layer plus buffer layer epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide (SiC) and that an ultra-stiff phase is not observed in neither thicker epitaxial graphene (2-layer or more) nor exfoliated graphene films of any thickness on silicon oxide (SiO$_{2}$).Comment: 30 pages, 7 figure

Maccarese – From agriculture to food tech: Trading-Up and De-Commoditizing Valuable Raw Materials

The case is focused on th following area: (a) Understand the rationale and the drivers underlying the need of differentiation for a Company operating in a market where there is limited perceived difference in terms of raw material, (b) Understand the role of a new technology, blockchain, and its contribution to the food sector; (c) Understand how a data-driven approach can be leveraged in any sector, and the drivers on which it can impact and contribute to, and the role of technology in bringing in modern and advanced business strategies to a sector that is based on tradition, (d) Understand which strategies can be applied to reinforce Brand Equity in moments of strategy-switch while promoting company’s and product’s uniqueness can promote value, (e) Engage in teamwork and develop the ability to present conclusion backed with analysi

Spatial defects nanoengineering for bipolar conductivity in MoS2

Understanding the atomistic origin of defects in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides, their impact on the electronic properties, and how to control them is critical for future electronics and optoelectronics. Here, we demonstrate the integration of thermochemical scanning probe lithography (tc-SPL) with a flow-through reactive gas cell to achieve nanoscale control of defects in monolayer MoS2. The tc-SPL produced defects can present either p- or n-type doping on demand, depending on the used gasses, allowing the realization of field effect transistors, and p-n junctions with precise sub-μm spatial control, and a rectification ratio of over 104. Doping and defects formation are elucidated by means of X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and density functional theory. We find that p-type doping in HCl/H2O atmosphere is related to the rearrangement of sulfur atoms, and the formation of protruding covalent S-S bonds on the surface. Alternatively, local heating MoS2 in N2 produces n-character

Injecting trust in consumer purchase intention through blockchain: evidences from the food supply chain

Blockchain technology has been increasingly utilized in multiple businesses to validate the reliability of information related to ingredients and components, and to support the full traceability of end-products. Although, it has not yet been widely used in the context of food. As consumers of food products are becoming more and more interested in provenance, processes and ethical practices associated with what they are eating, blockchain might be the vehicle to provide reliable information. The paper seeks to determine whether technology can affect consumer perception, and specifically whether it can be considered to have an impact on the decision making process that leads to product selection. A structural model, based on extant literature, has thus been developed to analyse the impact on consumers of information provided by blockchain in terms of the perception of firm Transparency and Social Responsibility, Trust in Information provided, Attitude, Word-of-Mouth Intention and Purchase Intention. Findings, obtained from a dairy supply chain, show that (1) trust and transparency are prominent in the development of the intentions of individuals, and (2) the presence of blockchain-backed information regarding product quality increases Purchase and WOM Intentio

A Milk Blockchain-Enabled Supply Chain: Evidence From Leading Italian Farms

Blockchain is proven to support businesses in traceability, data reliability, and data retrieval in all the steps of the supply chain, but still has limited use in the food sector. Through the EU-Horizon 2020-backed example of an Italian regional milk value chain, the chapter describes a real case toward the implementation of such technology in the food sector for the benefit of multiple stakeholders. The case sheds light on the gathering of information concerning the milk production through a network of advanced internet of things sensors, the output of which is employed both for data-driven decision-making and for information certification through blockchain. This trustable and certified information could be shared and employed by other stakeholders to get informed about the status of the production process and, in turn, to potentially deliver an enlarged set of details about the product, progressively up to the end consumers, with implications of technology adoption for food tech-firms and on related impacts on a circular economy

Subjective Understanding and Liking: the impact on consumers of different type of bundles of Front-of-Pack labels

In the current open debate at European level on what would be the best performing Front-of-Pack Label (FOPL) that could better increase consumers’ capabilities to assess food nutritional quality and improve healthier choices, limited effort has been dedicated in analyzing the effects of bundling of existing FOPLs, a topic that recently raised the interest from policy-makers. This study compares the effect in terms of consumers’ subjective understanding and liking towards the labels of a Nutrient-Specific FOP and a Summary Label, and one by two Summary Labels. On the same dimensions, the study also compares the effects of each bundle vs. the case of the existing FOPL in the market – the Keyhole -, highlighting a consistent over-performance of the NutrInform Battery plus Keyhole bundle on all dimensions vs. the other tested alternatives

Unveiling Main Trends Affecting the Fast-evolving Chinese Customers: An Expert-based Perspective on Opportunities and Challenges for Made-in-Italy Brands

This study investigates the major trends that characterize the modern Chinese customer, by adopting an expert-based perspective focused on the involvement of regional top managers and global functional leaders belonging to 21 Made-in-Italy brands operating in China. Through a three-step Delphi Panel, we have identified 10 clusters and their interconnections, involving 58 trends highlighted by the experts, to describe 1) the relevant factors that affect behaviours and attitudes of Chinese consumers; 2) their evolution after the Covid-19 pandemic; 3) the impact of the pervasive presence of social media in the market; and 4) the responses activated by companies in their interactions with consumers. The article also presents relevant managerial implications for companies and marketers involved with the Chinese Market

Layer dependence of graphene-diamene phase transition in epitaxial and exfoliated few-layer graphene using machine learning

International audienceThe study of the nanomechanics of graphene-and other 2D materials-has led to the discovery of exciting new properties in 2D crystals, such as their remarkable in-plane stiffness and out of plane flexibility, as well as their unique frictional and wear properties at the nanoscale. Recently, nanomechanics of graphene has generated renovated interest for new findings on the pressure-induced chemical transformation of a few-layer thick epitaxial graphene into a new ultra-hard carbon phase, named diamene. In this work, by means of a machine learning technique, we provide a fast and efficient tool for identification of graphene domains (areas with a defined number of layers) in epitaxial and exfoliated films, by combining data from Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) topography and friction force microscopy (FFM). Through the analysis of the number of graphene layers and detailed Å-indentation experiments, we demonstrate that the formation of ultra-stiff diamene is exclusively found in 1-layer plus buffer layer epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide (SiC) and that an ultra-stiff phase is not observed in neither thicker epitaxial graphene (2-layer or more) nor exfoliated graphene films of any thickness on silicon oxide (SiO2).

Etichette Front-of-Pack e nuovi trend di consumo

La crescente attenzione verso la salute individuale e collettiva si è tradotta in nuovi trend di consumo. Questo ha portato le principali istituzioni ad introdurre le Front-of-Pack Label come strumento di nudging per aiutare i consumatori verso scelte nutrizionali più informate e salutar