Food risk communication to consumers: The scare of antibiotic resistant bacteria in chicken

In 2014 a food scare following a report on antibiotic resistant bacteria in chicken fillets led to a dramatic drop in sales of chicken. Actors in the food chain as well as the authorities were unprepared for the consequences of the case. The study investigated how risk communicators coped with the crisis through in-depth interviews with 14 relevant actors. The case study illustrated how delayed risk communication from authorities opened for stakeholders with contradictory views and other agendas. Further, although the risk communicators were aware of the concept of risk perception, they may not truly acknowledge the power triggering emotions

How Families’ Use of Digital Technology Can Be a Tool for Reducing Loneliness and Improving Food Intake among Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to explore how a technical solution implemented among older adults and connected with an app supervised by an app administrator can reduce loneliness, prevent malnutrition, and inspire social eating and networking. In October 2020, a survey was distributed to 3500 administrators of the one-button computer communication tool Komp. Komp consists of a screen placed with older adults and an app used by the administrator of the tool. The survey addresses aspects that can provide new insights into how older adults can use digital solutions as a link to family and external networks. The study results show that due to COVID-19, 65% of respondents said they used Komp more frequently than before, but only 5% of current use was associated with eating meals together. However, 54% of the app administrators indicated that this could be a good future activity. Furthermore, 88% thought Komp could contribute to more socializing through shared meals. This study elicited almost 1650 constructive comments on experience, use, and recommendations. The study results show that digital solutions can be a link between older adults and their families and external network. Such tools can address needs connected to loneliness, social isolation, and food intake.How Families’ Use of Digital Technology Can Be a Tool for Reducing Loneliness and Improving Food Intake among Older AdultspublishedVersio

Opportunities and barriers for food intake in older age – a Norwegian perspective

Background: The ageing processes occur slowly over time and are often not detectable by the individual. Thus, preparing for dietary needs in later years should start at an earlier age than most people realise. Objective: This study aims at better understanding what characterises food-related practices in active, home-living older adults, in order to identify food-related factors that act as barriers and those that promote healthy ageing. Design: Three experiments were conducted: First, a web-based quantitative survey to collect information about home-living older adults’ food-related behaviours (67+ years, N = 1,005). Second, two focus groups with respondents 67–74 years (N = 7) and 75–84 years (N = 6) to elicit aspects not adequately covered in the survey. Third, 10 individual interviews to provide in-depth insights. Results: Two distinct groups were identified in the survey; 67–79 years and 80+ years. The older age group experienced more barriers and restrictions in food intake and food-related behaviours compared to the younger group. Good taste, routines and social settings were important for appetite and food intake. Discussion: Using a mixed-methods approach proved valuable for extracting information and a better understanding of what impacts on food-related aspects amongst older adults. Strategies for upholding a healthy food intake involve establishing daily routines and meeting arenas where older adults can socialise and eat food together. Conclusion: This study confirmed that knowledge of older adults’ physical needs, barriers and abilities must be a part in preparation for a healthy diet.publishedVersio

European Consumers’ Acceptance of Beef Safety-Improving Interventions at Different Stages of the Beef Chain: Primary Production, Slaughtering, Processing and Packaging

Following the occurrence of meat safety incidents during the nineties (Verbeke et al., 1999), considerable effort has been done to improve safety in the beef chain, both by policy and beef chain actors. Nowadays, a wide array of interventions to improve beef safety is applied at different stages through the beef chain. As a result the microbiological safety risk has been significantly reduced (Koohmaraie et al., 2005). Although the benefits for the sector and the end users seem to be rather obvious, the application of interventions and technologies that are used to enhance beef safety is not always communicated to consumers. Currently, communication related to technologies and processes used in beef production and processing from the sector to consumers is often driven by legal obligations (for instance traceability) or profit seeking (for instance organic labelling). Consequently, information asymmetry between producers and consumers is the rule rather than the exception...

Development of satiating and palatable high-protein meat products by using experimental design in food technology

Background and objectives: Foods high in protein are known to satiate more fully than foods high in other constituents. One challenge with these types of food is the degree of palatability. This study was aimed at developing the frankfurter style of sausages that would regulate food intake as well as being the preferred food choice of the consumer. Design and measures: 16 sausage varieties with commercial (PE% 20) or higher amount of protein (PE% 40), being modified with vegetable fat (3% of rapeseed oil), and smoked or not, underwent a sensory descriptive analysis, in which the information was used to choose a subsample of four sausages for a satiety test. Twenty-seven subjects were recruited based on liking and frequency of sausage consumption. The participants ranged in age from 20 to 28, and in body mass index (BMI) between 19.6 and 30.9. The students were served a sausage meal for five consecutive days and then filled out a questionnaire to describe their feelings of hunger, satiety, fullness, desire to eat an their prospective consumption on a visual analogue scale (VAS) starting from right before, right after the meal, every half hour for 4 h until the next meal was served, and right after the second meal. Results and conclusion: The higher protein sausages were less juicy, oily, fatty, adhesive, but harder and more granular than with lower amount of protein. The high-protein sausages were perceived as more satiating the first 90 min after the first meal. Some indication of satiety effect of added oil versus meat fat. No significant differences in liking among the four sausage varieties

Food Scares: Reflections and Reactions

2014, a researcher from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health stated in a newspaper interview that she never touched chicken with her bare hands. This interview was the beginning of a media storm, which resulted in a 25% sales drop for chicken within three months. To be able to understand why this interview had such a strong effect, we conducted an explorative case study. Findings from previous studies of food safety behavior indicate that consumers are irrational and that information is not enough to change behavior. Gigerenzer (2015), however, argue in a recent article that the claim that people are hardly educable lacks evidence. He cites Simon (1985) quote that “people are generally quite rational; that is, they usually have reasons for what they do” and claims that teaching people to become risk savvy is a true alternative to nudging.The aim of our study is to shed light on the rationality debate by exploring consumers’ reflections and reactions to the previously mentioned food scare article. Data from five focus-group interviews with Norwegian consumers of chicken were transcribed, content analyzed, and in-vitro coded, before we conducted a multiple correspondence analysis in PAST. We developed a graphical plot of our results, which we visually inspected and interpreted. The findings indicate that consumers do reflect when confronted with food scares. Some question the research behind the news, others wonder how dangerous this food scare is compared to other risks. Consumers are not irrational, even though their emotions co-occur more often with their behavior than their reflections

Safe week, unsafe weekend? Consumers’ self-reported food safety practices and stomach sickness in cabin environments of varying infrastructure levels

Food poisoning is a threat to health and economy across regions and living standards, with an estimated 600 million cases worldwide every year. In consumer households, water and electricity facilities are key to safe food preparation and storage. However, recreational home environments may be of lower standard and expose dwellers to higher risk of foodborne illness. The aim of this study was to assess risk behaviours in Norwegian cabin kitchens in relation to the level of cabin infrastructure and compared to home practices. Cabin dwellers (N = 339) answered an online questionnaire about infrastructure, appliances, cleaning routines, and food habits at the cabin and at home. Correspondence analysis was used to define three cabin types of low (16%), medium (31%) and high (53%) infrastructure. The cabin types were compared to one another as well as to home in terms of cabin visit frequency and length, kitchen equipment, cleaning practices, food consumption, and incidence of stomach sickness. Consumer practices were evaluated for their impact on potential exposure to foodborne pathogens in light of the food safety situation and recommendations in Norway. Large variations in cabin kitchen equipment were found, where 35% of the respondents did not have running water in the kitchen and 18% did not have a refrigerator. The lack of running water and/or electrical appliances in cabins appeared to lead to adaptive consumer practices regarding hygiene routines (e.g., more hand disinfectant). Food consumption differed from home towards safer choices in all cabin types (e.g., less raw chicken and more canned foods). The estimated incidence rate of stomach sickness was of 4‰ occurrences per day at the cabin. Across cabin types, the incidence rate was 4.0 times larger in low-infrastructure cabins and 3.1 times larger in medium-infrastructure cabins compared to high-infrastructure cabins. The results uncover a need for information campaigns on the elevated risk for foodborne illness in cabin environments and how consumers should change practices to reduce the risk.publishedVersio

The fourth industrial revolution in the food industry—part II: Emerging food trends

The food industry has recently been under unprecedented pressure due to major global challenges, such as climate change, exponential increase in world population and urbanization, and the worldwide spread of new diseases and pandemics, such as the COVID-19. The fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) has been gaining momentum since 2015 and has revolutionized the way in which food is produced, transported, stored, perceived, and consumed worldwide, leading to the emergence of new food trends. After reviewing Industry 4.0 technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence, smart sensors, robotics, blockchain, and the Internet of Things) in Part I of this work (Hassoun, Aït-Kaddour, et al. 2022. The fourth industrial revolution in the food industry—Part I: Industry 4.0 technologies. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 1–17.), this complimentary review will focus on emerging food trends (such as fortified and functional foods, additive manufacturing technologies, cultured meat, precision fermentation, and personalized food) and their connection with Industry 4.0 innovations. Implementation of new food trends has been associated with recent advances in Industry 4.0 technologies, enabling a range of new possibilities. The results show several positive food trends that reflect increased awareness of food chain actors of the food-related health and environmental impacts of food systems. Emergence of other food trends and higher consumer interest and engagement in the transition toward sustainable food development and innovative green strategies are expected in the future.The fourth industrial revolution in the food industry—part II: Emerging food trendssubmittedVersio

Appetite for life - Maintaining appetite for foods at old and very old age

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Perspectives on personalised food

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