A study of consumers' attitudes towards food products containing protein derived from beef offal

A considerable body of research work has identified that beef fifth quarter contains high amounts of protein which can be extracted, leading to the opportunities for the development of new applications in the food industry. However, many parts of beef fifth quarter are currently underutilised for this purpose due to current practices within the beef sector. Besides the significant research investment within the area of beef fifth quarter protein valorisation, a challenge may lie in consumers' evaluations of food products containing protein extracted from beef fifth quarter. A nationally representative survey (n=953) was undertaken to investigate Irish consumers' attitudes towards hypothetical food products containing protein derived from beef offal sources. Based on an experimental design from the outset, this study explored what attitude processes (intuitive and/or deliberate) dominate attitude formation towards food products containing protein derived from beef offal and if resulting attitudes are influenced by affect and/or cognition. Moreover, the moderation effects of product familiarity and ambivalence on attitude formation were examined. Data analysis revealed that affective inferences played a more significant role in consumers' expressed attitudes. However, consumers were also found to draw on cognitive reasoning to form their attitudes. Deliberate evaluation was found to be a better predictor of consumers' attitudes than intuitive evaluation. Information provision about beef offal extracted protein, and product familiarity, were found to be critical factors in consumers' attitude formation processes and attitude outcome (i.e. affective and/or cognitive) towards food products containing protein derived from beef offal sources

Valorizing meat by-products for human consumption: understanding consumer attitude formation processes

IntroductionA considerable body of research has identified that meat by-products contain significant amounts of high-quality protein, which when properly extracted can lead to valuable opportunities for the food industry. However, the market success of food products containing protein extracted from meat byproducts is subject to consumer acceptance. This study explores Irish consumers’ attitudes toward hypothetical food products containing protein derived from beef offal sources.MethodsA nationally representative survey (n = 953) was undertaken to investigate what attitude processes, that is intuitive and/or deliberative, dominate attitude formation toward food products containing beef offal-derived protein, while accounting for the effects of product familiarity and information provision. Using a 2 x 3 between-subject design, study participants were randomly assigned to one of the 6 study conditions. Participants were exposed to Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP) tasks which measured their intuitive evaluations, followed by a number of questions that measured deliberative evaluation, attitude ambivalence, attitudes and acceptability toward the food products containing protein extracted from beef offal.ResultsThe study reveals that consumers’ intuitive and deliberative evaluations worked in the same direction, predicting overall attitudes toward these products; however, deliberative evaluation was found to be a better predictor of consumers’ attitudesthan intuitive evaluation. Moreover, intuitive evaluations do not influence deliberative evaluations, suggesting that information provision that prompts deliberative evaluations could lead to the formation of more considered and stable attitudes. Familiarity influences acceptance: these findings suggest that the potential impact of a lack of familiarity with the ingredient is offset by familiarity with the carrier products. Consumers who received benefit information about the health and environmental consequences of consuming food products containing protein extracted from beef offal expressed a more positive deliberative attitude toward these products. However, interestingly, the provision of benefit- and risk-orientated information at the same time at the same time also had a positive effect on deliberative evaluations.DiscussionThe findings have implications for new product development, and more generally for strategies that seek to promote sustainable food production and consumption

Διαταραχές της πήξης σε σηπτικούς ασθενείς της Μονάδας Εντατικής Θεραπείας

Εισαγωγή: Αν και οι διαταραχές πήξης και η ανοσολογική / φλεγμονώδης απόκριση έχουν συσχετιστεί με την τελική έκβαση των ασθενών με σήψη, η σύνδεσή τους με την προσωρινή επιδείνωση ή βελτίωση των ασθενών με σήψη είναι άγνωστη. Σκοπός: Η παρούσα μελέτη αποσκοπούσε στη διερεύνηση του κατά πόσον οι διαταραχές πήξης και η ανοσολογική / φλεγμονώδης απόκριση μπορούν να προβλέψουν την προσωρινή κλινική επιδείνωση ή βελτίωση των ασθενών που εισάγονται στη ΜΕΘ λόγω υποψίας λοίμωξης. Μέθοδος: Συμπεριλάβαμε προοπτικά όλους τους διαδοχικούς ασθενείς που εισήχθησαν στη μονάδα εντατικής θεραπείας (ΜΕΘ) μεγάλου γενικού νοσοκομείου για περίοδο 1,5 ετών με διάγνωση υποψία λοίμωξης και αξιολογήθηκαν εντός των πρώτων 24 ωρών από την εισαγωγή. Μετρήθηκαν τα επίπεδα στο αίμα πολλών κυτταροκινών καθώς και φλεγμονωδών και πηκτολογικών παραγόντων και η προγνωστική αξία τους εκτιμήθηκε υπολογίζοντας την επιφάνεια κάτω από την καμπύλη Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) (Area Under the ROC, AUROC). Αποτελέσματα: Οι ασθενείς (n = 102) κατανεμήθηκαν σε πέντε ομάδες: σήψη (n = 14), σοβαρή σήψη (n = 17), σηπτικό σοκ (n = 28), σύνδρομο συστηματικής φλεγμονώδους απόκρισης (SIRS) χωρίς λοίμωξη (n = 17) και τραύμα / χειρουργική επέμβαση χωρίς SIRS ή λοίμωξη (n = 26). Στο σηπτικό σοκ, οι παράγοντες πήξης FVII και FIX και η πρωτεΐνη C είχαν AUROCs 0,72, 0,67 και 0,78, αντίστοιχα. Σε σοβαρή σήψη, η Αντιθρομβίνη III, η Πρωτεΐνη C, η C-αντιδρώσα πρωτεΐνη, η Προκαλσιτονίνη και η Θρομβοποιητίνη είχαν AUROCs 0,73-0,75. Στη σήψη, ο παράγοντας νέκρωσης όγκων α και οι ιντερλευκίνες 1β και 10 είχαν AUROCs 0,66-0,72. Συμπεράσματα: Σε ασθενείς που εισήχθησαν στη ΜΕΘ με υποψία λοίμωξης, οι παράγοντες πήξης FVII και FIX και οι αναστολείς πήξης Αντιθρομβίνη III και Πρωτεΐνη C είχαν σημαντική προγνωστική αξία με την έννοια της πρόβλεψης προσωρινής κλινικής βελτίωσης ή επιδείνωσης σε ασθενείς με σοβαρή σήψη ή σηπτικό σοκ. Τα επίπεδα κυτταροκινών είχαν σημαντική προγνωστική αξία σε ασθενείς με απλή σήψη, ενώ τα επίπεδα της C-αντιδρώσας πρωτεΐνης, της Προκαλσιτονίνης και της Θρομβοποιητίνης ήταν προγνωστικά σε ασθενείς με σοβαρή σήψη.Background: Although the coagulation disorders and the immune/inflammatory response have been associated with the final outcome of patients with sepsis, their link with the temporary deterioration or improvement of patients with sepsis is unknown. The present study aimed to investigate whether the coagulation disorders and the immune/inflammatory response can predict the temporary clinical deterioration or improvement of patients admitted to the ICU due to suspected infection. Methods: We prospectively included all consecutive patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a general hospital over a period of 1,5 years with a suspected diagnosis of infection and were evaluated within the first 24 hours from admission. Blood levels of many cytokines and inflammatory and coagulation factors were measured and their predictive value was assessed by calculating the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) curves. Results: Patients (n=102) were allocated in five groups, i.e., sepsis (n=14), severe sepsis (n=17), septic shock (n=28), Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) without infection (n=17), and trauma/surgery without SIRS or infection (n=26). In septic shock, coagulation factors FVII and FIX and Protein C had AUROCs 0.72, 0.67 and 0.78, respectively. In severe sepsis, Antithrombin III, Protein C, C-reactive protein, Procalcitonin and Thrombopoietin had AUROCs 0.73-0.75. In sepsis, Tumor Necrosis Factor a, and Interleukins 1β and 10 had AUROCs 0.66-0.72. Conclusions: In patients admitted to the ICU with a suspected diagnosis of infection, coagulation factors FVII and FIX and coagulation inhibitors Antithrombin III and Protein C had substantial value in the sense of predicting temporary clinical improvement or deterioration in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. Cytokine levels had a significant predictive value in patients with uncomplicated sepsis, while levels of C-reactive protein, Procalcitonin and Thrombopoietin were predictive in patients with severe sepsis