Suchergebnisse

Functional beverages have gained increasing market share over the last decade. As the Asia Pacific region is one of the largest and most important markets for functional foods, it is critical when developing and promoting new products that food manufacturers/marketers have a good understanding of the Asia Pacific market, including the legislative requirements and consumers&rsquo ; perceptions of functional beverages. A literature review was undertaken to elucidate legislation criteria and consumers&rsquo ; perceptions of functional beverages in Asia Pacific countries. Topics reviewed included the origin and definitions of functional foods and beverages ; the legislative criteria for functional foods and beverages in four representative countries&mdash ; Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan ; and consumers&rsquo ; perceptions of functional beverages. There was no concrete definition of &ldquo ; functional food&rdquo ; or &ldquo ; functional beverage&rdquo ; region-wide and correspondingly, the legislative terms and regulatory frameworks for functional foods and beverages varied from country to country and showed divergence due to cultural differences. The systematic review of consumer perceptions of functional beverages showed that product acceptance and purchase intention for different functional beverages was heterogeneous among consumers in the Asian Pacific Region, with many factors playing a role including product attributes (e.g., functional attributes, sensory attributes, and product form) and consumer perceptions (e.g., health motivation, trust in food industry, and food neophobia). The findings from this review will help guide product development and inform marketing strategies for functional beverages targeting the Asia Pacific region by providing information on legislation and consumers&rsquo ; perceptions.

Laddering techniques are used to identify personal values underlying a range of 21 potential energy-saving behaviors or purchases. At an individual level, ladders (or means-end chains) are quite simple; when aggregated, however, they are complex and show many different paths between underlying values and behaviors. The values identified can promote energy-efficient behaviors or act as obstacles to change. The value "pleasure," for example, was found to influence energy-efficient behavior, such as hanging the laundry on the line, and inefficient behavior, such as taking long showers. Results show that values relating to "achievement" are most influential on the way people use energy in the home. Thus, social marketing campaigns promoting energy efficiency and conservation should tap into achievement values such as capability and intelligence because these campaigns are more likely to be effective than those that use other types of appeal.

Previous research has examined public perceptions of climate change, including opinions about the severity of its effects, whether it is human caused, the degree of its exaggeration in the news media, and the level of scientific consensus on the issue. This research has shown that public beliefs about each of these aspects of climate change are politically charged. What remains understudied are the sources of environmental scientists' authority in the broader society and whether perceptions of environmental scientists themselves are polarized. Using data from the General Social Survey's Science and Technology Module, this study fills this gap in knowledge by examining public perceptions of environmental scientists across several dimensions. We develop and formally test a theoretical model of the legitimacy of environmental scientists in the public sphere, as measured by public support for their influence on climate policy. Consistent with other research on public beliefs about climate change, we find that perceptions of environmental scientists are polarized across multiple measures. Moreover, while previous theory and research have emphasized beliefs about scientific consensus on climate change, we find that perceptions of scientists' understanding of the issue and the integrity of their policy advice are each stronger predictors of scientists' legitimacy in the public sphere.

AbstractFruits and vegetables that fail to conform to an aesthetic standard are labelled suboptimal and are often devalued and ultimately discarded. Although consumers perceive suboptimal produce negatively, little is known about how these perceptions are formed and indeed the socialisation process behind them. Using 11 focus group discussions with New Zealand children aged 5–11 years (N = 97), this study explores these socialisations. The results show that family practises around growing and repurposing suboptimal produce, learning about suboptimal produce waste, and acting on that knowledge when making produce choices, facilitates the acceptance of suboptimal produce. Alternatively, observations of parents' produce choice behaviours, and parents' instructions or norms for choosing, preparing, and eating produce socialise the rejection of suboptimal produce. The implications of the study show how environmental sustainability with respect to the food waste problem could be effectively addressed if public policy moves towards strategies that "normalise" suboptimal produce. The interventions recommended show how public campaigns would be more effective by targeting children, who are not only concerned about environmental sustainability, but also through their growing agency and positive pester‐power may influence households to reconsider how food is valued.

Biocides, in the form of sanitisers and disinfectants, are used extensively to reduce the risk of microbial contamination to beverage products and to ensure the safety of potable water used in processing. To better understand consumers' perceptions of biocide use and to explore messaging strategies regarding their importance to ensure product safety, eight focus groups were conducted in New Zealand (n = 4) and China (n = 4). Consumers generally did not understand why or how biocides were used. In both countries, their most trustworthy source of information on biocide use was government sources. New Zealand and Chinese participants did not like the word "biocide" mentioned on labels due to its perceived negative connotations. Interestingly, acceptance for the word was higher if the phrase "environmentally friendly" was simultaneously communicated. The findings from this study have provided the beverage industry with guidance on how best to initiate conversations with consumers on the use of biocides.

Biocides, in the form of sanitisers and disinfectants, are used extensively to reduce the risk of microbial contamination to beverage products and to ensure the safety of potable water used in processing. To better understand consumers' perceptions of biocide use and to explore messaging strategies regarding their importance to ensure product safety, eight focus groups were conducted in New Zealand (n = 4) and China (n = 4). Consumers generally did not understand why or how biocides were used. In both countries, their most trustworthy source of information on biocide use was government sources. New Zealand and Chinese participants did not like the word "biocide" mentioned on labels due to its perceived negative connotations. Interestingly, acceptance for the word was higher if the phrase "environmentally friendly" was simultaneously communicated. The findings from this study have provided the beverage industry with guidance on how best to initiate conversations with consumers on the use of biocides.