Search Results (6)

Despite its high inulin content, Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) remains an underutilized vegetable for human consumption. Organic field trials of two biotypes adapted to Northern Patagonia, Argentina, were conducted. Since no cultivars are formally registered in the country, two biotypes, “elongated” (E) and “rounded” (R), defined according to tuber morphology, were planted and characterized. Agronomic performance was evaluated through soil analysis and crop yield. Tubers were analyzed for horticultural quality (e.g., respiration rate, inulin, firmness) and microstructure. A nutritional profile was determined, including protein, fat, dietary fiber, sugars, organic acids, minerals, phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity. Sensory evaluation (overall liking, free association, and penalty–reward analysis) was performed with 128 consumers, most of them unfamiliar with the tuber. The biotype R exhibited twice the yield and higher consumer preference, whereas E showed a higher respiration rate, a better nutritional profile, a harder texture, and lower overall liking. Initially, 76% of participants expressed willingness to incorporate it into their diet, which increased to 96.6% after they were informed of its health benefits. This multidimensional study, support the revalorization of Jerusalem artichoke and its inclusion in human diets as a fresh vegetable for biotype R or functional ingredient for biotype E. Full article

In Argentina, color and intramuscular fat are the main attributes of raw beef quality; however, it is necessary to clarify how consumers use them, in order to establish different marketing strategies. Consumer preferences are affected by multiple factors. Thus, the objective of the present study was to identify the Argentinian consumer’s choice behavior regarding beef color and fat content. An online survey was carried out in Argentina. It inquired about socio-demographic characteristics, purchase and consumption habits and beliefs, showing pictures related to color, marbling and the amount of fat. Choice behavior was evaluated by asking why consumers chose a particular picture out of the ones shown. Several Kruskal–Wallis tests evaluated the different hypotheses. Three different decision trees using the CHAID analysis method were created. Multifactorial analysis was carried out for clustering consumers. Regarding consumer beliefs, 90% of the respondents agreed with the sentence, “The two main characteristics defining beef quality at purchase time are meat color and marbling”. Socio-demographic characteristics affected purchase habits and beliefs; they also affected perceptions about meat color and marbling. It was possible to build three consumer groups for future marketing strategies: “hedonic” focused on a pleasing sensory experience, “appearance” prioritized the visual aspects, and the “health-conscious” consumers were interested in their healthy nutrition. Full article

This work intended to explore some motivations that influence people’s eating habits towards sustainability. This was an observational, cross-sectional study, carried out by questionnaire survey on a non-probabilistic sample of 10,067 participants from 13 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Romania and United States). Results indicated that people prefer fresh local foods from the season, being important because it allows transportation and storage to be reduced, which in many cases implies refrigeration systems and consequent energy expenditure. Although people avoid food waste at home, the awareness for the waste at restaurants still needs to be improved. Consumers seem to prefer foods that have been produced and packed in sustainable ways but still give importance to the package—understandable for food products. The results also indicated significant differences in the food choice motivations between groups for all sociodemographic variables tested (age, sex, marital status, education, professional area, living environment and country), but the association was high only for variable country. Additionally, a tree classification analysis allowed to identify the relative importance of the influential variables on the sustainable food choices, with country being the most important, followed by age and sex. Additionally, discriminant function analysis allowed establishing a model for the relation between country and six variables accounting for preservation of biodiversity, respect for life, save natural resources, save energy, reduce industrial pollution and minimal packaging. Although with some limitations, this study brings valuable insight into some aspects linked with sustainable food choices on a number of countries and how people shape their food choices according to some sustainability issues. Full article

In the past, the Argentine livestock production system was based on the extensive breeding that used pastures. However, technological progress and the use of land for soybean production are leading to a strong intensification of beef production, with a negative impact on the environment. According to FAO data, Argentina has the third highest meat consumption in the world, half of which is beef. A change in diet is a long and difficult process. The first step in favor of the environment could be the replacement of beef with other types of meat that have a lower impact on the environment, such as chicken and pork. The purpose of this study is to understand the causes limiting the preference for these alternatives and to identify useful tools to encourage their consumption. The results show that the interviewed Argentine consumers in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires have preconceptions about these two types of meat, such as the fact that hormones are still used in the chicken production system, that pork has higher cholesterol content than other meats, and that it carries diseases. These products are instead appreciated for their practicality of use, especially when purchased in portions, and they are not only tasty but also cheap. Full article

Melanoidins, the brown-colored compounds formed through the Maillard reaction, are responsible for color development in dulce de leche (DL), a popular confectionary dairy product in the Río de la Plata region, particularly in Uruguay and Argentina. Color is a critical quality parameter that strongly influences consumer preference. This work aimed to develop a method to perform preliminary structural characterization of the chromophores produced by the Maillard reaction. Melanoidins are present in a water-insoluble fraction, linked to a protein backbone, conforming melanoproteins of high molecular weight. The insoluble melanoprotein fraction (10% total solids) was isolated, and the chromophores released by proteolysis and isolated by gel-permeation chromatography. The analysis of the products revealed that they present a high degree of molecular weight (MW) polydispersity, in a range of 300 to 2000 Da, where the compounds of higher molecular weight contributed the most to the color of the product. The isolated fractions were further analyzed by RP-HPLC using a diode array detector (DAD) detector. These results, together with H-NMR data, suggested that the chromophores isolated belonged to a relatively simple mixture of aromatic products with higher hydrophobic character relative to other products of the melanoprotein digestion. Full article

Consumers’ perceptions of five front-of-pack nutrition label formats (health star rating (HSR), multiple traffic lights (MTL), Nutri-Score, reference intakes (RI) and warning label) were assessed across 12 countries (Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, the UK and the USA). Perceptions assessed included liking, trust, comprehensibility, salience and desire for the label to be mandatory. A sample of 12,015 respondents completed an online survey in which they rated one of the five (randomly allocated) front-of-pack labels (FoPLs) along the perception dimensions described above. Respondents viewing the MTL provided the most favourable ratings. Perceptions of the other FoPLs were mixed or neutral. No meaningful or consistent patterns were observed in the interactions between country and FoPL type, indicating that culture was not a strong predictor of general perceptions. The overall ranking of the FoPLs differed somewhat from previous research assessing their objective performance in terms of enhancing understanding of product healthiness, in which the Nutri-Score was the clear front-runner. Respondents showed a strong preference for mandatory labelling, regardless of label condition, which is consistent with past research showing that the application of labels across all products leads to healthier choices. Full article