Search Results (92)

The literature on pork quality perception is fragmented, particularly regarding the role of sensory and intrinsic attributes and consumer familiarity. This study addresses this gap by examining the importance of sensory attributes (juiciness, flavor, aroma, and tenderness) and an intrinsic attribute (pig breed—related to differences in color and fat content) in the overall quality assessment of pork loin. Additionally, it investigates how consumer familiarity with the pork loin category influences perceived quality. An experimental study was conducted with 130 Spanish consumers. The proposed hypotheses were tested using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models and a latent class cluster analysis to explore both the impact of specific attributes on perceived quality and the segmentation of consumers based on familiarity. The findings indicate that flavor, tenderness, and juiciness are the key sensory attributes influencing the overall quality perception of pork loin. In contrast, Duroc pork loin is perceived as being of lower quality. The cluster analysis identified three distinct consumer segments based on their level of familiarity with the product. This study contributes new empirical evidence to the understanding of the perceived quality of pork loin, highlighting the significant role of specific sensory attributes and consumer familiarity. These insights can inform product development and marketing strategies tailored to different consumer profiles. Full article

Brazil is an important wine producer in Latin America, with the Santa Catarina (SC) region gaining prominence for producing high-quality wines. Among new red varieties cultivated in SC, Montepulciano has recently gained attention. Despite the growing interest in Montepulciano wines in Brazil, no studies have investigated Brazilian consumer perceptions of this varietal. This gap underscores the need for research to better understand acceptance for this emerging varietal in Brazil. This study aimed (i) to advance consumer insights of Montepulciano wines by evaluating the acceptability of Montepulciano wines from Brazil and those from other countries, and (ii) to identify the key attributes influencing acceptance. Participants (n = 103) evaluated six national and international wines for overall liking and sensory characteristics using the check-all-that-apply technique. The drivers of liking for aroma were floral and red/dark berries, whereas leather and alcohol penalized liking. In-mouth, sweetness, red/dark berries, and soft tannins drove liking, whereas astringent, sour, and bitter impacted liking negatively. Among the Brazilian wines, differences were perceived to be more pronounced for aroma than flavor and mouthfeel. The findings highlight the market potential of Brazilian Montepulciano wines, with liking comparable to some Italian and Chilean counterparts. Understanding consumer sensory responses to these wines is crucial to support production strategies that align with market demands. Full article

This study investigates how the sound of a hair dryer influences users’ perceptions of its quality, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation. Eighteen participants were involved in a within-subject evaluation experiment where they assessed the perceived quality of hair dryers with three different sound levels: no sound, low sound, and high sound. The results show that hair dryers with high sound levels were rated as having higher quality and caused greater increases in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) concentration in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) compared to soundless hair dryers. In contrast, when participants evaluated low-sound hair dryers, differential activation between the left and right hemispheres was observed, with increased left-brain activity. These findings highlight the significant role of multisensory factors, such as sound, in shaping product perception. Moreover, DLPFC activity, especially in the left hemisphere, emerges as a potential marker for evaluating product quality, contributing new insights to the understanding of sensory-driven decision-making in product evaluation. Full article

Defect detection plays a crucial role in ensuring product quality. However, accurate and effective defect detection remains a challenge due to the specific features inherent in defect images, including scale and shape variations. We propose a new defect classification structure—TIANet—which includes a local feature extraction module (ISD), a global feature extraction module (DSViT), and an atrous spatial pyramid pooling (ASPP) module. Among them, ISD is composed of inverted residual structure fusing extrusion and incentive attention mechanism and path discarding mechanism to realize the extraction of local features and the learning of complex patterns. DSViT is composed of Vision Transformer and deep separable convolution, which realizes the extraction of global features and fuses them with local features to ensure the accurate feature expression of defects with similar backgrounds. ASPP enhances the multi-scale feature extraction ability and contextual information capture ability of the model and effectively perceives defects of different shapes and scales. Experimental verification on the glass bottle dataset shows that it performs well in the defect classification task of national standard white glass bottle, with an accuracy rate of 95.714%. Compared with the typical network models Vision Transformer and MobileNetV3, TIANet shows significant advantages, which verifies its effectiveness and superiority in the defect classification of glass bottles. Full article

The chilled ready meal market in New Zealand has witnessed substantial growth, fuelled by the increasing demand for convenient food options. This study integrates the theory of consumption value (TCV) with the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to explore how lifestyle, consumer knowledge, sensory properties, subjective norms, consumer choice behaviour, consumption habits, and perceived behavioural control influence the purchase intention of meat-based chilled ready meals. Partial least squares path modelling (PLSPM) was used to verify the conceptual model using data from an online survey of 464 meat-based ready meal consumers from New Zealand. The results revealed that consumer attitudes towards meat-based chilled ready meals were positively influenced by lifestyle, consumer knowledge, and sensory properties, but these attitudes negatively impacted purchase intention, emphasising the complexity of consumer decision-making. Subjective norms, particularly social influences, significantly shaped consumers’ intentions. Furthermore, consumer choice behaviour, including conditional value, epistemic value, and emotional value, significantly influenced purchase intentions, with consumption habits emerging as the strongest predictor. Price had the highest influence on perceived behavioural control, while packaging information had little direct effect on perceived behavioural control. The findings of this study provide actionable insights for businesses to tailor marketing strategies and enhance consumer acceptance by improving product quality and sensory appeal of meat-based chilled ready meals in New Zealand. Full article

In the changing field of sustainable packaging, companies are confronted with the challenge of balancing sustainability with brand differentiation. The move toward standardized, reusable packaging is beneficial for the environment but restricts the use of custom designs. This study explores how standardized, reusable packaging affects consumer perception in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. It focuses on the evolving role of brands to maintain brand differentiation. This research is centered around two case studies. The first examines 219 tomato products to understand the factors driving packaging diversity. Data was collected from three Dutch supermarket websites to analyze packaging types, materials, and size. The second case study investigates consumer responses to single-use versus standardized reusable packaging across eight brands in both food and non-food categories. An online survey was used to assess perceived quality (PQ), willingness to buy (WTB), and brand perception. The results indicate that standardization has a limited effect on perceived quality (the impression of excellence that a consumer experiences), suggesting that it may encourage more brands to adopt reusable packaging. Willingness to buy findings, indicating whether consumers have the intention to buy a product, were mixed. A decrease was observed in food products and an increase noted in non-food. Brand perception most often showed a decrease, indicating challenges in maintaining brand differentiation. Three strategic approaches for brands to align with a sustainability-driven market while preserving value are presented. These are focusing on visual and verbal differentiation, collaborating with competitors to adopt a common archetypal packaging, or shifting marketing away from physical packaging towards digital and authentic communication. However, the new role of marketers will need further exploration, with a focus on authentically communicating the real content and its added value. Full article

This study explores possible applications of AI technology in online journalism, given the predictions that speed and adaptation to the new medium will increase the penetration of automation in the production business. The literature shows that while the human supervision of journalistic workflow is still considered vital, the journalistic workflow is changing in nature, with the writing of micro-content being entrusted to ChatGPT-3.5 among the most visible features. This research assesses readers’ reactions to different headline styles as tested on a sample of 624 students from Timisoara, Romania, asked to evaluate the qualities of a mix of human-written vs. AI-generated headlines. The results show that AI-generated, informative headlines were perceived by more than half of the respondents as the most trustworthy and representative of the media content. Clickbait headlines, regardless of their source, were considered misleading and rated as manipulative (44.7%). In addition, 54.5% of respondents reported a decrease in trust regarding publications that frequently use clickbait techniques. A linguistic analysis was conducted to grasp the qualities of the headlines that triggered the registered responses. This study provides insights into the potential of AI-enabled tools to reshape headline writing practices in digital journalism. Full article

Although soil is mainly perceived as the basic component of agricultural production, it also plays a pivotal role in environmental protection and climate change mitigation. Soil ecosystems are the largest terrestrial carbon source and greenhouse gas emitters, and their degradation as a result of aggressive human activity exacerbates the problem of climate change. Application of microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology to soil-based ecosystems such as sediments, wetlands, farmland, or meadows allows for sustainable management of these environments with energy and environmental benefits. Soil ecosystem-based MFCs enable zero-energy, environmentally friendly soil bioremediation (with efficiencies reaching even 99%), direct clean energy production from various soil-based ecosystems (with power production reaching 334 W/m²), and monitoring of soil quality or wastewater treatment in wetlands (with efficiencies of up to 99%). They are also a new strategy for greenhouse gas, soil salinity, and metal accumulation mitigation. This article reviews the current state of the art in the field of application of MFC technology to various soil-based ecosystems, including soil MFCs, sediment MFCs, plant MFCs, and CW-MFCs (constructed wetlands coupled with MFCs). Full article

Resource consumption, global greenhouse gas emissions, and their effects on human health have pushed the food sector to produce novel foods such as cultured meat. Cultured meat could respond to the demands for sustainable transformations in the food sector; however, are consumers ready to change their eating habits? This research analyses consumer perceptions of cultured meat by linking it to quality, health, sustainability, and socio-economic aspects. The study adopts a qualitative approach, and through in-depth interviews, explores Italian consumers’ perceptions of cultured meat. The findings show how cultured meat is perceived as a sustainable alternative that safeguards the environment, natural resources, and animal welfare. However, the research highlights the need for more information on the production phase of this novel food. Research into the hazards and risks of cultured meat is essential to confirm its safety. Indeed, further research and investments are needed to obtain information on the safety and reliability of this new food. The respondents feared introducing this new food as it could damage the actors involved in the agri-food chain by reducing jobs, and they were not inclined to abandon their culinary traditions. The results suggest to companies and governments which aspects to optimize and which factors to invest in to communicate with consumers. Full article

Although the e-commerce market is expanding rapidly, e-commerce platforms still capture only a small portion of the overall market, largely due to the limited habitual use of these platforms. This study examines the features that affect purchase intention when using an e-commerce channel. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) serves as the theoretical aspect of the analysis. A survey was conducted, and the data were examined using structural equation modeling. The findings show that both performance expectancy and social influence have a strong positive impact on users’ purchase intention on new e-commerce platforms, whereas perceived risk negatively influences purchase intention. Perceived trust mediates the relationship between performance expectancy and purchase intention, social influence and purchase intention, and perceived risk and purchase intention. Furthermore, product quality perception moderates the connection between perceived trust and purchase intentions. Full article

The main purpose of this study is to examine how use and gratification and social presence might influence the purchase intention of the products presented in the short videos, mediated by perceived value, attitude, and digital dependency. The research model was constructed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and was tested by using the LISREL technique. Some significant findings of our empirical study include the following: First, use and gratification and social presence significantly enhance consumers’ perceived value, which subsequently positively influences their attitude towards short video content. Second, perceived value and attitude towards short videos have positive effects on digital dependency, which consequently enhances purchase intention. Third, digital dependency mediates the relationship between perceived value and purchase intention, as well as between attitude and purchase intention. We concluded that the AI system algorithm increases the likelihood of users encountering videos aligned with their preferences, thereby fostering a greater digital dependency. Businesses utilizing short video marketing must enhance content quality, focusing on user engagement and social presence, to effectively attract both new and returning viewers. When users possess a strong understanding of value and attitude, algorithms can cultivate a digital dependence on video content, subsequently influencing their purchase behavior. Full article

Sustainable development in the agriculture of the future will lead to innovative production, providing the possibility of obtaining better quality agricultural products. In turn, these innovative agricultural products will fit into new social lifestyles. Therefore, in this study, the authors asked the following research questions: (i) How do respondents perceive innovative agricultural production and innovative products in the area of food economy?; (ii) what is the relationship between selected lifestyle elements and the perception of innovative agricultural production and products? The research tool was a survey questionnaire. The diagnostic study was conducted using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) technique. The study was partial and non-probabilistic in nature. Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous, and completion of the form could be interrupted at any time. The target group were adults aged ≥ 18 years. They were residents of south-eastern Poland, from the Podkarpackie and Lublin provinces. The study was of a correlational nature, as it sought relationships between the elements studied, without the possibility of influencing the level of individual variables. A five-point Likert scale with a neutral value was used for the assessment. Spearman correlation analysis (r_S) was performed to find the relationship between the items. This type of correlation was chosen because the variables subjected to calculations were on an ordinal scale. The Kruskal–Wallis H test was also calculated to determine the effect of independent variables (lifestyle elements) on dependent variables (perception of innovative production and food products). The Mann–Whitney U test was utilized to calculate and identify differences between groups (sex and place of residence). Statistical significance was assessed at the level of α = 0.05. To illustrate these differences more clearly, categorized graphs of the average ratings of the items studied were also drawn up. The research results indicate a different approach from men and women to the issues studied. The place of residence and the approach of the respondents from south-eastern Poland to the studied lifestyle elements influenced their perception of sustainable agricultural production and innovative features of agricultural products. The examined lifestyle elements demonstrated a varied impact on the perception of innovative production and innovative food products. Full article

Individuals frequently encounter alluring food temptations that can disrupt their efforts to follow a healthy diet. These temptations may trigger pleasurable thoughts and sensations, potentially leading to unhealthy eating habits and obesity, which misalign with the goals of sustainable food systems to promote overall well-being. However, there is limited knowledge regarding how individual differences such as gender and motivation for healthy eating might impact individuals’ responses to unhealthy food temptations. In an experimental investigation, 245 participants were exposed to a tasty but low-nutrient food product (potato crisps). The results provide several new insights: (a) when individuals’ motivation for healthy eating is low, pleasurable experiences have a positive impact on perceived dietary quality; (b) pleasurable feelings also directly reduce willingness to consume potato crisps; (c) gender influences the relationship between pleasure-feeling and willingness to eat, with a negative relationship for women and a non-significant relationship for men; and (d) among women, there is a positive relationship between arousal and willingness to eat, while this relationship is non-significant for men. This study adds to the body of knowledge already available on food temptations, nutrition, and sustainable eating. Full article

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has significantly disrupted the educational landscape. The latest development in AI, generative AI that can generate new and tailored to specific content, has significantly impacted education. Given the value of AI technology in general and generative AI specific to users in education, such as students, the adaptability of these technologies has significantly increased. However, continuing and productive usage of AI tools depends upon students’ satisfaction with these tools. Drawing from the existing research, the present research has developed factors that affect students’ general satisfaction with AI tools. The research collected the data using a survey questionnaire from a Saudi Arabian university. The two-stage method of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) have been employed. The two-stage method is applied in a way that PLS-SEM is used for testing the hypothesis and significance of the factor’s influence on satisfaction, and ANN is used to determine the relevant importance of the factor. The PLS-SEM results have shown that factors such as content quality, emotional wellbeing and perceived utility determine student satisfaction with AI tools. The ANN results show that emotional wellbeing is the most critical factor in satisfaction, followed equally by content quality and perceived utility. Full article

Personal Comfort Systems (PCSs) have emerged as an innovative solution to address variable individual conditions that traditional comfort models excluded. This study investigates the impact of the simultaneous application and use of three PCSs in real office environments on an occupant’s thermal, light, and air quality perception and seeks to understand different environmental stimuli behind personal actions and behaviors. It uses qualitative and quantitative monitoring of specific environmental conditions and individual actions of 72 participants in four office buildings in different climatic zones of Chile in summer and winter. The PCSs tested differ in their costs, technological level, usability, and portability. The results show that 85.5% improved their perceived comfort by using the PCSs, although not from simultaneous use, but rather from the use of one system over another. The desk fan stands out as having the highest acceptance and utilization rate. However, certain environmental conditions cause opposite actions: limited lighting control or little daylight causes the fan to be turned on. The present study’s data could contribute to a new environmental comfort model for shared office spaces, fostering significant improvements in occupant satisfaction and energy efficiency. This practical and scientific research is of interest to architects, designers, and stakeholders from the construction production field. Full article