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- Edible Insects: Perceptions of Marketing, Economic, and Social Aspects among Citizens of Different CountriesPublication . Guiné, Raquel; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; Costa, Cristina Amaro Da; Correia, Paula; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Esteves, Bruno; Ferreira, Manuela; Fragata, Anabela; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Campos, Sofia; Anjos, Ofélia; Bartkiene, Elena; Djekic, Ilija; Matran, Irina M.; Čulin, Jelena; Klava, Dace; Chuck-Hernández, Cristina; Korzeniowska, Malgorzata; Boustani, Nada M.; Papageorgiou, Maria; Gutiérrez, Bernardo Prieto; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Damarli, Emel; Ferreira, VanessaBecause edible insects (EI) have been, in recent years, recommended as a nutritious animal protein food with enormous environmental advantages over other sources of animal protein for human consumption, studies aimed at investigating the consumer perspective have become more prominent. Hence, this study intended to examine the perceptions of participants from different countries about the commercialization and economic and social impacts of edible insects. The study was made using a questionnaire survey, and data were collected in Brazil, Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey. The final number of received answers was 7222 participants. For the treatment of the results, different statistical techniques were used: factor analysis, internal reliability by Cronbach’s alpha, cluster analysis, ANOVA to test differences between groups, and Chi-square tests. The results obtained confirmed the validity of the scale, constituted by 12 out of the 14 items initially considered, distributed by 4 factors: the first related to the economic impact of EIs, the second related to the motivation for consumption of EIs, the third related to the places of purchase of EIs, and the fourth corresponding to a question presented to the participants as a false statement. A cluster analysis allowed identifying three clusters, with significant differences between them according to all the sociodemographic variables tested. Also, it was found that the participants expressed an exceptionally high level of agreement with aspects such as the difficulty in finding EIs on sale, knowledge acting as a strong motivator for EI consumption, and the role of personalities and influencers in increasing the will to consume EIs. Finally, practically all sociodemographic variables were found to be significantly associated with perceptions (country, sex, education, living environment, and income), but not age. In conclusion, the perceptions about EI commercialization were investigated and revealed differences among samples originating from different countries. Moreover, the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants were found to be strongly associated with their perceptions.
- Plastic Food Packaging: Perceptions and Attitudes of Portuguese Consumers about Environmental Impact and RecyclingPublication . Weber Macena, Morgana; Carvalho, Rita; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Guiné, Raquel P. F.The use of plastics for packaging has some advantages, since they are flexible and inexpensive. However, most plastics are of single use, which, combined with low recycling or reuse ratios, contributes substantially to environmental pollution. This work is part of a project studying the habits of Portuguese citizens concerning plastic food packaging and focuses on aspects related to sustainability. The survey was carried out via an online questionnaire about sustainability, recycling, and knowledge of the effects of plastic materials or their residues on the environment. The results were obtained based on a statistical analysis of the data. The participants tend to think about the negative impact of plastic packages on the environment; 39% sometimes do not buy plastic; and 30% try to look for alternatives. A substantial fraction, 81%, support the avoidance of plastic utensils and reduction in the use of plastic bags. Most participants have a good knowledge of recycling and strongly agree with the use of recycled materials, and 87% of respondents practice separation of different types of waste for recycling. Changing plastic consumption habits has not been an easy task. Nevertheless, it is expected that society will increasingly move toward sustainable habits, questioning its actions and considering their impact on the environment.
- Insights into the Consumption of Edible Flowers in Costa RicaPublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Correia, Paula; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; Moya, K.; Anjos, O.Edible flowers (EF) have been used since ancient times in some parts of the world, either for culinary purposes or as a traditional medicine. Their use in modern times is supported by high reputed chefs, who use and promote them in their gourmet preparations as highly valuable assets, having a great potential for decoration, flavour and aroma, besides their nutritional value. Moreover, they are very rich in some phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, responsible for the colours and which have a proven antioxidant capacity, so exerting a beneficial effect on the human body against oxidation and cellular stress. This study describes how the people in Costa Rica perceive edible flowers, if and how they consume them, how they buy them and how much they are acquainted with possible health risks associated with their consumption. It comprised a questionnaire survey undertaken on a sample of 130 participants from Costa Rica, carried out through the internet. The results obtained indicated that the great majority of the participants know what EF are, but they recognize that there is not enough information about this topic. Only about 30% of the participants are aware that consuming EF can bear some risks, which are associated with toxicity and possible presence of pesticides. About half of the participants have already consumed EF, particularly in salads, and for decoration and confection of dishes. The most consumed flowers are rose, camomile and pumpkin flower. The most relevant motivations to consume EF are their taste and aroma, as well as being a novelty and useful for decoration. These results allow us to understand some eating habits, knowledge and consciousness of people from Costa Rica towards EF.
- Edible insects, a sustainable option? Perceptions of a sample of Portuguese citizensPublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Florença, S.; Anjos, O.; Correia, Paula; Costa, Cristina Amaro DaPURPOSE Edible Insects (EI) have been pointed by many as a sustainable option to provide animal protein, thus contributing to a more sustainable food system. However, not all societies are prone to consume this type of food (Florença et al., 2021). So, this study intended to evaluate to what extent the Portuguese are informed about the sustainability issues related with EI. METHODS This study was based on a questionnaire developed by the team of the project FZ (Ref. PROJ/IPV/ID&I/013) and was approved by the Ethics Committee at the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (Ref. N.º 06/SUB/2020). The online tool Google Forms was used to collect the data anonymously. At the beginning of the form the respondents were presented with the declaration of informed consent, and only those who gave explicit consent and were legally adult citizens, were able to access the questionnaire to give their answers. The data collection took place between September and October 2020, and the number of responses obtained was 213. The data were explored by descriptive statistic tools, tree classification analysis, factor analysis and cluster analysis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results revealed that the Portuguese people’s level of information about the sustainability issues related with EI is still low in general, with an expressive percentage of “no answer”. Still, there are some particular aspects that are already familiar to the participants (89% know that EI have a lower ecological footprint than other meats and 87% know that EI efficiently convert feed into protein). Factor and cluster analysis showed three classes of participants: first cluster - participants not informed about the facts presented, regardless of being true or false); second cluster - participants not informed about the true statements but who were able to identify the false statements; and third cluster - participants well informed about the true statements but who were marginally unable to distinguish the false information. Additionally, it was observed that sociodemographic variables such as education, sex and professional area were the most important influencing factors on the level of information. IMPLICATIONS Although there is already among the Portuguese some awareness that EI can be a more sustainable alternative to other types of meat, there is still a need to better inform the general population about the consequences of more sustainable food choices, to motivate them into innovative trends. Producers and brands should provide information to educate and inform possible future consumers about EI, their advantages and other issues related to this type of food to promote it on not typical markets. Nevertheless, industrials and other actors in the food chain must be conscious that part of the consumers will continue to feel aversion or disgust towards EI, as a result of personal traits and cultural imprints.
- Edible Insects: Consumption, Perceptions, Culture and Tradition Among Adult Citizens from 14 CountriesPublication . Guiné, Raquel; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; Costa, Cristina Amaro Da; Correia, Paula; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Esteves, Bruno; Ferreira, Manuela; Fragata, Anabela; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Campos, Sofia; Anjos, Ofélia; Boustani, Nada M.; Bartkiene, Elena; Chuck-Hernández, Cristina; Djekic, Ilija; Tarcea, Monica; Sarić, Marijana Matek; Kruma, Zanda; Korzeniowska, Malgorzata; Papageorgiou, Maria; Árias, Leticia González; Černelič-Bizjak, Maša; Damarli, Emel; Ferreira, Vanessa; Bayraktaroğlu, Emre; Arpa, Fatmanur OzyurekAlthough edible insects (EIs) are encouraged as a sustainable source of protein, their consumption is not as generalised as other types of food that are internationally accepted. While in some regions of the world, EIs are part of the gastronomic and cultural traditions, in other regions, people are not so receptive to this type of food, and some people even express some disgust towards it. Hence, this research focused on the habits of the participants regarding the consumption of insects as well as their perceptions about EIs being or not a part of the local culture or gastronomic patrimony. A questionnaire survey was implemented in fourteen countries (Brazil, Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey), and globally, 7222 adult participants responded to the questionnaire. SPSS software (version 28) was used to process the data and carry out chi-square tests and Factor Analyses (FA). The obtained results showed significant differences between countries for all the questions included in the survey, either those regarding the habits of the participants or their opinions about the facts linked with EI tradition or cultural aspects. It was found that participants from Mexico consume EIs more than in all other countries and that strong motivations that would lead to consumption among those who do not consume include curiosity and food shortage. The solution obtained with FA considering the ten statements of the scale consisted of two factors: F1—Culture and Tradition of EIs (α = 0.675) and F2—Acceptance of EIs (α = 0.614). In conclusion, the consumption of EIs and the perceptions of people are highly variable according to geographic location and cultural environment.
- Consumer perspective about plastic food packagingPublication . Macena, Morgana; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Guiné, RaquelPlastic materials have been increasingly used for food in the latest decades, due to the many advantages associated with these materials: they offer considerable design flexibility; they are cheap and lightweight; and they have a wide range of physical and optical properties important to preserve the foods. Plastics made from petroleum are not degradable and are discarded in the environment, originating huge environmental problems, threatening all forms of life by entering the food chains. This work focused on the perspectives of Portuguese consumers concerning plastic food packaging and its consequences for the environment and the ecosystems. The research included a questionnaire survey applied to a sample of 385 adult citizens. The results showed that the participants are inclined to reflect about the negative impact of plastic packaging on the ecosystems and about 40% admit that they sometimes do not buy plastic while 30% try to use alternative materials. An important percentage, over 80%, are in favour of prohibition to use plastic utensils of single usage and the limitation in the use of plastic bags to carry goods and foods in particular. Most participants revealed a good knowledge about recycling and are favourable to the use of recycled materials. Nearly 90% of the participants separate the different types of waste aimed at recycling. Although shifting the usage of plastic towards more sustainable options has been facing some difficulties, it is also verified that consumers are becoming more worried about the impact of their choices on the sustainability of ecosystems and the whole planet Earth.
- Information about nutritional aspects of edible insects: Perspectives across different European geographiesPublication . Guiné, Raquel; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; Costa, Cristina Amaro Da; Correia, Paula; Ferreira, Manuela; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Campos, Sofia; Anjos, Ofélia; Bartkiene, Elena; Sarić, Marijana MatekEdible insects (EIs) have recently gained attention as an alternative and more sustainable food, emerging as an alternative to other protein foods with higher environmental impacts, like bovine meat. EIs contain a valuable composition of macro and micronutrients, important for human nutrition. Nevertheless, their consumption is not yet widespread in Western countries, such as in Europe. This work aimed to study how consumers in three different European locations perceive the role of EIs in human nutrition. Data collection was carried out by a questionnaire survey in three countries (Croatia, Lithuania, and Portugal), and 1723 participants were included in the study. For the treatment of the data, SPSS software was used, and chi-square tests and tree classification analysis were performed. The results showed that for all the statements presented to the participants, significant differences were found in information about EIs according to country. The results further highlighted that the participants were better informed about the high protein content of EIs, while not being well informed about their possible anti-nutritive effects. Tree classification revealed that the most important discriminating variable was country, with Lithuanian participants being better informed than those from Portugal or Croatia.
- Consumers’ Trust in Greek Traditional Foods in the Post COVID-19 EraPublication . Skalkos, Dimitris; Kosma, Ioanna S.; Vasiliou, Areti; Guiné, RaquelWe are entering a new, unprecedented global economic and social era following the COVID-19 pandemic, in which there will be opportunities and threats for the goods and services provided. Traditional foods (TFs) could have their chances in the new food chain which will be developed, as long as they become the food of choice for the consumers of the future. This paper investigates consumers’ trust in Greek TFs, and northwest Greek TFs, in order to assess their potential consumption in the new economy. Trust was tested using the variables of safety, healthiness, sustainability, authenticity and taste, assessing consumers’ confidence and satisfaction with the TFs, their raw materials, and the technologies used for their production. A self-response questionnaire survey was carried out in May and June 2021 on a sample of 548 participants through the Google platform. In order to analyze the data, basic descriptive statistical tools were used, combined with crosstabs and chi-square tests. The results show that the participants trust the Greek TFs because they “strongly agree” by an average of 20%, and “agree” by an average of 50% that they are safe, healthy, sustainable, authentic and tasty. A similar pattern was recorded for the regional northwest Greek TFs as well. These results indicate that TFs could be the food of choice because they bear consumers’ trust in the coming “new normality”, where trust will be a major factor of choice for the purchase of goods and services.
- The motivations that define eating patterns in some Mediterranean countriesPublication . Guiné, Raquel; Ferrão, Ana Cristina; Ferreira, Manuela; Correia, Paula; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Duarte, João; Rumbak, Ivana; Shehata, Abdel-Moneim; Vittadini, Elena; Papageorgiou, MariaPurpose: This study is part of the international project EATMOT, designed to investigate several issues related to food choice and consumption patterns in different countries, including health related factors; economic and availability aspects; emotional determinants; social, cultural and religious influences; marketing and advertising campaigns and finally environmental concerns. Methodology: The present study was based on a questionnaire that was exclusively prepared for the project, and which was applied to collect data in different countries, in particular Croatia, Egypt, Italy, Greece and Portugal, which are typically associated with the Mediterranean diet. Findings: The results obtained allowed, in general, to conclude that in all 5 countries the motivations related to health as well as environment & politics were the more relevant to determine people’s eating habits (scores varying from 0.3 to 0.7). Women were more influenced by eating motivations than men, and people with moderate exercise were more susceptible to health and environmental motivations and less to emotional, social or marketing motivations (p <0.001 in all cases). It was also observed that people who adopted a special diet were more prone to eating motivations and that the emotional motivations were more pronounced in people with eating disorders (p <0.001). Finally, people without chronic diseases or allergies were even more influenced by health motivations than those who actually suffered from these health problems (p <0.001 in both cases). Originality/Value: This work is important due to the multinational coverage, thus allowing to evaluate the most relevant factors that influenced the food choices of the populations around the Mediterranean Sea, sharing the common link to the Mediterranean Diet. The study allowed concluding that, in general, the food choices were primarily determined by health factors, and also by concerns related to the environment and sustainability as well as by political influences.
- Factors affecting eating habits and knowledge of edible flowers in different countries.Publication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Florença, S. G.; Ferrão, A. C.; Bizjak, M. C.; Vombergar, B.; Simoni, N.; Vieira, V.The use of edible flowers (EF) in gastronomy is gaining popularity; however, there is still a lack of information about the factors that most contribute to the acceptance of this product. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the habits associated with the usage of edible flowers in gastronomy in three different countries (Portugal, Slovenia and Brazil) and also to evaluate the major determinants for those habits. Additionally, the level of knowledge was also investigated, particularly in regards with aspects such as perceived risks of toxicity and pesticides. For that, it was used a questionnaire survey of self-response carried out on a sample of 559 participants, form the above mentioned countries. To analyse the data basic descriptive statistical tools were used combined with crosstabs and chi-square tests. Finally a tree classification was performed using the CRT (Classification and Regression Trees) algorithm. The results revealed that, regardless of the country, the participants were familiar with the use of edible flowers in gastronomy. The participants had, in general, already consumed EF and their use was more popular between the Portuguese participants, being the Brazilian those who used them less. There were found significant differences between countries in the form of consumption of edible flowers and also in the types of edible flowers consumed. There were also significant differences regarding the reasons for eating edible flowers. The classification analysis showed that the country and the level of education were the major determinants for the consuming habits and knowledge about EF. This study highlighted that eating habits are very dependent on the customs and traditions of each country and helped understanding the factors that most affect the participants’ attitudes towards the consumption and knowledge of edible flowers.