Ciências da Vida | Artigos em revistas internacionais / Papers in international journals
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Browsing Ciências da Vida | Artigos em revistas internacionais / Papers in international journals by Field of Science and Technology (FOS) "Ciências Agrárias"
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- Circular economy in the agri-food sector: Insights into Portuguese companies’ practicesPublication . Scandurra, Federica; Salomone, Roberta; Caeiro, Sandra; Moura, Ana Pinto deRelevant cultural and financial factors hamper circularity in Portuguese agri-food sector companies. To capture so, an empirical analysis of circular practices in agri-food companies was carried out. Being the agri-food sector central to the Portuguese economy and the numerous circular economy initiatives in the Country, the study aims to comprehend how circularity is achieved from an environmental, social, and financial perspective in Portuguese companies of the sector. Therefore, a survey of a selected sample of companies identified 9 examples of organisations involved in circularity to interview. Results evidence: (I) strong cultural and financial barriers in implementation and evaluation; (ii) generation of social value through community-centred initiatives and collaborations with local companies; (iii) urgency to valorise and communicate financial impact to conquer new funding opportunities. The analysis contributed with new knowledge on the social value-creating capacity of circularity and the impact on companies’ financial performance in the agri-food sector, providing interesting future insights into academia and policymaking.
- Evaluation of the trade-off between variety, processing, and low-GI claim in ready-to-eat ricePublication . Cabral, Diva; Fonseca, Susana C.; Rocha, C.; Moura, Ana Pinto de; Oliveira, J. C.; Cunha, Luís Miguel; Moura, Ana Pinto deAn increasing number of consumers demand healthier, more convenient, and sustainable food products, including rice, a staple worldwide. Food manufacturers have responded to this trend by considering food’s intrinsic and extrinsic aspects. This study evaluated the importance of variety, processing, and claims on willingness to try ready-to-eat rice (RTE-rice). It also analyses the influence of consumer attitudes on the importance of attributes and willingness to try. The results showed that processing significantly influenced willingness to try RTE-rice, revealing consumers’ greater preference for whole grain than milled rice with added bran. Claims had the least relevant importance. However, low glycaemic index had a positive impact, indicating its potential to influence consumer purchasing attitudes and promote healthier rice consumption. Additionally, three groups were created based on attitudinal factors. Naturalness-oriented and convenienceoriented groups were more likely to try RTE-rice. However, the reasons that motivate them may be different; this latter could be the ease of the service offered, while for the group focused on naturalness, they may have perceived through the ingredients and claimed that the product, despite being convenient, can bring benefits, thus perceiving them as natural.
- Food fraud conceptualization: an exploratory study with Portuguese consumersPublication . Costa, Maria João; Sousa, Isabel; Moura, Ana Pinto de; Teixeira, José A.; Cunha, Luís MiguelFood fraud refers to deceptive practices conducted for economic gain, and incidents of such fraud are often reported in the media and scientific literature. However, little is known about how European consumers perceive food fraud. To address this gap, a study explored Portuguese consumers' knowledge and perceptions of food fraud using qualitative methods such as free word association and semi‐structured interviews. For this research, 340 participants were recruited, providing 911 valid words, classified into categories, major categories, and dimensions. Differences between consumers' previous exposure to food fraud and sociodemographic characteristics were explored. Additionally, other thirty‐six participants were selected and interviewed, following a semi‐structured guide. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a thematic analysis procedure. The results suggest that Portuguese consumers view food fraud as a morally reprehensible deception and are aware of its causes and impacts. However, not all consumers know the different forms of food fraud or the types of products vulnerable to fraud. Among the most repeated words were “deception”, “expiration date”, and “falsification”. Despite this food fraud awareness, most consumers believed they were not exposed to food fraud and stated that they do not conduct daily practices to reduce exposure to it. Following the chi‐square and Mann‐Whitney tests, significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were identified between participants exposed and not exposed to food fraud. The study also found that consumers with higher education and self‐reported exposure to food fraud had a better understanding of the issue. This study provides insights for quantitative research on consumer perceptions and beliefs about food fraud to explore further vulnerable food categories and types of food fraud in real‐world scenarios.
- A food product development project with humanitarian character: an exploratory studyPublication . Lucca, G. L.; Fonseca, S. Caldas; Moura, Ana Pinto deVulnerable livelihood groups, such as the Fulanis in Guinea-Bissau, are affected by the consequences of inequality, as they lack access to healthy food, a healthy environment and adequate primary health care. Coordination between sectors can be key to building resilient food and health systems by integrating and scaling up preventive and emergency nutrition services, especially in the context of malnutrition. In 2021, a cashew-based food product was launched in Portugal in partnership with an NGO and a Portuguese food retailer. This study aims to explore the development and marketing of the product with humanitarian objectives, assessing its impact on the different stakeholders of the project. A mixed methodology was applied, combining the evaluation of consumer behavior, assessed through self-reported electronic questionnaires and in-depth interviews with the actors involved in the project. According to the retailer group stakeholders, a great opportunity for the future lies in developing new products with a humanitarian character. The results show that consumers are indeed interested in buying a product associated with a humanitarian cause, and that the product “100% Cashew Nut Butter” has a favorable consumer acceptance in terms of sensory attributes. The long-term nature of the project and the financial return were cited as strengths by all NGO stakeholders involved, but all stakeholders agreed that innovation was needed to sustain donations. Thus, this may be a cyclical process: businesses can create demand through product development, while management and consumers, in turn, drive demand. These findings can be used to improve the design of future projects that might use this as an example.