The present study aimed to investigate whether trust in circulating information and perceived stress are predictors of consumers’ fear of limited access to food as well as predictors of food purchase behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) technique was used to collect data from 1033 Polish adults in March 2020. Logistic regression was used to estimate the likelihood of fear of limited access to food and the likelihood of purchase of larger amounts of food than usual. The likelihood of experiencing fear of limited access to food increased by 16% with higher perceived stress, by 50% with higher trust in “Mass media and friends”, and by 219% with perceived changes in food availability in the previous month. Trust in “Polish government institutions” decreased the chance of experiencing such fears by 22%. The likelihood of purchasing larger quantities of food than usual increased by 9% with higher perceived stress, by 46% with higher trust in “Mass media and friends”, by 81% with perceived changes in food availability in the last month, and by 130% with fears of limited access to food as the pandemic spreads. Government institutions may have difficulty in disseminating pandemic-related recommendations through media, not only due to relatively low trust people have in media organizations but also due to the increasing likelihood of the occurrence of both fears regarding food availability and panic-stricken food-buying behaviors with increase in trust in this source of information. Therefore, it is necessary to develop interventions that will reduce perceived stress and improve the trust in information from reputable sources.
The average daily intake of fiber is still too low in relation to nutritional recommendations, as was found in several studies. Therefore, it is necessary to recommend ways to increase fiber intake in the diet. Increasing the consumption of bread rich in fiber as a substitute of white bread is one of the ways to increase fiber intake. The aim of this study was to find out whether nutrition knowledge and perception of dietary fiber affected the frequency of eating wholemeal bread and white bread fortified with fiber. The data were collected in 2014 through a cross-sectional quantitative survey that was performed under the Bioproduct project among a group of 1013 Polish adults. The associations between variables were investigated using multiple regression analysis. The respondents’ general knowledge on nutrition influenced their knowledge on fiber intake (correlation coefficient r = 0.30). Respondents with a greater knowledge perceived higher benefits of consuming cereal products that were fortified with fiber (r = 0.78), and attached greater importance to the information on the label (r = 0.39) as well. The nutrition knowledge determined the familiarity with fiber-enriched bread and the consumption of this product (r = 0.40) to a greater degree than the frequency of wholemeal bread consumption (r = −0.10). The respondents’ perception of dietary fiber was observed to play a partial mediation role between the knowledge on nutrition and the consumption of both kinds of breads, suggesting that it can be an important predictor of bread consumption. To increase the consumption of bread that is rich in fiber, emphasis should be laid on specific information on fiber, referring to food products as well as on individual’s perception of those products. The said information should be reinforced along with overall communication regarding nutrition to influence the bread-related decisions.
The aims of the study were to identify the perceptions about the technologies that are used to increase the nutritional value of cereal products, and to evaluate relations between consumers' perceptions of them, expected changes to bread, and the perceived values. Quantitative data was collected through computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI) within a sample of 1000 Polish adults. Clustering method was used to identify homogeneous groups based on opinions on the technologies used in the production of cereals and cereal products. Neutral attitudes towards technologies were presented in the sample with relatively greater acceptance of traditional crossbreeding of varieties and enrichment processes. Nevertheless, three homogeneous clusters were identified: technological sceptics (33.6%), technological traditionalists (15.0%) and technological enthusiasts (51.4%). Technological traditionalists appreciated the naturalness of food, tradition, natural environment, quality of life and health more than the other clusters. Perceiving themselves as a person valuing tradition and quality of life was associated with belonging to the technological sceptics. Both sceptics and traditionalists declared greater fears resulting from the application of new technologies in food production, including threats to the environment, health, naturalness of food and quality of life. Technological enthusiasts were anticipating more changes in bread. The differences among the clusters, including perceived values, require communication that is adapted to the profile of the consumers. The results can be useful for bread manufacturers to predict the demand and deliver against it and for marketers who are responsible for the process of effective product labelling and communication in order to meet the consumer needs.
The aim of the study was to assess the sensory quality of wheat bread rolls with and without the addition of 12% of oat fibre (with high b-glucan content) from a consumer perspective. A consumer group of 383 people rated the acceptability of fresh rolls and rolls after 1 day of storage using 9-point hedonic scales. A trained panel evaluated fresh rolls and rolls after 1 and 2 days of storage using quantitative descriptive analysis as a sensory profile method. The consumer group assessed the overall acceptability of the fresh bread rolls enriched with fibre as higher than fresh bread rolls without fibre addition. The decrease in the sensory quality of rolls during storage was observed by both groups of evaluators. The trained panel found that increased storage time resulted in a greater reduction of aroma and flavour ratings, as well as in elasticity and overall quality, in the stored rolls with 12% fibre addition compared to those without fibre addition. Nevertheless, consumers' high sensory acceptability of the fresh bread rolls enriched with fibre should be taken into account in the introduction of the oat fibre source product onto the market.
The objective of the study was to find whether consumers declare an intention to eat bread enriched with fiber in the situation of availability of a plain bread and plain bread with grains, and how these intentions are related to their awareness of fiber in bread. The data were collected in a cross-sectional survey among 1014 Polish adults. Based on three pictures of rolls: plain wheat roll (CR), roll enriched with 12% fiber (RF), and roll topped with sunflower seeds (RSS), the participants’ perception regarding fiber content and its impact on intentions to eat were assessed. The respondents were not informed about the differences in composition of the rolls. Although RSS contained only slightly more fiber (0.98 g) than CR (0.81 g), and much less than RF (3.08 g), most of the respondents indicated RSS as containing the most fiber (50.8%) and declared their intention to eat it (39.0%). Respondents who pointed out the importance of fiber, and grains or wholemeal flour addition when making purchase decision, were more likely to declare an intention to eat RSS compared with CR. The low interest in fiber content in a diet increased the chances of declaring an intention to eat CR and RF. People less educated and with low incomes were more likely to declare an intention to eat CR rather than RSS. While people from rural areas were more likely to choose RSS compared with CR and RF. In conclusion, there is interest in bread enriched with fiber, but consumers experience difficulties in recognizing it. Declared intentions to eat each rolls were determined to the greatest extent by the perception of the roll as source of fiber. Thus, educational activities should be focused on consumers’ perception of fiber-rich products and their skills related to the selection of high-fiber foods.
This study explored the sensory acceptance of plain wheat rolls with different fiber contents; particular emphasis was placed on the impact of fiber content and the frequency with which plain wheat rolls were eaten habitually on consumer acceptance of the sensory attributes of sample rolls. Two sample rolls were evaluated in a blind taste session: one was a roll made from plain wheat flour (standard roll), and the second was a roll made from plain wheat flour enriched with 12% dietary fiber (b-glucan). Participants (N = 176) were consumers who ate rolls at least once every two weeks. The sensory attributes of the fiber-enriched roll received higher ratings than the attributes of the standard roll. An important effect of eating frequency on sensory attribute rating was observed for flavor. Interaction effects of fiber content and eating frequency were observed, except for flavor. The results indicate that plain wheat rolls enriched with fiber would be accepted by many consumers, not only by those who frequently eat such rolls, but also by those who do not generally eat whole grain products.
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