Is the Food System prepared for 2030? Considering that Zoomers (Generation Z) will be the largest global cohort in the world at that time, the purpose of the study is to identify what can be learned now from their eating habits to diversify and create a more resilient Food System prepared for the future. Researchers have discovered that the Food System should encourage sustainable and healthier food production by empowering a resilient local production. These changes are aligned with Zoomer preferences for local and organic food, considering their moral, ethical, and economic implications. To gather data, a quantitative investigation was performed among university students from Romania using an online survey in which 343 responses were recorded. A direct logistic regression was performed, similar to the one presented by Wilson and Lorenz (2015), to assess the impact of factors on the changing eating habits of Zoomers. The results showed significant changes in the diet of Zoomers who are facing an increased internationalization of the food consumption; they seek convenience but are also more eager to consume healthy food. For a more resilient Food System, special importance should be given to these preferences, through local and organic production, improving delivery methods, and enhancing the food experience in a responsible and ethical manner in order to prepare it for the next majoritarian cohort. These findings can be further developed by adapting the current Food System to emerging food eating habits and also by addressing how Zoomers’ food choices can improve the environmental impact of the Food System.
Ensuring a sufficient level of food for the population in both quantitative and qualitative terms is a priority for most countries as well as for governmental and non-governmental bodiesbe they national, regional or international. The United Nations (UN) stresses the fact that one of the biggest problems the world is facing today is food insecurity. Most people enjoy food security, but the reverse is an unquestionable daily reality for nearly a billion people around the world. The concept of food security has had different meanings at different times, the definition changing over the years but the fundamental concept behind it remaining the same. When defining food security, we have to adopt a comprehensive approach, taking into account the economical, political, social and cultural factors that shape it, as well as find practical solutions to ensure its continued existence. Thus, resolving the food problem and ensuring food security must start from studying the relationship between consumption needs and the available food resources, rely on anthropometric research methods, and target population segments according to their biological needs. Starting from the study of the conceptual framework offered by the specialized literature, the present paper aims to clarify and identify the aspects which lie at the basis of studying the food security / insecurity for a population, through exploratory research. The exploratory research of an individual's food and nutritional security allows for a profound understanding of the concept, the factors that affect it and the interdependence between them, it also ensures a qualitative information gathering process. The results of the study may develop into measures aimed at improving individual food security as part of national food security. This research is done through the method of survey among the students of the Faculty of Business and Tourism, part of the Academy of Economic Studies. The statistical tool used was a questionnaire to identify the nutritional status of the respondents, but also their eating habits. Starting from the necessity of correcting imbalances in the behaviour related to food consumption, our scientific approach can be used to establish solutions for improving food consumption at the individual level, as a dimension of food security, for a segment of the population in Romania.
In European Union, concerns for improving the legislative framework of food labeling materialized in Regulation 1924 (2006) which aims to harmonize the rules used for nutrition and health claims such as “source of vitamin D” or “calcium contributes to normal muscle function” addressed to the average consumer; these concerns were accentuated in 2012 by the adoption of Regulation 432, which approves a list of permitted health claims. In compliance with European law, this paper's goal is to examine how the use of nutrition and health claims modifies Romanian customers' dietary choices and overall health. The challenges and difficulties encountered in the implementation and enforcement of this regulation raised interest for our research. Using the advantages of a statistical survey with a sample of 200 people of different genders, ages and educational levels, we aimed to evaluate the effect of nutrition and health claims on food consumption decisions; thus, it is highlighted how the consumers use individual factors (personal eating style), product sensory characteristics (taste) and shelf-life cognitive cues (nutrition label, brand, price) in food selection, but also how this selection influences their food consumption. The results of this work can be helpful to analyze the perception of Romanian consumers about the efficiency, accuracy and consistency of these mentions present on food product labels. The research is all the more valuable as recently many studies have focused on the analysis of BOP (Back-of-pack) or FOP (Front-of-pack) labeling systems. We conclude by discussing possible opportunities to improve the comprehensiveness of these mentions so that consumers can more easily direct their choices towards nutritionally balanced foods and, thus, stimulate and support the responsible behavior of producers.
In the context of the significant mutations that influence the contemporary universe, the consumer keeps his position as the main and central axis of all the activities whose target is to meet, as thoroughly as possible, the consumer's wishes, exigencies, preferences and needs. This satisfaction stands for the essence of the achieved economic actions.Considering the above ideeas the present paper is pleading for Design and Aesthetics operational values which have consequently become main instruments for increasing competitivity and consumer's satisfaction.
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