This review article aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the main determinants of consumers’ acceptance of novel foods (new foods and ingredients) in the EU with emphasis on product’s intrinsic properties (sensory characteristics) and individual factors (socio-demographics, perceptive, psychological) by adopting a systematic approach following the PRISMA methodology. Case studies on terrestrial (i.e., insects, cultured meat and other animal origin products, plant-based food including mushrooms, plant-based analogues, pulses, and cereals) and aquatic systems (i.e., algae and jellyfish) are included focusing on age-related and cross-national differences in consumer acceptance of novel foods and ingredients. General trends have emerged that are common to all the novel foods analysed, regardless of their aquatic or terrestrial origin. Aspects such as food neophobia, unfamiliarity, and poor knowledge of the product are important barriers to the consumption of novel foods, while healthiness and environmental sustainability perception are drivers of acceptance. Sensory properties are challenging for more familiar ingredients such as plant-based food (e.g., novel food made by pulses, mushrooms, cereals and pseudocereals). Results are discussed in terms of feasibility of introducing these products in the EU food systems highlighting strategies that can encourage the use of new ingredients or novel foods.

BACKGROUND:The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the personal values system of an Italian adolescent sample and examine the interrelations of their values with some variables characterizing their lifestyles.METHODS:A representative sample of 365 adolescents (56.2% females), 15-16 years old from the randomly selected second classes of public/private upper secondary schools of an Italian model region was investigated. The lifestyle of adolescents was explored through a 37-items structured, self-administered questionnaire. Ponderal status was evaluated from measured weight and height. The adherence to the Mediterranean Diet of the sample was determined by the KIDMED Test. The adolescents completed the 21-item Portrait Values Questionnaire, which assesses respondents' endorsement of the ten basic human values.RESULTS:The results suggest that variables related to their eating habits may be associated with their basic values. Some not healthy eating habits, such as eating while "watching TV"/using PC"/ "studying," were negatively related to tradition, conformity, and security values. The adolescents with both moderate and strong alcohol use, and with smoking habits also showed the highest percentage of low adherence to the Mediterranean Diet.CONCLUSIONS:Our findings might provide some useful information to support the development of more effective and targeted health promotion interventions approaches tailored for this age group.

The potential of game-based experiential workshops to complement focus groups in identifying drivers/barriers to environmentally sustainable food systems was explored. Sixty adults from an Italian bio-district answered to a questionnaire; among them, nineteen and twenty-one people participated in a game-based experiential workshop and in a focus group, respectively. The experiential workshop involved games, image theater, and on-the-spot feedback. The body language recorded during the workshop captured information on the transparency of producers and on the oppression from public institutions as perceived by citizens. Experiential workshops may have advantages over focus groups in terms of diagnostic potential. AcknowledgmentsAuthors are thankful to Loredana Bertelli for her support in designing the questionnaire, to the coordinator of the bio-district Anna Cedrini for the hospitality at farmhouse Poggio Nebbia, to Parteciparte’s facilitators and to all participants.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 In this study, the term “food producers” refers to all citizens who earn their living at any stage of the food supply chain i.e. from growing, raising, processing, preparing, manufacturing, distributing or adding value to food products. All other citizens living or working in the area are considered “Food consumers.”2 All participants and facilitators signed a photo release form.3 This study was carried out in agreement with the Declaration of Helsinki (WMA, 2013) and national and international regulations. Personal information was anonymous. This study did not require the approval of an ethics committee since the sensitive personal data of participants could not be tracked.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the European Sensory Network (ESN), under Grant [2021 - 48235].Notes on contributorsCatherine LeclercqCatherine Leclercq, PhD degree in Nutrition, research director at the Center for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN) of Rome, Italy. She has been working for 35 years to serve public research, academia, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. She has been for decades a member of scientific committees of the European Food Safety Authority and of United Nations. Her areas of work have been nutrition epidemiology to assess diet adequacy, dietary exposure to food chemicals, and assessment of food’s environmental impact. Since 2016 she has developed and used game-based experiential workshops as a social learning approach. Her recent focus is on involving actors of the food system to move toward more sustainable food systems.Anna SabaAnna Saba, senior researcher at the Center for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN) of Rome, Italy. She has been carrying out research on a range of topics related to understanding factors influencing food choices aimed at deepening the processes involved in consumer decision-making related to general food-related topics, and to specific categories of foods and segments of the population. She taught Statistical Methodologies and Mathematical Models at the University of Pavia and Sociology of Food Behavior at the University “La Sapienza” in Rome.Elisabetta MonetaElisabetta Moneta, research specialist at the Center for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN) of Rome, Italy with more than 30 years of experience in sensory and consumer sciences. She has been collaborating in the design and implementation of national and international research projects concerning studies on the organoleptic quality of food, including analysis of the role of the hedonic component in consumer preferences and food choices. She has developed methodologies in consumer preference research, with emphasis on emotional, genetic, and purchase/consumption contexts;. She teaches Sensory Analysis of Food at Roma tre University.Nicoletta NardoNicoletta Nardo, research specialist for 30 years at the Center for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN) of Rome, Italy. She participated in numerous research projects, both European and national. She has dealt with the development and implementation of methods for the determination of chemical (nutritional and organoleptic-related compounds) composition of food products.Fausta NatellaFausta Natella, graduated in Biological Sciences, Ph.D. in “Cellular and Molecular Physiopathology,” senior scientist at the Center for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN) of Rome, Italy. Her research activities focus on the role of different components of the diet (bioactive molecules/food/meal) in the modulation of health status.Marina PeparaioMarina Peparaio, research specialist in sensory and consumer sciences at the Center for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN) of Rome, Italy. For over 30 years, she has been involved in studies on the organoleptic quality of food and their consumer perception, the development, standardization, and application of sensory methodologies, and the correlation between sensory and analytical data using univariate and multivariate statistical analysis techniques.Eleonora Saggia CivitelliEleonora Saggia Civitelli, research specialist at the Center for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN) of Rome, Italy. She has been involved in sensory analysis, in particular studies on the organoleptic quality of food, the development, standardization, and application of sensory methodologies, research on the factors of variation of the organoleptic perception of the consumer, and correlation studies between sensory and analytical data using univariate and multivariate statistical analysis techniques.Elisabetta TotiElisabetta Toti, Master’s degree in Human Nutrition Science, research specialist at the Center for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN) of Rome, Italy. Her areas of research include nutritional epidemiology and micronutrient bioavailability, in both high-income countries and middle-income countries. She has over 30 years of professional experience focused on dietary intake, body composition, antioxidant status in humans and their subsequent impact on health. She has recently been involved in studies on the evaluation of the impact of food waste and on the assessment of the environmental impact of food.Fiorella SinesioFiorella Sinesio is a senior researcher, expert in sensory and consumer research, with a focus on the influence of food factors (sensory properties and extrinsic characteristics) in the formation of consumers’ perceptions, preferences, and food choices. She investigates impact of consumer factors (attitudes, psychological and physiological factors) on preference and behavior. Her activity is also focused on development and implementation of novel methods for sensory and consumer research. Representative in the European Sensory Network (ESN) of which she has been chairman from 2005 to 2007.

Purpose The study aimed to investigate consumers’ views on criteria to be claimed for organic processed foods and information to be communicated. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was carried out among 439 adults living in Italy, users of processed organic food, to gather opinions on criteria that processing of organic food should meet and on the terms that best define “careful” processing. Next, a conjoint design was applied to examine the effects of five independent factors on consumers' ideal concept of “organic”; these were potential information on packaging, processing, additives and product quality, and the type of food product. Three products with different processing level were selected: an ultra-processed and multi-ingredient product (vegetable burger), a processed product preserved by canning (peas in glass jar) and a minimally processed product (bagged salad). Findings The findings highlight that consumers attach more importance to the organic food carrier than the informational messages. Information on the processing and packaging follows, with messages on quality and on additives seemingly of minor importance. Three clusters of respondents were identified: those driven primarily by the type of organic food (24.6%), those placing more emphasis on product processing (21.3%), and a third larger cluster (54.1%) who expressed almost equal importance to all the factors considered. As for the processing of organic products, “eco-friendly” was the best message. Originality/value This paper offers insights into what best outlines the ideal concept of “processed organic food” as seen by organic food consumers, to be communicated to better guide their purchasing decisions.

Dietary surveys are conducted to examine the population's dietary patterns that require a complex system of databases, and rules for constructing the data matrix (precision, coding, deriving new variables, e.g., body mass index from individual's height and weight, classes, e.g., age-class, socio-economic status, physical activity, etc.). Management of the data collection requires specialized fieldworkers to allow for the collection of harmonized and standardized data. In this way, only statistical variability is envisaged and any eventual biases are due to probabilistic distribution but data are not affected by inaccuracy. Training the fieldworkers is a crucial part of each dietary survey. The idea to provide constant training throughout the whole survey period, from the preparatory phase to the data collection phase, relies on the necessity to train fieldworkers and monitor the skills acquired during the study, in addition to helping fieldworkers to gain the necessary experience. This study aims to relate the experience in conducting the course path to high specialized interviewers who carried out the cycle devoted to the 10-74 age class of the fourth nationwide food consumption study in Italy (IV SCAI ADULT) according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) guide. A course path was structured in three steps corresponding to the preparation, pilot, and collection phases. The whole path achieved the goal of collecting data related to 12 individuals by each participant, with an overall success rate (successful trainees/total participants) of 16.8% (84 out of an initial 500). The study aimed to provide good quality data in the short term and a highly specialized community in the long term. Surveillance nutritional systems can count on a highly skilled community, so decision-making in public health nutrition and a sustainable and healthy food system can rely on this infrastructure.

The modern agrifood system has a strong socio-economic and health impact on stakeholders, from producers to consumers. According to agroecological studies, a key factor for the food system to change is a stronger connection between farmers and consumers and the implementation of Food Citizenship. In this paper, we present the results of preliminary research on the consumer approach to vegetable and fruit purchase in Italy. Our main aim was to group consumers according to the major criteria guiding their food purchase patterns, to outline the main criteria underpinning their choices and assess their degree of environmental, economic and social awareness. Cluster analysis was able to pick out two groups with significant statistical differences, i.e., 55.4% of the sample showed, through their consumption patterns, deeper environmental and social concerns. Specifically, when comparing food purchasing patterns, ethical choices, biodiversity and global warming were the most influential factors to discriminate the two clusters. Moreover, organic food consumption confirmed its status as an acknowledged way to reduce the environmental impact of the modern agrifood system for which respondents are willing to pay a higher price compared to conventional food. Nonetheless, the whole sample of respondents perceived organic food as expensive and not good for value.

Background: Assessing nutrition knowledge provides useful information especially if coupled with the self-perception of nutrition knowledge that could lead to bias and personal conviction. The objective of this study was to assess nutrition knowledge (NK) and its relationship with eating habits in a group of adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study with the administration of self-reported questionnaires was conducted on a sample of 591 parents (43 ± 5.82 years old) of primary school pupils recruited from the municipality of Rome (urban) and province (rural). The fieldwork was carried out in May 2017. An indicator to evaluate adherence to Italian dietary guidelines was developed. ANOVA (Welch's ANOVA in case of unequal variances) test and chi-squared test were used fixing the significance level at 5% ( p < 0.05). Results: The percentage of correct answers to nutrition knowledge was 46%, with the expert recommendation section having the highest percentage (59%). The majority of the respondents (66%) were confident that they had a high level of nutrition knowledge. In 37% of the sample, nutrition knowledge and self-perception nutrition knowledge levels were found to be associated. A total of 40% of the sample showed eating habits congruent with nutrition knowledge level. In the investigated sample, living in rural areas, being young, and having low school education level were factors associated with low nutrition literacy or/and unhealthy eating habits. Conclusions: This study provided a demonstration that an assessment based on a multidimensional and multilevel approach is helpful to identify knowledge gaps and to profile critical segments to put in place targeted policy interventions.

The eating patterns in a population can be estimated through dietary surveys in which open-ended assessment methods, such as diaries and interviews, or semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires are administered. A harmonized dietary survey methodology, together with a standardized operational procedure, in conducting the study is crucial to ensure the comparability of the results and the accuracy of information, thus reducing uncertainty and increasing the reliability of the results. Dietary patterns (i) include several target variables (foods, energy and nutrients, other food components), (ii) require several explanatory variables (age, gender, anthropometric measurements, socio-cultural and economic characteristics, lifestyle, preferences, attitudes, beliefs, organization of food-related activities, etc.), and (iii) have impacts in several domains: imbalance diets; acute and chronic exposures affect health, specifically non-communicable diseases; and then sanitary expenditure. On the other hand, food demand has impacts on the food system: production, distribution, and food services system; food wastes and other wastes generated by food-related activities of the households (e.g., packaging disposal) have consequences on the "health of the planet" which in turn can have effects on human health. Harmonization and standardization of measurement methods and procedures in such a complex context require an ad hoc structured information system made by databases (food nomenclatures, portion sizes, food atlas, recipes) and methodological tools (quantification methods, food coding systems, assessment of nutritional status, data processing to extrapolate what we consider validated dietary data). Establishing a community of professionals specialized in dietary data management could lead to build a surveillance system for monitoring eating habits in the short term, thus reducing costs, and to arrange a training re-training system. Creating and maintaining the dietary data managers community is challenging but possible. In this context, the cooperation between the CREA Research Centre for Food and Nutrition and the Italian National Health Institute (ISS) promoted and supported by the Italian Ministry of Health may represent a model of best practice that can ensure a continuous training for the professional community carrying out a nutritional study.

Sustainable food consumption (SFC) policies need further investigation into eating habits to improve interventions to encourage shifting to new consumption patterns respectful of human rights, environment and health. Reversing the usual approach focussed on sustainable consumer, the present study investigates how different eating patterns relate to eco-sustainable food. A cluster analysis was carried out on consumption frequencies of food groups recorded in an Italian national survey on 3004 respondents, providing four eating habit segments, further investigated as for sustainable food attitude and behaviour. Openness to eco-sustainable food is found mostly in the more balanced diet segment, accounting for about one third of the adult Italian population. Inaccessibility, non-affordability, unhealthy diet and a lack of information still negatively condition eating habits to the detriment of more sustainable consumption. These findings could support SFC stakeholders in targeting policies and strategies based on diversified approaches to enhance awareness of SFC issues.

The purpose of the current study, was to apply and validate the factor structure of the Health and Taste Attitude Scales in an Italian adult sample of 1224 subjects, recruited on a national basis in order to characterise consumers’ food-related attitudes with weak and strong connotations of health and taste. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to evaluate the factor structure of the three sub-scales of Health (General health interest, Light product interest, Natural product interest) and three sub-scales of Taste (Craving for sweet foods, Using foods as a reward, Pleasure). Results showed that the internal structure was similar to the theoretical proposal, with two exceptions for the Taste scale. The Pleasure sub-scale presented strong problematic loadings and consequently was removed from the model. The Craving for sweet foods sub-scale was split into two new underlying constructs describing attitudes towards craving for sweet food based on their own experience and attitudes towards other-people’s craving.The three Health sub-scales were used as a basis for the derivation of consumers clusters. Three groups of subjects with different interest in food-related health (Low, Medium, and High Interest) were identified. This segmentation confirmed an association between positive attitudes towards health and liking and familiarity with selected food groups. People more convenience-oriented and less interested in product information and food quality had higher probability to have a lower interest in food-related health. Subjects with higher positive attitudes towards using foods as a reward had a higher probability to belong to the cluster with lower interest in food-related health.

Objective The identification of determinants of dietary intake is an important prerequisite for the development of interventions to improve diet. The present systematic literature review aimed to compile the current knowledge on individual functional determinants of dietary intake in community-dwelling older adults. Design A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library. Titles, abstracts and full texts were screened according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies were included when focusing on dietary intake as an outcome and on chemosensory, oral, cognitive or physical function as a determinant. Setting Community. Subjects Older adults at least 65 years old without acute or specific chronic diseases. Results From initially 14 585 potentially relevant papers, thirty-six were included. For chemosensory, cognitive and physical function only a few papers were found, which reported inconsistent results regarding the relationship to dietary intake. In contrast, oral function was extensively studied ( n 31). Different surrogates of oral function like dental status, number of teeth, bite force or chewing problems were associated with food as well as nutrient intakes including fibre. As all except six studies had a cross-sectional design, no causal relationships could be derived. Conclusions Among functional determinants of dietary intake oral factors are well documented in older adults, whereas the role of other functional determinants remains unclear and needs further systematic research.

A large number of studies has demonstrated health benefits deriving from a high consumption of fruits and vegetables. It is therefore of great importance to understand consumers’ expectations about this kind of food as well as to explore the aspects that influence their interpretation of freshness. The objective of this research was to gain insight into consumers’ conceptualization of vegetables freshness, by analyzing the underlying variables that summarize various consumers’ beliefs and expectations on sensory and non-sensory attributes of vegetables. The study considered different stages in which consumers could interpret freshness of three vegetables (tomato, wild rocket, and spinach): at purchase and consumption, with none or some degree of processing and transformation between harvesting and final use. The overall category of ‘fruit and vegetables’ was included in order to examine beliefs towards freshness, without any reference to a specific product. According to the consumers’ opinions, sensory properties were confirmed as the most important indicators of freshness for all products. However, interesting cues relating to non-sensory components have come to light. Particularly, this study provided evidence that freshness is no longer an attribute commonly associated with raw products. Also minimally processed vegetables can be perceived as fresh, on condition that consumers can easily visually assess the integrity and color of the product inside. Frozen spinach is considered as fresh, as long as the whole leaves have been frozen soon after harvest. These findings may contribute to strategic marketing decisions by vegetables and packaging industries, and be important for policy makers in designing public health interventions.

Consumer testing in re-created purchase or consumption contexts may produce results with a higher external validity than laboratory testing and be a valid alternative to consumer testing in real-life contexts. Hence, the present study evaluates the utility of a novel immersive approach in sensory consumer testing. An immersive multisensory room was designed to reproduce consumption conditions close to real life, with large wall screen projections, audio and olfactory stimuli and furniture consistent with the video scenario. Overall liking and perceived freshness of two vegetable products (salad tomato and wild rocket) at different storage time were evaluated by a group of volunteers, regular consumers of the products. Evaluations were performed both in a immersive environment setting - the scenario was the dining room of a holiday farm overlooking a patio and the countryside - and in a traditional sensory lab setting, as a control. The magnitude of liking was higher when evaluations were performed in the immersive environment setting than in the traditional lab setting. However, the discrimination efficacy for freshness and liking of stored and un-stored vegetables was reduced in the immersive environment with respect to the control lab. Additional research, aimed at exploring other products and other consumption or purchase immersive scenarios, will further clarify whether these findings are product-dependent or determined by the contingent immersive situation.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify sustainability aspects that overlap with local and organic consumer profiles in order to provide evidence that can be used to promote both kinds of foods in a sustainable food consumption (SFC) integrated framework. Design/methodology/approach Discriminant analysis was applied to a national sample of 3,004 respondents in Italy to separately depict local and organic consumers' profiles based on personal values, eating habits, food purchase motivations, and involvement. Findings Organic consumption showed a lower penetration compared to local consumption. However, organic consumers adhered to more sustainable consumption principles. Adopting healthy diets and sharing self-transcendence values emerged as common traits of both consumers. Regular consumption made both consumers' profiles look similar by sharing more sustainability-related traits. Research limitations/implications Only two out of the different types of foods promoted as sustainable were considered. Further insights could be made regarding fair trade foods and food promoted by voluntary sustainability standards. Practical implications The overlapping motivations of the two consumer profiles provided evidence of the potential efficacy of joint promotion in favour of sustainability and demonstrated that a synergic approach among food systems could foster more sustainable consumption. Originality/value This study identified common sustainability motivations among different consumer groups, based on sustainable food categories, adopting a holistic vision of SFC.

Italy, one of the most involved countries in organic farming, represents a European case in the Mediterranean area concerning the sustainable food market, mainly based on organic food. The aim of this study is to investigate the theory of planned behaviour extended to past behaviour with particular attention to social pressure, in the context of sustainable food products across Italy. Data were collected on a regional basis and across different age classes and analyzed using structural equation modelling for a representative sample of approximately 3000 self-reporting respondents who account for a remarkable percentage (69%) of sustainable food products purchasing. The strongest intention to buy these products was found in Northern and Central Italy while the South and the Insular macro-regions exhibited the highest perceived purchasing barriers. The complexity of social pressure in predicting the intention to buy highlighted a clear and significant role of the Italian family in making sustainable food choices. However, the other social referent others, such as important people, friends, society, differentiated their contribution to these choices at territorial level. An exception to this latter trend was found for the society concept that completely failed its support as subjective norm predictor of intention. This may possibly be due to the fact that no sustainable food market policy is univocally identified in Italy, not even with legal certification unless it regards the organic sector. Nevertheless, past rewarding purchasing experience seemed to be the most effective motivation for buying sustainable food products in Italy. In conclusion, efforts both from the supply chain and political side should be made mainly in terms of rewarding purchasing experience and legal certification on sustainable food products.

World Health Organization estimates that obesity accounts for 2-8% of health care costs in different parts of Europe, and highlights a key role for national policymaking in curbing the epidemic. A variety of healthy-eating policy instruments are available, ranging from more paternalistic policies to those less intrusive. Our aim is to measure and explain the level of public support for different types of healthy eating policy in Europe, based on data from a probabilistic sample of 3003 respondents in five European countries. We find that the main drivers of policy support are attitudinal factors, especially attribution of obesity to excessive availability of unhealthy foods, while socio-demographic characteristics and political preferences have little explanatory power. A high level of support for healthy eating policy does not translate into acceptance of higher taxes to fund them, however.

The biological differences between males and females are determined by a different set of genes and by a different reactivity to environmental stimuli, including the diet, in general. These differences are further emphasized and driven by the exposure to a different hormone flux throughout the life.These differences have not been taken into appropriate consideration by the scientific community. Nutritional sciences are not immune from this "bias" and when nutritional needs are concerned, females are considered only when pregnant, lactating or when their hormonal profile is returning back to "normal," i.e., to the male-like profile.The authors highlight some of the most evident differences in aspects of biology that are associated with nutrition.This review presents and describes available data addressing differences and similarities of the "reference man" vs. the "reference woman" in term of metabolic activity and nutritional needs. According to this assumption, available evidences of sex-associated differences of specific biochemical pathways involved in substrate metabolism are reported and discussed. The modulation by sexual hormones affecting glucose, amino acid and protein metabolism and the metabolization of nutritional fats and the distribution of fat depots, is considered targeting a tentative starting up background for a gender concerned nutritional science.

This study attempts to explain how the motivational domains of Schwartz’s theory of basic human values influence Italian consumers’ attitude towards buying eco-sustainable food products and the extent to which the average monthly amount of money available in households for grocery expenditure may modify this influence. A conceptual model of attitude with the high-order dimensions of the Schwartz’s taxonomy of human values and past experience as predictors has been hypothesized and performed on a representative sample (i.e., on regional basis and age categories) of Italian food consumers (n = 2760). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used as the methodology. Italian consumers’ households with an average monthly amount of less than 400 Euros for grocery expenditures showed universal values and self-enhancement motivations in supporting their positive attitude towards eco-sustainable food products, but with a significant reduction of their openness to change and conservation in disfavor of these products. Consumers with more than 400 Euros showed attenuated universal and conservation values, but with less openness to change and self-enhancement motives. In conclusion, it has seemed that in Italy, where no legal requirements about sustainability have been established yet, being an ethical and universal food consumer still strongly depends on how much money one is able to spend rather than on how ethical or universal one wants to be. Keywords: Attitude towards Behavior, Eco-sustainable Foods, High-order Factors, Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Human Values, Structural Equation Modeling To cite this document: Marco Vassallo and Anna Saba, "Does Money for Grocery Expenditure Sway Italian Consumers’ Motivational Values in Predicting Attitude towards Eco-Sustainable Food Products?", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.11, No.1, pp.3-24, 2015. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.13840

Background: The relation between the increased out-of-home food consumption and the rising of overweight and obesity prevalence rates has been widely assessed, and the a key role played by the catering sector in ensuring healthy food choices has been recognised. Governments’ healthy eating policies have a wide range of action, influencing consumer behavior, and the socioeconomic and food environments, with specific actions for the catering sector. Information on the public support for these policies could help policy makers in planning decisions. This study aims to investigate the relationship of out-of-home eating frequency with beliefs about obesity causes, support to healthy eating policies, and with socio-demographic factors. Methods: Data on 3003 individuals from Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Poland and United Kingdom, of both sexes, aged ≥16 years, were employed, from the European survey on policy preferences (Eatwell). Data were analysed through Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: Out-of-home eating varied with gender, age, marital status, education, BMI, and by country. Convenience food consumption was positively associated with obesity attribution to genetics, and inversely associated with attribution to lack of willpower. Attributions of obesity to lack of time, and to lack of self-control were associated with increased likelihood to consume fast-food and ready-prepared food respectively. Out-of-home eating people expressed higher support for information-based prevention, and actions aimed at healthier out-of-home eating, and lower support for restrictions and regulations of the food supply environment. Conclusion: Future research on out-of-home food consumers and their support towards public interventions for the catering sector, could have important implications for effective strategies to promote healthy eating.