Food Fraud Conceptualization: An Exploratory Study with Portuguese Consumers

Food 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.

Advances in Viticulture, Enology and Vitivinicultural Economy: Ciência e Técnica Vitivinícola 2020

Research insights arising from the sciences of Viticulture, Enology and Vitivinicultural Economy are crucial for responding to an everincreasing set of challenges - such as climate change, environmental issues and a global and more competitive market - faced by the players in the vitivinicultural sector. In this context, the scientific journals play a key role in spreading the knowledge acquired worldwide and contributing to the generation of new ideas and new research lines. The Ciência e Técnica Vitivinícola is one of the oldest and few scientific journals specifically devoted to these three branches of science. In 2020, twelve articles from several international research teams were published, covering a wide range of current topics, including: sustainability of viticulture and winemaking; modelling of climate impact on wine production; control of pests and diseases; management and adaptability of grapevine varieties; quality and differentiation of wine based on minority grapevine varieties, native yeasts from grapevine and winemaking technologies; wine authenticity and traceability; botrytized wines; human resource management in small wine companies.