Eliciting Egg Consumer Preferences for Organic Labels and Omega 3 Claims in Italy and Hungary

Rare earths and other elements content in hen eggs sold in Italy: comparison among main types of farming methods and consumer's health risk assessment

Recently, in Italy, consumers are choosing hen eggs from farming systems with higher ethical value, due to their perception of a related higher quality and safety. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the existence of differences in elemental content in Italian eggs from organic, barn, and caged hen farming methods and to determine the related potential consumer exposure risk to inorganic contaminants due to the consumption of eggs. One hundred seventy-six egg samples were collected and analyzed using Q-ICP-MS to investigate the content of 14 elements (Pb, As, Hg, Cd, Tl, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Se, Co, Ni, V, and Cr) and 13 rare earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb). The scenarios of exposure to rare earth and other elements from eggs were estimated for three age groups of consumers. The daily intake values were always lower than the respective safety reference values. In conclusion, Italian hen eggs contain low levels of rare earth and other elements, and therefore, their consumption does not represent a risk of exposure. Finally, no significant differences in contaminants between conventional and organic farming methods were found.

Uncovering changes in microbiome profiles across commercial and backyard poultry farming systems

The microbiome profiles of poultry production systems significantly impact bird health, welfare, and the environment. This study investigated the influence of broiler-rearing systems on the microbiome composition of commercial and backyard chicken farms and their environment over time. Understanding these effects is vital for optimizing animal growth, enhancing welfare, and addressing human and environmental health implications. We collected and analyzed various samples from commercial and backyard farms, revealing significant differences in microbial diversity measurements between the two systems. Backyard farms exhibited higher alpha diversity measurements in soil and water samples, while commercial farms showed higher values for litter and feeder samples. The differences in microbial diversity were also reflected in the relative abundance of various microbial taxa. In backyard farms, Proteobacteria levels increased over time, while Firmicutes levels decreased. Campilobacterota, including the major poultry foodborne pathogen Campylobacter, increased over time in commercial farm environments. Furthermore, Bacteroides, associated with improved growth performance in chickens, were more abundant in backyard farms. Conversely, pathogenic Acinetobacter was significantly higher in backyard chicken fecal and feeder swab samples. The presence of Brevibacterium and Brachybacterium, associated with low-performing broiler flocks, was significantly higher in commercial farm samples. The observed differences in microbial composition and diversity suggest that farm management practices and environmental conditions significantly affect poultry health and welfare and have potential implications for human and environmental health. Understanding these relationships can inform targeted interventions to optimize poultry production, improve animal welfare, and mitigate foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance risks. IMPORTANCE The microbiome of poultry production systems has garnered significant attention due to its implications on bird health, welfare, and overall performance. The present study investigates the impact of different broiler-rearing systems, namely, commercial (conventional) and backyard (non-conventional), on the microbiome profiles of chickens and their environment over time. Understanding the influence of these systems on microbiome composition is a critical aspect of the One-Health concept, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of animal, human, and environmental health. Our findings demonstrate that the type of broiler production system significantly affects both the birds and their environment, with distinct microbial communities associated with each system. This study reveals the presence of specific microbial taxa that differ in abundance between commercial and backyard poultry farms, providing valuable insights into the management practices that may alter the microbiome in these settings. Furthermore, the dynamic changes in microbial composition over time observed in our study highlight the complex interplay between the poultry gut microbiome, environmental factors, and production systems. By identifying the key microbial players and their fluctuations in commercial and backyard broiler production systems, this research offers a foundation for developing targeted strategies to optimize bird health and welfare while minimizing the potential risks to human and environmental health. The results contribute to a growing body of knowledge in the field of poultry microbiome research and have the potential to guide future improvements in poultry production practices that promote a sustainable and healthy balance between the birds, their environment, and the microbial communities they host.

Consumer preference and willingness to pay for low-residue vegetables: Evidence from discrete choice experiments in China

Introduction

This study aims to investigate consumers' cognition, preference and willingness to pay (WTP) for celery with low pesticide residues, and to provide evidence from a consumer perspective for government food safety regulation.

Method

A survey was conducted on the population over the age of 18 in 6 provinces of Shanghai, Guangdong, Sichuan, Hunan, Hebei and Heilongjiang in China, in order to improve the representativeness of sample. The study carried out a survey of respondents' cognitive attitudes towards low-residue vegetables, and applied a discrete choice model (DCE) to simulate different scenarios of consumers buying vegetables. The DCE included residue level, appearance, taste, and price and finally constructed 24 choice sets. Respondents' preference for low-residue celery and WTP were analyzed using a mixed logit model.

Result

A total of 1292 respondents were surveyed. The model results showed that consumers had the highest positive preference for pesticide-free celery. For the Chinese consumers, price was the most important attribute, followed by the residue level, taste, and appearance. Consumer WTP for pesticide-free celery was11.17CNY/500g. Factors affecting consumer preferences were age, gender, income, education, whether they had children, or paid attention to pesticide residue in vegetables, and related reports of pesticide residue exceed the standard in vegetables.

Conclusion

Our study is more finely divided at the residue level, and the findings provide useful information for producers and policy makers.

Does Supplementary Information Add Value to Functional Food? Evidence from a Choice Experiment in China

Establishing an effective choice architecture system enables people to improve their ability to make better food choices and encourage transformation of the food system into one that is more efficient, healthy, and sustainable. However, affecting consumer preferences by improving information supply is still a crucial issue that has not been comprehensively explored in China and many developing countries. This study aimed to identify the most effective information treatment method for increasing the likelihood of purchase and willingness to pay (WTP) for nutritionally enhanced eggs. A survey with five information treatments and a choice experiment was completed by a random sample of 2379 Chinese consumers, and the mixed logit model was subsequently applied to interpret the results. It was found that when nutritional information (NI), health benefit information (HBI), and/or market status quo information (MSQ) was presented to consumers, their utility increased. Different schemes had different effects on participants' WTP. The HBI from scientific research institution, provided in the form of leaflets, has the most significant effect on improving WTP, increasing the WTP of consumers by 31.65%. WTP for functional eggs increased similarly in response to NI and MSQ information. However, adding NI to HBI did not significantly increase the value of functional eggs, especially when the information was presented to the interviewees in the form of short videos. This research broadens the present knowledge and application of an information communication strategy by suggesting that the combination of information content, carriers, source influence consumer preference and WTP for nutritionally enhanced eggs. The results have implications for the communication practices of food enterprises to optimize their marketing strategies and improve product innovation to add more value to the functional food.

Chinese Consumers' Heterogeneous Preferences for the Front-of-Package Labeling on Fresh Pork: A Choice Experiment Approach

Excessive average daily pork intake of Chinese residents increases the risk of obesity and related chronic diseases. Understanding consumers’ preference for the Front-of-Package (FOP) labeling on fresh pork is of practical significance for designing an FOP labeling scheme that meets market demand and effectively guides moderate pork consumption. This study used the conditional logit model to reveal the stated preferences of 930 nationally representative respondents in China for FOP labeling attributes elicited by a choice experiment approach. The results indicated that respondents preferred the nutritional information to be printed in Chinese characters, the label size to be a quarter of the front package surface, the label color to be green, and the label price to account for 10% of the retail price of 500 g standard fresh pork. Moreover, these preferences were heterogeneous across the sample population due to respondents’ different levels of education and trust in labeling. People with primary and junior high school education preferred nutritional information in Chinese characters, while those with junior high education and above preferred green labeling. The higher the respondents’ trust in the labeling, the stronger their willingness to accept the appropriate FOP labeling price. Information campaigns and educational programs can be used to increase the acceptance of FOP labelling, particularly among consumers with low education levels and distrust of FOP labeling.

Consumer Behaviour and Attitude towards the Purchase of Organic Products in Riobamba, Ecuador

The development of organic agriculture has been promoted worldwide to improve the nutritional health of families, and Ecuador is no exception. The aim of this research was to identify the behaviour and attitudes of consumers toward the commercialization of organic products in the city of Riobamba. This will help us to understand in what situations the consumers access these foods, the producer position in relation to the market, and to know their attitude towards these products. The study used a quantitative approach, and is descriptive, incorporating the deductive method and a non-experimental design. The techniques used were a survey as a source of data collection, with a sample including 195 consumers. Linear regression was applied to test the hypotheses; this made it possible to identify those demographic and cultural factors that determine, to a lesser extent, consumer purchase behaviour in regard to organic products. The study determined that motivation, emotions, and feelings are significantly related to the consumer’s attitude and purchase of organic products.

Consumer Preferences for Cheese Products with Quality Labels: The Case of Parmigiano Reggiano and Comté

The paper examined the potential demand for a food specialty dairy product, cheese, with alternative multiple labels. A random-parameter logit model was applied to interpret the results of online discrete choice experiments (DCE) for the elicitation of the preference of the cheese consumers surveyed in two European countries, France (n = 400) and Italy (n = 408). We analyzed consumers’ choices of quality-labeled cheeses, i.e., protected-designation-of-origin (PDO)-labeled Parmigiano Reggiano and Comté. Other features were tested, such as organic (Comté) and Mountain Product (Parmigiano Reggiano) labels, companies’ brands and price. The paper contributes to the literature on credence attributes by examining consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for differentiated cheese products in two EU countries, and by identifying the effects of personal characteristics, in terms of socio-demographics and level of product involvement, on the differences in preferences. The results show that price was the most important attribute in both countries, followed by the PDO quality label, particularly when paired with the second quality feature. Two cheese consumer segments were identified via latent class models in each country, helping producers to improve their marketing of agri-food products with a high gastronomic value and differentiation potential.

Consumer Preference for Nutritionally Fortified Eggs and Impact of Health Benefit Information

The potential contribution of nutritionally fortified foods to the improvement of public health has been recognized internationally; however, the extent of people’s preferences for functional foods and the influence of information intervention on consumers’ acceptance and selection of nutritious foods have not been comprehensively studied in China. The main purposes of this study are to assess Chinese consumers’ perceptions towards nutritionally fortified eggs and to explore the ways in which information about the health benefits and the international market status quo of functional eggs impacts Chinese consumers’ preferences and their willingness to pay (WTP) for nutritional fortification. Discrete choice experiments were used to elicit the preferences of 740 egg consumers from four cities in China, and a mixed logit model subsequently utilized to interpret the results. It was found that the provision of comprehensive information regarding the health benefits of trace elements and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as insight into the current market status quo, significantly improved participants’ preferences and their WTP for functional eggs. Furthermore, the heterogeneous effects of demographic and sociocultural factors on consumers’ treatment of this information were explored. It was found that the study participants with children and those with prior purchase experience exhibited a relatively stronger response to the information, while those who had expressed trust in the human health benefits of the nutritional content of functional eggs were not as sensitive as expected to the additional information. Therefore, if the government and enterprises design appropriate information treatment and nudging methods according to the current consumption characteristics of nutritionally fortified eggs, this will help to improve consumers’ purchase confidence in the health efficacy of functional food and play a positive role in promoting people’s healthy food consumption.

Consumer Trust in Food and the Food System: A Critical Review

Increased focus towards food safety and quality is reshaping food purchasing decisions around the world. Although some food attributes are visible, many of the attributes that consumers seek and are willing to pay a price premium for are not. Consequently, consumers rely on trusted cues and information to help them verify the food quality and credence attributes they seek. In this study, we synthesise the findings from previous research to generate a framework illustrating the key trust influencing factors that are beyond visual and brand-related cues. Our framework identifies that consumer trust in food and the food system is established through the assurances related to individual food products and the actors of the food system. Specifically, product assurance builds consumer trust through food packaging labels communicating food attribute claims, certifications, country or region of origin, and food traceability information. In addition, producers, processors, and retailers provide consumers with food safety and quality assurances, while government agencies, third-party institutions, advocacy groups, and the mass media may modify how labelling information and food operators are perceived by consumers. We hope our framework will guide future research efforts to test these trust factors in various consumer and market settings.

Food Innovation Adoption and Organic Food Consumerism-A Cross National Study between Malaysia and Hungary

In order to meet the rising global demand for food and to ensure food security in line with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal 2, technological advances have been introduced in the food production industry. The organic food industry has benefitted from advances in food technology and innovation. However, there remains skepticism regarding organic foods on the part of consumers, specifically on consumers' acceptance of food innovation technologies used in the production of organic foods. This study measured factors that influence consumers' food innovation adoption and subsequently their intention to purchase organic foods. We compared the organic foods purchase behavior of Malaysian and Hungarian consumers to examine differences between Asian and European consumers. The findings show food innovation adoption as the most crucial predictor for the intention to purchase organic foods in Hungary, while social lifestyle factor was the most influential in Malaysia. Other factors such as environmental concerns and health consciousness were also examined in relation to food innovation adoption and organic food consumerism. This paper discusses differences between European and Asian organic foods consumers and provides recommendations for stakeholders.

The enrichment of eggs with docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid through supplementation of the laying hen diet

The enrichment and transformation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) enriched phospholipids for eggs deserve attention. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the comparative effects of DHA and EPA enriched phospholipids and triacylglycerols on egg fortification by determining the fatty acid composition of egg yolk after intervention with fish oil (15 g/kg) and krill oil (15 and 30 g/kg) for three consecutive weeks. The results indicated that laying hens could incorporate over 300 mg DHA and EPA into one egg. Greater retention efficiency of DHA and EPA in eggs was observed in fish oil supplementation compared with krill oil at equivalent dietary levels. DHA and EPA were prone to locate at the sn-2 position of phosphatidylcholine. Consequently, fish oil possessed high DHA content and conversion rate, and krill oil could raise the proportion of DHA-containing phospholipids in eggs.

Promoting the Absence of Pesticides through Product Labels: The Role of Showing a Specific Description of the Harmful Effects, Environmental Attitude, and Familiarity with Pesticides

Few studies have analyzed the mechanisms of how environmental labels influence consumers’ perception and consequent behavior. The present study puts forth specific questions of how pesticide-free products should be promoted through product labels. Data were collected via controlled experimentation. The results demonstrate that pesticide-free labels with specific information on the harmful effects of pesticides have a more positive impact on perceived value and purchase intention relative to pesticide-free labels with a general description of the harmful effects of pesticides. The results also show that the positive effects of promoting the absence of pesticides through product labels on perceived quality, perceived value, and purchase intention are stronger among individuals who are high in environmental attitude and familiarity with pesticides. Policymakers, producers, and retailers could use these findings for better decision-making.

Sustainability and Quality Aspects of Different Table Egg Production Systems: A Literature Review

Eggs are of considerable importance in feeding the population, as they are a relatively inexpensive and complex food source of very high biological value. The daily animal protein requirement for the human body can be covered with eggs in the cheapest way and with the lowest environmental impact. As animal welfare, as well as environmental and health awareness issues, become increasingly prominent in developed countries, consumer demand for eggs has also changed significantly in recent years, with an increasing number of consumers buying eggs produced in non-cage housing systems. In recent years, cage housing has been more frequently debated in EU member states. An initiative was launched in 2018 to end cage housing technologies and the sale of eggs produced in this way. However, in addition to animal welfare, a number of other factors need to be considered in relation to sustainable production. For this reason, the aim of this research is to provide a comprehensive overview of the sustainability issues of various housing technologies, as well as quality factors affecting consumer health and egg consumption based on the relevant international references and databases. Although there is a growing demand for products produced in non-cage housing systems due to the increasing relevance of environmental protection, health awareness and animal welfare issues in Western societies, research has shown that non-caged production is not the best solution for environmentally, socially and economically sustainable egg production.