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Highlights • Fruits, cookies and candy were more frequently provided snacks. • Healthiness and child preference were major considerations. • Higher educated mothers revealed more health-conscious behavior. • Mothers of first children revealed more health-conscious behavior. • Lower educated mothers revealed to more often justify their (unhealthy) snack choice. Abstract The increasing intake of energy dense snacks by children is one of the factors contributing to childhood overweight. Mothers are mainly responsible for the foods their young children consume. Therefore, this study aims to describe snack choices and the related considerations of mothers with young children in the home environment. The possibility that snack choices and considerations are related to maternal education, childbirth order, and age groups of the children was also investigated. A food and motivation diary study with 136 Dutch mothers of young children aged 2–7 years was conducted for 13 days. Mothers reported every snack they gave to their child. Fruits, cookies and candy were the most frequently provided snacks; healthiness of the snack and child preference were the most used considerations. Considerations were grouped in six overall categories: health-related, influence of the child, habit-related, strategies, external influence and other considerations. Higher educated mothers and mothers of first children showed more health-conscious behavior. Lower educated mothers more often justified their (unhealthy) snack choice. Next to insight into the number and type of snacks provided, the empirical findings in this study provide new understanding of the considerations of mothers while providing a snack to their young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• All mothers reported health as a consideration in snack providing to their children. • Three types of mothers were defined according to their healthiness perception. • "Product mothers" related healthiness of a snack to the intrinsic product properties. • "Balancing mothers" related healthiness of a snack to the overall diet. • The "not that important mothers" thought healthiness of a snack is not that relevant. Healthiness is an often-reported consideration related to the snack choice of mothers for their children. Mothers' perceived healthiness of a certain snack could be diverse and different compared to the actual nutritional healthiness of that specific snack. Diary studies and in-depth interviews with 22 Dutch mothers were conducted. During the interviews, four different types of cookies were presented and discussed. Data from the diaries and the interviews were transcribed, coded and grouped and presented in tables. All mothers mentioned health as a consideration while providing snacks both in the interviews and in the diaries. For more than two-thirds of the mothers, health was the most important consideration. Three types of mothers were defined according to healthiness perception: "product mothers", who related the healthiness of a snack to the intrinsic product properties, the "balancing mothers" who related the healthiness of the snack to the whole diet and the context, and the "not that important mothers", for whom the healthiness of a snack was not that relevant because the healthy foods were already eaten during the main meals. The results of this study could be used for efficient communication to help mothers meet children's dietary requirements and they could be relevant for the design of new snack products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A snack needs to be liked by the child, otherwise Italian mothers do not provide it. • North Italian mothers seem to be more health-conscious. • South Italian mothers relate healthiness of snacks to giving energy. • The brand is more important for mothers in the South of Italy. • Mothers in the North of Italy experience more value conflicts, all health-related. This study describes differences in considerations and value conflicts between mothers living in the North and the South of Italy during snack provision to their 2–7 years old children. Semi-structured interviews with 20 mothers living in the North and 20 mothers living in the South of Italy were conducted. Participants matched on educational level and weight status. Mothers' considerations in snack provision were grouped into four key themes: health-related, child-related, time-related, and product-related. North Italian mothers showed more health-related considerations while providing a snack compared to mothers living in the South. In case mothers from the South mentioned healthiness as a consideration, it was often related to giving energy. The child-related key theme revealed that a snack needs to be liked by the child, otherwise Italian mothers do not provide it. For the time-related key theme, differences were small between North and South Italian mothers. The product-related key theme showed the brand to be more important for South Italian mothers. Mothers from the North of Italy experienced more value conflicts, all related to health. The current studied showed that even within the same country, geographical differences in mothers' considerations and value conflicts for providing snacks exist. This implies that snack choice, considerations and values seem to be influenced by tradition and family culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Internal and external preference analysis emphasise fundamentally different perspectives on the same data. We extend the literature on comparisons between internal and external preference analysis by incorporating the perspective of the end user of the preference analysis results. From a conceptual analysis of the methodological similarities and differences between these two techniques, we develop and implement a framework for end-user evaluation of preference analysis output in terms of perceived actionability for food technology, marketing and creative purposes as well as comprehensibility and perceived appropriateness at the marketing–R&D interface. Overall, this exploratory study suggests that end-users find information from external analysis more actionable for food technological tasks. Internal preference analysis holds a clear advantage on marketing actionability and new product creativity. No preference technique holds a clear advantage on marketing–R&D interface appropriateness and comprehensibility. Rather than recommending applying both techniques, we suggest several ways forward in better exploiting the synergy between these two approaches. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Incorporating the `voice of the consumer'' in early stages of the new product development process has been identified as a critical success factor for new product development. Yet, this step is often ignored or poorly executed. This may be due to lack of familiarity on which methods are available, the use of disciplinary terminology, and difficulty in accessibility of papers on this subject. This paper reviews and categorises 10 of the most common methods in this area, in terms of what their key features are, and what strengths, weaknesses and appropriateness are. We develop a classification scheme based on three performance dimensions with specific criteria: (1) stimuli used as cue for need elicitation, (2) task format, and (3) need actionability. We provide guidelines for the appropriateness of these methods in the new product development process based on the newness strategy of the development process (radical versus incremental innovation) and identify which functional department (marketing versus R&D) the method should primarily support. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Empirical study on consumer data use in product development in European food firms. • Three consumer data types: consumer involvement, food trends, environmental factors. • More than 85% of respondents use all three data types in new product development. • Respondents much rarely use consumer data in the product life-cycle. • Data collection methods do not optimally support development of truly new products. New food products have a high chance of market failure. To improve the chances of new product success, a consumer-oriented approach to product development has been recommended. The approach emphasizes the importance of an optimal fit between consumers' needs and the new product. To achieve this goal, food professionals generate and use various consumer data types and methods. However, very few studies address the extent to which the food industry uses consumer data in product development. This study investigated to what extent European food firms use various consumer data in different phases, i.e., new product development (NPD) and the product life cycle (PLC), and what data collection methods they employ. The current study classified consumer data into three types: consumer involvement, food trend, and environmental factor data. The results showed that more than 85% of the respondents use all three data types in NPD, while they rarely use consumer data in the PLC. Respondents most frequently use data collection methods such as focus groups, consumer surveys, and indirect data collection (e.g., internet, magazines). These methods are less effective in assuring product success and in developing new-to-the-world products. In fact, more than half of the respondents never or rarely worked on new-to-the-world projects. Increasing the use of consumer data in the PLC and adapting data collection methods to the type of the project and the phase of product development present opportunities for food firms to improve chances of new product success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the appropriateness, attractiveness, use-intention and (un)desirable sensory properties of meat substitutes in different dishes based only on visual information. A web-based survey was developed to let consumers assess the use of meat substitutes in different dishes. The survey consisted of 38 key questions with subdivisions and was completed by 251 respondents. Six different dishes (spaghetti, rice, wrap, pizza, pasta salad, and soup) were rated for their appropriateness for the use of meat substitutes. Subsequently, appropriateness, attractiveness, and use-intention were rated based on photographs of the six dishes prepared with meat substitutes that differed in shape and appearance. Respondents also had to indicate (un)desirable sensory properties of meat substitutes for every dish. Spaghetti, rice and wrap were more appropriate for the use of meat substitutes than the other dishes. The most appropriate meat substitute–meal combinations were those that are similar to common Dutch meal combinations (e.g. spaghetti with mince and rice with pieces). Attractiveness and intention scores were in line with the appropriateness scores. Furthermore, we found that current users of meat substitutes and younger respondents gave higher appropriateness ratings. This study demonstrates that appropriateness of meat substitutes in a dish is related to attractiveness and use-intention and that meal context should be taken into account in the development of new meat substitutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A higher eating rate leads to a higher food intake, possibly through shorter orosensory exposure to food. The transit time in the oral cavity and the number of bites or sips per gram (inversely related to bite or sip size) are main contributors that affect eating rate. The separate role of these two aspects on satiation and on orosensory exposure needs further clarification. Objective The objective of the first study was to investigate contributions of the number of sips per gram (sips/g) and oral transit time per gram (s/g) on ad libitum intake. The objective of the second study was to investigate both aspects on the total magnitude of orosensory exposure per gram food. Methods In study 1, 56 healthy male subjects consumed soup where the number of sips and oral transit time differed by a factor three respectively: 6.7 vs. 20 sips/100 g, and 20 vs. 60 s/100 g (2 × 2 cross-over design). Eating rate of 60 g/min was kept constant. In study 2, the effects of number of sips and oral transit time (equal as in study 1) on the total magnitude of orosensory exposure per gram soup were measured by time intensity functions by 22 different healthy subjects. Results Higher number of sips and longer oral transit time reduced ad libitum intake by respectively ∼22% ( F (1, 157) = 55.9, P < 0.001) and ∼8% ( F (1, 157) = 7.4, P = 0.007). Higher number of sips led to faster increase in fullness per gram food ( F (1, 157) = 24.1, P < 0.001) (study 1). Higher number of sips and longer oral transit time both increased the orosensory exposure per gram food ( F (1, 63) = 23.8, P < 0.001) and ( F (1, 63) = 19.0, P < 0.001), respectively (study 2). Conclusion Higher number of sips and longer oral transit time reduced food intake, possibly through the increased the orosensory exposure per gram food. Designing foods that will be consumed with small sips or bites and long oral transit time may be effective in reducing energy intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A higher eating rate leads to a higher food intake, possibly through shorter orosensory exposure to food. The transit time in the oral cavity and the number of bites or sips per gram (inversely related to bite or sip size) are main contributors that affect eating rate. The separate role of these two aspects on satiation and on orosensory exposure needs further clarification. Objective The objective of the first study was to investigate contributions of the number of sips per gram (sips/g) and oral transit time per gram (s/g) on ad libitum intake. The objective of the second study was to investigate both aspects on the total magnitude of orosensory exposure per gram food. Methods In study 1, 56 healthy male subjects consumed soup where the number of sips and oral transit time differed by a factor three respectively: 6.7 vs. 20 sips/100 g, and 20 vs. 60 s/100 g (2 × 2 cross-over design). Eating rate of 60 g/min was kept constant. In study 2, the effects of number of sips and oral transit time (equal as in study 1) on the total magnitude of orosensory exposure per gram soup were measured by time intensity functions by 22 different healthy subjects. Results Higher number of sips and longer oral transit time reduced ad libitum intake by respectively ∼22% ( F (1, 157) = 55.9, P < 0.001) and ∼8% ( F (1, 157) = 7.4, P = 0.007). Higher number of sips led to faster increase in fullness per gram food ( F (1, 157) = 24.1, P < 0.001) (study 1). Higher number of sips and longer oral transit time both increased the orosensory exposure per gram food ( F (1, 63) = 23.8, P < 0.001) and ( F (1, 63) = 19.0, P < 0.001), respectively (study 2). Conclusion Higher number of sips and longer oral transit time reduced food intake, possibly through the increased the orosensory exposure per gram food. Designing foods that will be consumed with small sips or bites and long oral transit time may be effective in reducing energy intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The overall aim of this study was to explore long-term consumer acceptance of new environmentally sustainable alternatives to meat. We investigated whether meat substitutes, which are relatively new food products, would be better appreciated after repeated consumption. Eighty-nine non-vegetarian participants joined an in-home use test and consumed one type of product with their self-selected hot meal for 20 times during 10weeks: Quorn (meat-like), tofu (not meat-like) or a meat reference (chicken filet). Initial liking (100-mm line scale) for chicken was higher (81±19) than for Quorn (60±28) and tofu (68±21). On a product group level, boredom occurred with all three products and after 20 exposures there were no significant differences in product liking anymore. However, there were noticeably different individual responses within the three product groups, showing both ‘boredom’ and ‘mere exposure’ patterns. Mere exposure occurred significantly more frequent with tofu, with more than half of the participants showing an increased liking over time. We also found that meal patterns were related to boredom: bored persons used more different types of meals, probably to alleviate product boredom. This study demonstrates that liking of meat substitutes can be increased by repeated exposure for a segment of consumers. In addition, it indicates that the meal context should be considered in future in-home repeated exposure studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: New meat substitutes need to be recognized as alternatives to meat. We therefore investigated which category representations consumers have of meat and meat substitutes. Thirty-four non-vegetarian participants performed a free sorting task with 17 meat products and 19 commercially available meat substitutes, followed by similarity and typicality ratings. Results indicated that categorization was largely influenced by the taxonomic classification of meat, so by categories that refer to the animal source like ‘pork’, ‘beef’ etc. Hence, meat substitutes were grouped separately from non-processed meat products. However, there were categories (e.g. ‘pieces’ and ‘sausages’) that contained both meat substitutes and processed meat products, as these products were perceived to be very similar. New meat substitutes should have a certain resemblance to meat in order to replace meat on the plate. This can be achieved by either similarity in appearance or by referring to shared scripts/goals, such as a similar application in meals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The replacement of meat by meat substitutes could help to reduce the environmental burden of our food production systems. However, the acceptance of most meat substitutes is still low. This study investigated the role of meal context on the acceptance of meat substitutes. In a central location test involving 93 participants, meals with meat substitutes were rated on overall liking, product liking (liking of the meat substitute in the meal), appropriateness and intention-to-use, whereas individual meat substitutes were rated on overall liking. Meat substitutes with similar flavor and texture, but with different shape (pieces and mince), were rated differently in four meals (rice, spaghetti, soup, and salad) on product liking, appropriateness and intention-to-use, but not differently on overall liking of the meals. Meat substitutes with similar shape, but different flavor and texture rated differently on overall liking when tasted separately, but did not always differ in product liking when tasted in a rice meal. Appropriateness seemed to be influenced by the appearance of the meat substitute-meal combination, and less by flavor and texture. For the development of new foods (e.g. meat substitutes), more emphasis is needed on consumer evaluation of meal combinations instead of on the sensory properties of the individual product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Situational appropriateness of meat, meat substitutes and meat alternatives was studied. • Item-by-use appropriateness surveys were conducted in 2004 and 2019. • Meat substitutes were overall less appropriate than meat or meat alternatives. • Meat substitute consumption could predict situational appropriateness in 2019. The development of meat substitutes could contribute to a more sustainable food production system. Although the consumption of meat substitutes in the Netherlands has grown over the last decades, meat consumption stayed roughly the same. This led to the question of whether meat substitutes fit in the same usage situations as meat products do. Perceived situational appropriateness of meat, meat substitutes and other meat alternatives in different usage situations was studied using an item-by-use appropriateness survey. Products were presented via photographs and for each combination of product and situation, the appropriateness was rated on a 7-point scale. Personal information included the consumption of meat and meat substitutes and Food Neophobia. An exploratory survey was conducted in 2004 and an online survey in 2019. Overall, meat products were perceived as more appropriate than their vegetarian equivalents (e.g. hamburger vs. vegetarian hamburger) in almost all situations. Meat alternatives (chickpeas, nuts) scored generally higher than meat substitutes on situational appropriateness. Age and gender affected appropriateness ratings: women and younger respondents gave higher ratings to meat substitutes and meat alternatives. Food Neophobia showed a small effect. Meat substitute consumption frequency was a predictor of overall appropriateness in 2019, where it was not in 2004. Results underpin that situational appropriateness and consumer characteristics should be taken into account in new product development of meat substitutes. Furthermore, meat alternatives like chickpeas and nuts could also contribute to the reduction of meat consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mothers differed significantly on scores for coercive control and overprotection. • When mothers scored higher on coercive control, more of them provided unhealthy snacks. • When mothers scored higher on coercive control, fewer of them provided vegetables. The increasing intake of energy-dense snacks among children is one of the contributing factors to childhood overweight. To understand children's snacking habits, snack choices of parents are essential to take into account. General parenting is one of the important factors that can influence the development of healthy eating patterns and weight status among children. Therefore, this study aims to explore how the key constructs of general parenting (nurturance, structure, behavioral control, overprotection and coercive control) relate to mothers' snack choice for their children aged 2–7 years. The Dutch version of the validated Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire (CGPQ) was used to assess the key constructs of general parenting. An extensive, 13-day diary study with 136 Dutch mothers was used to measure the snacks mothers provided their children aged 2–4 years and 5–7 years. For both groups of mothers in our sample, differences were found on the scores of coercive control and overprotection. No differences between the mothers were present on the key constructs behavioral control, nurturance, and structure. Results give a first indication that more mothers who scored relatively higher on coercive control provided unhealthy products, like candy and cookies, and fewer mothers provided vegetables, compared to mothers who scored lower on coercive control. A higher score on coercive control combined with a higher score on overprotection was associated with fewer mothers providing unhealthy products like cookies and candies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]