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Drying-off practices to reduce milk production before dry-off are gaining attention because high milk yields at dry-off are becoming more common and increase the risk to cow health and welfare during the dry period. Incomplete milking for the last days before dry-off is one approach for reducing milk production. We conducted an online survey to determine the currently used drying-off practices on Swiss dairy farms and to identify the adoption potential of integrating incomplete milking before dry-off. In March 2021, the online survey was sent to a representative sample of 1,974 Swiss dairy farmers. A total of 518 completed questionnaires were analyzed. The mean number of dairy cows per farm was 39 (range: 11–140 cows). Thirty-five percent of cows produced considerable quantities of milk (>15 kg/d) at dry-off, and milk yield at dry-off increased with increasing annual milk yield. Abrupt dry-off was applied on 45% of the farms. The participants reported observing behavioral changes of cows such as increased vocalizations and decreased lying time associated with dry-off. Selective dry cow therapy was applied on 74% of the farms, and 44% of the participants indicated the use of antibiotics at dry-off as being "rather often," "often," or "always." Correlation analysis revealed that with increasing annual milk yields, the frequency of observed behavioral changes and antibiotic use at dry-off increased as well. Therefore, drying-off approaches that reduce milk production while supporting cow welfare are needed. We found that farmers showed an interest in testing the presented drying-off approach of incomplete milking. In addition, the farmers indicated that they would be more willing to test incomplete milking before dry-off if it became available for automated use in milking parlors or robots. Uncertainties regarding udder health appeared to be the main barrier for the adoption potential of this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Consumers across five European countries perceive sustainability labels as helpful. • Across five European countries, preferences for product attributes were similar. • Meat and dairy consumers value animal welfare information more than environmental sustainability. Food production systems, especially meat and dairy supply chains, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. An important question emerges as to whether consumers care about environmental sustainability when buying food products, as this can determine their consumption practices. Further, if sustainability labels are available, identifying information that is relevant to consumers is important. This research therefore aimed to identify the attributes that are most important for consumers when buying meat or dairy products and the perceived helpfulness of sustainability labels for meat and dairy products and important label properties. An online survey was conducted in five European countries (i.e. Czechia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK). Consumers valued similar attributes when buying meat and dairy products across all countries. Freshness , quality/taste and animal welfare emerged as the most important attributes, while environmental attributes such as food miles , carbon footprint , and organic production were the least important. Sustainability labels for meat and dairy products were perceived as helpful. Regression analysis identified similar patterns within all five countries regarding the predictors of the perceived helpfulness of sustainability labels. Attitudes towards sustainable food consumption , environmental attitudes , and food production and policies emerged as significant positive predictors in most models. Most importantly, information regarding animal welfare , food safety , and health and nutrition was perceived as being more important than environmental sustainability. This suggests that food choice decisions are unlikely to be made based on the environmental sustainability of a food product's production alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of digital technologies in agriculture offers various benefits, such as site-specific application, better monitoring, and physical relief. The handling of these technologies requires a specific skill set. Therefore, the question arises of when and how farm managers learn about digital technologies. Aiming to analyse the current situation, the present research investigated the role that digital technologies play in vocational training for future farm managers. Taking the example of farm management information systems (FMIS), the present study also analysed various predictors of adoption, including the effect of training. To investigate these research questions, an online survey among teachers and students of the farm management vocational programme across Switzerland was conducted in the spring of 2021. In total, 150 individuals participated, 41 of whom were teachers. Participants answered questions about the learning content in the farm management programme and their perception of digital technologies in general. Students further reported whether they already had a farm they would be managing in the future and how they perceived FMIS. The results indicate that both teachers and students are convinced that digital technologies play an important role in agriculture and will gain more importance in the future. A substantial part of 43% of the students who participated indicated that they had learned neither about digital technologies during their basic agricultural training nor the subsequent farm management programme. In terms of FMIS, 51% of the student sample indicated that they had never heard about FMIS during their agricultural training. While having learned about FMIS was not a significant predictor for adoption, gender, perceived ease of use, and intention to use more digital technologies in the future significantly predicted the adoption of FMIS. The paper concludes that, to support the adoption of digital technologies and FMIS specifically, training for future farm managers should focus on how to operate an FMIS to increase the perceived ease of use of this technology. [Display omitted] • 57% of the students learned about digital technologies during vocational school. • 49% of the students learned about FMIS during vocational school. • Intention to use digital technologies is an important predictor for the TTMA. • Perceived ease of use of FMIS is an important predictor for the TTMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the negative impacts of agricultural production, Switzerland and the EU introduced environmental and animal welfare regulations in their direct payment policy schemes. Compliance with these regulations is monitored, and fines are imposed if deficiencies in implementation are identified. Non-compliance with these regulations reduces the effectiveness of direct payment measures and creates public and private administrative transaction costs. Therefore, a better understanding of the reasons behind farmers' non-compliance with direct payment regulations can help the government develop targeted measures to increase the effectiveness of direct payment policies. We used data on self-reported compliance with direct payment regulations from a survey of 808 Swiss farmers to develop a framework that explains the likelihood of receiving penalties based on the following influencing factors: (1) knowledge of rules, (2) acceptance of rules, (3) costs and benefits of non-compliance, and (4) farmer and farm characteristics. We found that 28% of the participants had experienced receiving penalties because of non-compliance with direct payment rules. Based on a hierarchical binary logistic regression model, our findings revealed that better knowledge of inspection measures, higher educational levels, and higher acceptance of entrepreneurial restrictions associated with direct payment regulations significantly reduced the likelihood of receiving penalties as a result of non-compliance. We further found that non-compliance with direct payment rules could hardly be explained by farm size or farm types. Information about the reasons for farmers' non-compliance with direct payment regulations can help the government develop targeted measures to increase the effectiveness of policy measures. • Non-compliance with these regulations reduces the effectiveness of direct payment measures. • We analysed reasons behind farmers' non-compliance with direct payment regulations based on self-reported survey data. • We found that 28% of the participants had experienced receiving penalties. • Better knowledge of inspection measures, higher education, higher acceptance of entrepreneurial restrictions reduced the likelihood of receiving penalties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Meat commitment is a negative and significant predictor for the importance of animal welfare. • Committed meat eaters are less likely to endorse universalistic values (i.e. animal welfare). • Animal welfare remains important when it is in direct conflict with three different policy goals. • Animal welfare appeals directly to personal values. • Agricultural policy needs to evolve together with personal values. Animal welfare is one of the key agricultural policy goals and is considered extremely important by consumers. With the increasing urgency for a sustainable and healthy dietary shift, it could be one of the key motivators for behaviour change. Therefore, we investigate how consumers perceive the importance of animal welfare not only as an agricultural policy goal but also in comparison to conflicting goals, such as domestic food production, farmers' income, and consumer prices. We investigate how the weighing of animal welfare as an agricultural policy goal is related to individual behaviour (i.e. meat consumption), values and attitudes, such as meat commitment, the perceptions of farmers and the Ecological Welfare scale (which includes animal welfare and environment protection). Thus, we conducted an online survey in October 2022, recruiting a sample of 1542 participants (51.5% women) in equal parts from the German-, French-, and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland. Participants were asked to evaluate the importance of increased animal welfare in three situations with the following conflicting policy goals: (1) increasing domestic food production, (2) reducing consumer food prices, and (3) increasing farm incomes. Regression analysis revealed that the influential predictors in all three models were similar. Being a woman, politically left leaning, and less committed to meat eating, having a more negative perception of farmers, and assigning more importance to ethical food consumption increased the probability of putting more weight on animal welfare in all three goal conflicts described above. The finding that participants who were more committed to meat eating tended to assign less importance to animal welfare when weighing the three conflicting agricultural policy goals is well-aligned with the current literature. Implications for agricultural policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between people's food disgust sensitivity and their food hygiene behaviour. We asked 1066 participants in Switzerland to complete an online survey. They provided information on how often they performed certain hygiene behaviours, how likely they would be to eat different food items after they had passed their expiration dates, and, using a specific scenario, how they would decide whether milk was safe to drink after they forgot to put it in the refrigerator overnight. We found that food disgust sensitivity was a significant predictor of participants' edibility assessments and their reported frequencies of hygiene behaviour after controlling for age and sex. Our data suggested that food disgust was a strong predictor of food safety behaviour in the domestic kitchen. Learning more about people's behaviour is crucial for the successful design of interventions to improve hygiene behaviour and the prevention of foodborne diseases. • Food disgust sensitivity is a significant predictor of edibility assessments. • Disgust can be used for food safety interventions. • Food disgust sensitivity is a significant predictor of food safety behaviour. • With increasing disgust sensitivity, people choose less invasive assessment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We investigated the relationship between perceived bitterness, food disgust sensitivity, and sex. Participants completed the 8-item Food Disgust Scale and a 6- n -propylthiouracil (PROP) taster test and were categorised as PROP non-tasters, medium-tasters, or supertasters. An analysis of variance of between-subject factors sex and PROP taster status was conducted with disgust sensitivity as the dependent variable. We found a significant interaction of sex and PROP taster status on disgust sensitivity and an association between disgust sensitivity and PROP taster status in males but not in females. Our study provided new evidence on sex differences in food disgust and PROP taste sensitivity. Highlights • Chemosensory responsiveness and food disgust sensitivity are connected. • Regarding food disgust sensitivity, sex and PROP taster status interact. • New evidence on sex differences in food disgust sensitivity is provided. • New evidence on sex differences in PROP taste sensitivity is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tools that specifically measure food disgust sensitivity are scarce. This gap has been successfully filled with the recently developed eight-item version of the Food Disgust Scale (FDS short). In the present study, we tested the validity of this measure with three behavioural tasks that we designed. Participants ( N  = 108) filled in questionnaires before they tried three products as part of a behavioural task covered as tasting experiment. We presented these products with written scenarios, which aimed to induce disgust. For all three tasks, we found a significant correlation between the amount participants consumed and their FDS short score. In the first task, we presented participants with a meat product ( r  = −0.34, p  < .001); in the second task, it was a banana juice ( r s  = −0.26, p  < .01); and in the final task, we presented participants with an insect product ( r s  = −0.51, p  < .001). A regression analysis confirmed that participants’ FDS short score acted as a significant predictor for eating behaviour in the meat ( ß  = −0.26, p  < .05) and the chocolate task (odds ratio  =  0.51), however, it did not reach statistical significance in the juice task (odds ratio  =  0.66). In this paper, we present two important findings. First, we provide evidence for the influence of food disgust sensitivity on people’s eating behaviour as measured by the amount they consumed. Second, and more importantly, our data support the incremental validity of the FDS short as assessed through its correlation with three behavioural tasks and provide evidence for the suitability of self-report measures such as the FDS short. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Consumers of plant-based dairy alternatives tended to be young, well-educated urban flexitarians. • Users and non-users differed in their perceptions of the climate impact of cow's milk. • Users and non-users differed in their perceptions of the climate impact of a vegan diet. The current diet with high proportions of animal products contributes significantly to harmful greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately to climate change. A more plant-based diet could counteract this. Thus, a large range of plant-based alternatives to milk and dairy are being developed, and the consumption of these products is increasing. Here, we characterised consumers and non-consumers of plant-based alternatives to milk, yoghurt, and cream, and investigated reasons for and against consumption of these products. We also studied consumers' attitudes towards food shopping behaviour, health aspects, veganism, and sustainability using an online survey administered to 1,204 participants in German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland. Participants consuming these plant-based products less than 2–3 times per year were assigned to the non-user group (n = 610). Those consuming these products at least 2–3 times per year were assigned to the user group (n = 594). We found that users tended to be young, well-educated urban flexitarians. The most frequently consumed plant-based alternatives were soy, almond, and oat drinks. The most prominent reasons for consumption of these products were taste, health (including allergies and intolerances), and environmental sustainability. Users and non-users of plant-based alternatives differed significantly in their attitudes and beliefs regarding the positive climate impact of a vegan diet (users agreed, non-users disagreed), which can be seen as an indication for cognitive dissonance. These observations have important implications for research and practice, offering a better understanding of the growing group of consumers who use plant-based alternatives for a more sustainable diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our study is the first to validate the FDS short using olfactory stimuli. • The disgusting odours were significantly correlated with the FDS short. • Disgust reaction depends on the sensory channel used for the disgust stimulus. Individual disgust reactions can be elicited through different types of sensory stimuli. Most well-known scales measuring disgust are text-based, thus more cognitive stimuli. This study aimed to validate the food disgust scale using olfactory stimuli related to food. For this, 150 participants were invited to our lab to rate different odours for the level of disgust evoked. Exploratory factor analysis (principal axis factoring) revealed two factors. The seven more disgusting items loaded on a first factor, whereas the two less disgusting items loaded on a second factor. The seven items loading on Factor 1 had acceptable reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.73, McDonald's Ω = 0.72). Further, Factor Score 1 was significantly correlated with the FDS short, a food disgust sensitivity questionnaire (r = 0.40, p <.001). We conclude that food disgust sensitivity can help predict individuals' odour perception and our data support the incremental validity of the FDS short. Our study is the first to validate the FDS short using olfactory stimuli. Finally, our study indicates that there is significant potential for the creation of a food disgust odour scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feelings of disgust, a disease avoidance emotion, vary among individuals. The present study investigated if individual differences in pathogen disgust sensitivity predict the level of disgust evoked by crowded places. Interested in the universality of this relationship, we studied it across countries (Study 1), and examined temporal differences in pathogen disgust sensitivity (Studies 2 and 3). Participants completed a pathogen disgust scale and rated the level of disgust evoked by two crowded situations. Data were collected in 2018 (before the COVID-19 pandemic), in 2020 (at the height of the pandemic) and in 2022 (later in the pandemic). Across studies and countries, individuals' pathogen disgust sensitivity predicted the disgust evoked by the situations. Moreover, the data revealed a significant increase in pathogen disgust from 2018 to 2020, most likely because of higher pathogen presence during the pandemic, before significantly decreasing in 2022 after the pandemic had progressed. This study captures a rare opportunity, investigating how these crises relate to pathogen disgust sensitivity and the perception of crowded spaces. Further, our longitudinal study is among the first showing changes in pathogen disgust sensitivity over time and monitoring the effect of the pandemic. [Display omitted] • A temporary increase in pathogen disgust sensitivity was found for the pandemic. • After that, pathogen disgust levels decreased again in 2022. • Patterns of pathogen disgust are similar across eleven countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Remote work was connected to both healthy and unhealthy changes. • Prepared foods (fresh and frozen) recorded the greatest losses. • Homemade bread recorded the greatest increase. • The pandemic appears to foster inequalities. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of our everyday lives. To investigate these behaviour changes, an online survey was conducted with 1′028 individuals (51% female) in Switzerland between June and July 2020. The questions referred in particular to the lockdown in spring 2020. We put specific focus on the pandemic's impact on health-related behaviour, which includes food choice, physical activity and body weight management. For instance, participants reported whether and how their consumption of different foods changed during the lockdown. As a measure of healthy food choice, we chose consumption of vegetables and salad and in contrast, sweet snacks and alcohol consumption was used as a measure for unhealthy food choice. For physical activity and body weight, participants indicated whether it decreased, increased or did not change during the lockdown as compared before. In a next step, we investigated the influence of various predictors on health-related behaviour using multinomial logistic regression models. We find that the possibility to work remotely led to healthier food choices, that is, a reported increase in vegetable consumption and decrease in sweet snack consumption, but also to more unhealthy food choices and lifestyles, that is, a reported increase in alcohol consumption as well as an increase in sweet snack consumption. For weight change, the data indicated that individuals who worked remotely were more likely to gain or lose weight than individuals working from the office. Our findings demonstrate how individuals are affected differently by the pandemic and how complex the whole picture is. Further, these results are crucial in developing health recommendations for possible future lockdowns or health crises in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Product colour in virtual reality impacts flavour identification in real life. • Seeing chocolate cake but eating lemon cake, 30% indicated tasting chocolate. • Product-atypical colours impeded flavour identification. The use of virtual reality (VR) in sensory science studies can offer new possibilities for experimental design. For instance, VR allows for the modification of visual product properties without changing the product composition. In a set of two augmented virtuality studies, we investigated whether the results we obtained in real-life (RL) settings were comparable to the results we obtained in a VR environment. In Study 1, we transferred an existing sensory science experiment to a VR setting. We invited 100 participants to taste two juices and a piece of cake. In the VR environment, participants saw the product either in its original colour or in a modified, product-atypical colour. After the product tasting, we asked them to identify the most dominant flavour. Participants had more difficulties identifying the flavour when the product was shown in a modified colour than when it was shown in its original colour. In Study 2, we added an RL control condition to facilitate a direct comparison between the two conditions and to verify our findings from Study 1. A chi-square test for association revealed no significant differences between the RL and VR conditions. We conclude that sensory studies can be successfully transferred to VR and obtain a generally similar pattern of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Disgust can be elicited in a virtual environment. • Virtual disgust stimuli influence participants' behaviour. • Virtual reality can be used to introduce disgust elicitors. • Virtual reality is a powerful and promising tool for use in disgust research. This study was the first to use virtual reality for disgust research and pursued two aims. First, we explored whether it was possible to induce disgust in a virtual environment. Second, we examined the relationship between food disgust sensitivity, presence (a psychological state of "being there"), and participants' willingness to eat a food item after exposure to a virtual disgust cue. We asked 100 participants to eat chocolate and complete a tasting experiment within a virtual environment while wearing a head-mounted HTC Vive device. The control group (n = 50) saw a piece of chocolate appear in the virtual environment on a table in front of them before being asked to take and eat it. The disgust group (n = 50) saw a dog that walked across the table and stopped halfway to produce dog faeces that looked like a piece of chocolate. Subsequently, participants were asked to eat a real piece of chocolate. In both groups, participants were given the opportunity to refuse consumption. Participants in the experimental condition were more likely to refuse consumption than those in the control condition. Furthermore, in the experimental condition, we found that physical presence mediated the relationship between participants' food disgust sensitivity and willingness to eat the chocolate. Our data suggested that virtual reality is a valid way to evoke disgust for the purposes of research and that people who are disgust sensitive have more difficulty ignoring virtual disgust cues than people who are less disgust sensitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The FDPS was compared cross-nationally between Switzerland and China. • The FDPS is a valid tool to be used in Chinese samples. • Correlations between the FDPS and the FNS were similar in Switzerland and China. The Food Disgust Picture Scale (FDPS) is a newly developed picture tool that can be used to conduct cross-cultural assessments of food disgust sensitivity. It consists of eight food-related pictures, which participants rate according to the level of disgust they evoke. Due to the undeniable influence of culture on what individuals consider as disgusting, the FDPS's validity across different food cultures is an interesting topic for research. The aim of the present study was to conduct a cross-national comparison of the FDPS in Switzerland and China. In total, 576 participants were recruited in China and 538 were recruited in Switzerland. The usability and construct validity of the FDPS were compared between the two countries using confirmatory factor analyses. In the current study we present two main findings. First, dropping one of the meat-related items and thereby reducing the eight-item FDPS to seven items improved the model fit in the Chinese (CFI = 0.98) and Swiss (CFI = 0.98) samples. Furthermore, it showed that the scale is a valid tool for the assessment of food disgust sensitivity in China. Second, using nested model comparisons, the present study has provided support for the model's invariance across the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Linguistic analysis was done on plant-based discourse in three countries. • Plant-based discourse in the USA shows a focus on meat (alternatives). • Plant-based discourse in India also includes health (skin, hair) and prices. • Plant-based discourse in Switzerland also includes sustainability. • Overall, the discourse on plant-based product has increased over time. Aiming to minimise environmental impacts, diets with reduced consumption of animal products have increased strongly in recent years. These changes give rise to innovative developments in the plant-based market. In this study, we aimed to investigate these changes by looking at the linguistic discourse on plant-based alternatives in three countries. We chose the USA as the country with the highest meat consumption and India as the country with the highest percentage of vegetarians. For both countries, we analysed linguistic data from the most read English newspapers over the last two years. As a third country, we chose Switzerland, where a lot of plant-based innovation is currently happening. Additionally, we performed a longitudinal analysis on Swiss data from the last ten years to more closely examine this recent period of plant-based innovation. With that, we focused on consumer perception of plant-based products by analysing the linguistic discourse and thereby contrast the available data from the literature that was mainly obtained through interrogation of consumers. Cross-cultural comparison reveales that in all three countries, there is a distinct focus on meat (alternatives). Dairy alternatives seem to play a minor role in the discourse. In the USA, appearances matter (food stylist), the Indian discourse includes the aspects health (" skin " , " hair ") and wealth (prices) and the Swiss discourse includes sustainability. Longitudinal analysis of the Swiss discourse over the last ten years revealed that there was an overall increase of the discourse and a connection to the ongoing political debate. Our study suggests that plant-based products are not only part of the sustainable transition but can also be a lifestyle choice. Overall, the study highlights cross-cultural differences and similarities in the language used about plant-based alternatives and discusses some implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We study people's perceptions of agricultural policy goals. • We conduct a survey in Switzerland on the importance of eight policy goals. • Animal welfare is perceived as the most important goal. • Differences between the Swiss language regions indicate cultural differences. • Policy needs to take into account cultural differences within the population. Agricultural policy goals should be legitimised by the population, as agriculture is an important recipient of governmental support in Europe. Questions arise as to how people assess these policy goals, which factors affect the perception of agricultural policy goals and to what extent cultural differences influence this assessment. We address these questions by conducting an online survey among 1,542 respondents in the German-, French- and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland. We find that the multifunctional role of agriculture is strongly anchored in the population's perception of agricultural policy. The stated preferences of the participants show that increasing animal welfare is clearly the most important agricultural policy goal for Swiss citizens. Controlling for a range of sociodemographic characteristics and personal attitudes, we find evidence of differences between language regions and thus of cultural differences in the assessment of individual agricultural policy goals. For example, compared to respondents in the other two language regions, German-speaking respondents found increasing domestic food production significantly more important, whereas reducing food prices for consumers, increasing farmers' income, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions were perceived as significantly less important goals. Environmental attitudes were closely related to the perceived importance of agricultural policy goals; thus, we can expect heated discussions in the future, especially if environmental objectives continue to be missed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The way weeds are controlled influence peoples' sustainability evaluations of food. • Precise spraying is perceived as more sustainable than spot spraying. • The quantity of herbicide and the way of spraying impact public acceptance. • Food produced with mechanical weed control measures is highly accepted. This study investigated public acceptance and perceptions of the sustainability of food produced with different weed control measures. An online survey with a within-subject design was conducted with 485 respondents from the French- and German-speaking parts of Switzerland. Acceptance of food produced using the investigated measures and social, economic and environmental sustainability perceptions were assessed for full-surface herbicide spraying, herbicide reduction (spot spraying, precise spraying) and herbicide-free mechanical technology (hoeing machine). The importance of food's naturalness, chemophobia, perceptions of farmers and sociodemographic variables were also recorded. The results revealed changes in social, economic and environmental sustainability perceptions based on the weed control measures, indicating that laypeople assess the impacts of these measures based on their type (chemical, digital, mechanical). The amount of herbicide sprayed is relevant for people's judgements, as well as the precise spraying that keeps crops intact. The use of hoeing machine is perceived to be the most sustainable, natural and acceptable compared to the other investigated measures. Overall, the findings suggest that communicating information on weed control measures, the quantity of herbicide applied and the precision of the spraying might help increase public acceptance of plant protection measures applied by farmers, promoting sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]