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• Britons did not experience significant changes in alcohol consumption patterns. • Spaniards experienced decreases on alcohol consumption due to the absence of their usual social contexts. • British and Spaniards were compared concerning alcohol consumption patterns during the lockdown. • Cultural responses to social distancing and lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic were studied. During the early months of 2020, the world experienced a novel, violent, and relentless pandemic era. By the end of the year more than seventy-seven million cases of COVID-19 had been reported around the globe. Due to it being a highly contagious disease, the recommended measures adopted by most nations to prevent infection include social distancing and quarantine. How did these measures affect people's relationship with alcohol consumption in cultures where alcohol plays an important social role? A questionnaire-based study, designed to follow the drinking behaviour of people before and during lockdown was applied to two different cultural groups impacted by the pandemic during the strict phase of lockdown. These are the British and Spanish populations (179 participants from each country were interviewed). Considering the frequency of consumption of the alcoholic beverages evaluated (wine, beer, cider, whisky and spirits), the results showed that a significant lockdown*country interaction was observed. Overall, Spanish participants consumed alcoholic beverages less frequently during lockdown than before, while British participants reported no change in their consumption habits. Spaniards' decrease in alcohol consumption is related to the absence of a social contexts while Britons seems to have adapted their consumption to the modified context. Results suggest that, alcohol consumption is a central core of the British culture, while for the Spanish, socialization is more a cultural characteristic than the alcohol itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culture is an important factor that influences how marketing interacts with food choice. This study aims at exploring the effect of consumers' Country of Origin (COO) on wine representations and perception using Chenin blanc as a model. The first objective was to evaluate the role of origin in the construction of the representation. We used the theoretical framework of social representation to compare South African (SA) and French consumers' representations via a word association task. The results indicated that SA representations are dominated by consumers' experience of the wine (sensory and emotional dimensions), whereas French representations are dominated by the wine itself, in particular its origin and mode of consumption. The second objective was to evaluate the effect of origin on wine categorization in two conditions: with and without information concerning the two geographical origins of the samples. Results showed that providing information on the origin of the wines affected French participants more than SA participants. In both conditions, the groups of wines formed in the sorting tasks by SA participants were based on sensory descriptors and appeared not to be impacted by the information on origin. In contrast, providing information on the origin of the wines to French participants led to an increased use of the words "Loire", "South Africa" and "familiar" suggesting a different sorting strategy more deliberately based on the origin of the wines. Our findings have important implications for the marketing and export activities within the wine industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has shown that the colors of plateware, glassware, cups, packaging, and even of the ambient and its lighting are able to influence consumers' preferences, expectations, and perceptions of taste, aroma, texture, and liking of food and beverages. This study contributes to the subject by investigating how packaging colors affect the expectations of sweetness, bitterness, fruitiness, melting, and liking for chocolates in Brazil and France. Two groups of 210 consumers (N = 420), one from each country, evaluated samples of milk and dark chocolate packaged in seven colors: black, blue, brown, green, red, pink, and yellow. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey-Kramer's test indicated that there were multiple significant effects of packaging color on consumers' expectations. Multiple factor analysis (MFA) showed that expected sweetness, fruitiness, and liking were correlated to each other and inversely correlated to expected bitterness. While both chocolates were expected the least sweet and the most bitter when in black packaging, they were expected the sweetest and the least bitter when in yellow or pink packaging. Interestingly, the same black packaging made the milk chocolate the best rated and the dark chocolate the worst rated on expected liking, showing that a packaging color may have inverse effects on hedonic ratings depending on the type of chocolate. Although French consumers eat more chocolate and with higher cocoa content than Brazilians, the effects of packaging color were not significantly different between cultures. • Black packaging made consumers expect chocolates to be more bitter. • Pink and yellow packaging made consumers expect chocolates to be sweeter. • The effect of a packaging color on expected liking depended on chocolate type. • Warm and cold classification of colors did not explain the effects of packaging color. • The effects of packaging color were not significantly different between cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Narrative texts about expert's life are pertinent source of data for research purposes. • Tasting objectives are numerous and differs according to the type of wine expert. • All experts use the same wine tasting script whatever the objectives or contexts. • The final tasting report of sensations differs depending on the type of expertise. • Combining different types of data sources allows to gain more in-depth information. Whether "gurus", "emperor" or "influencers", wine consumers need references to help them choosing and buying wines. Given the diversity of possible sources (reviews from wine guides, wine merchants'recommendations or back wine label), where should they turn? Are all wine experts consensual in the way they taste wines? Do they differ depending on their domain of expertise: wine makers, sellers, or critics? This study aimed at understanding how experts apprehend wine tasting in relation to their professional objectives. A mixed design strategy combining content analysis of personal narratives of renowned wine experts with semi-structured interviews of wine professionals was used. Results confirmed that wine experts shared a common way of tasting wines, although their objectives and the way they report their wine tasting experiences differ according to their professional activities. Makers transcribe their perceptions by a list of sensory and technical-based terms focused on the absence or presence of wine defects to assess technical acceptability, Sellers are storytellers generating appeal and pleasure for consumers, and Critics write positive and metaphoric reviews to better highlight the best samples they taste. This raises new questions for the industry about the way in which wines are tasted, a routine practice that is internationally followed by wine professionals, but which may need to be renewed. Combining different data sources appeared to be a promising way to gain in-depth information in exploratory research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the role of sensory interactions and the level of expertise of consumers on the perception of bitterness and astringency in a red wine complex matrix. In the first experiment, a commercial red wine was spiked with quinine sulphate to produce two levels of bitterness. Seven samples with high and seven with low bitterness were further spiked with one of the following aroma vectors: vegetal , herbal , spicy , roasted , animal , dried fruit or with tartaric acid to modulate sourness. In the second experiment, the wine was spiked with an astringent proanthocyanidin fraction to produce two levels of astringency and with one of the seven vectors used in the first experiment or with quinine sulphate to modulate bitterness. Fourteen and 16 spiked samples of experiments 1 and 2, respectively, were sensory evaluated together with control samples to assess the intensity of the six aroma vectors, sourness, bitterness and astringency. Evaluation was performed using a descriptive analysis technique based on intensity rating by three groups of participants with different levels of expertise. The effect of the addition of one aroma vector, sourness or bitterness on bitter or astringent intensity was evaluated by ANOVA. No significant effect of aroma, sourness or bitterness was observed for astringent intensity, confirming that in these red wines, cross-modal interactions are not relevant in astringency. Bitter-aroma interactions were demonstrated for animal aroma just for less-experienced consumers (novices) attributed to a hedonic synergism. Significant decreases in bitterness due to sour vector were observed regardless consumer expertise. This could be explained in terms of interactions at both cognitive and receptor level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), methanethiol (MeSH) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) on the odor properties of three wine models-WM- (young white, young red and oaked red wines) was studied. Wine models were built by mixing a pool of common wine volatile and non-volatile compounds and further spiked with eight different combinations of the three sulfur compounds present at two levels ( level 0 : 0 μg L − 1 and level 1 : 40 μg L − 1 of H 2 S, 12 μg L − 1 of MeSH; 55 μg L − 1 of DMS). For each wine matrix eight WMs were produced and further submitted to sensory description by Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) method. Hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol were clearly involved in the formation of reductive aromas and shared the ability to act as strong suppressors of fruity and floral attributes. Specifically, hydrogen sulfide generated aromas of rotten eggs , while methanethiol generated significant increases in camembert and decreases in citrus , smoky/roasted and oxidation aromas. The simultaneous presence of hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol enhanced the intensity of the unspecific term reduction , while the specific nuances individually imparted by each of the two compounds could not be further identified. DMS did not exert any outstanding effect on the reductive character of wines and its sensory effect was matrix-dependent. It was involved in the formation of fruity notes such as cooked/candied and red/black fruits in young wines, and vegetal notes ( canned vegetables ) in oaked red WMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five mixtures of milk and pea protein (0–40 g pea protein/100 g total protein) were fermented by ten starter cultures of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) 2 to select the cocktails that can lead to products similar to a conventional yoghurt. Generally speaking, an increase in pea concentration leads to products with higher acidity, higher syneresis and lower firmness. From the sensory perspective, up to 30 g pea protein/100 g total protein, starter cultures show either positive or negative effects. A principal component analysis (PCA) 3 and a hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) 4 carried out on all variables revealed five groups of products. Two groups of products of 0 g or 10 g pea protein/100 g total protein seemed to be the most similar to conventional dairy products. The third group included products fermented with two starters with negative characteristics such as astringency and bitterness. The last two groups included members made of 10 g, 20 g, 30 g and 40 g pea protein/100 g total protein, among them one group showing a positive sensory profile. From this group, four starter cultures seem promising for the fermentation of milk and pea protein mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Difference in knowledge and consumption of Moringa between Indian and African can be explained by difference in food habits. • Indians and Africans shared the same beliefs about Moringa. • Positive attitudes and beliefs are not enough to change Moringa consumption behavior. Native to India, Moringa oleifera Lam. is a plant with high nutritional value, which is now grown across the world, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. This study determined the knowledge, consumption, attitudes and beliefs toward Moringa oleifera in some African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa) and in India to gain a better understanding of why this plant is widely consumed in India but less so in Africa. An online survey was conducted using a snowball sampling procedure with 258 respondents who are consumers of Moringa (124 are Indians and 134 are Africans; 54% are Male and 46% are Female). We hypothesized that the differences in patterns of Moringa consumption in India and Africa might be due to differences in knowledge, attitudes and beliefs towards Moringa. In particular, we expected Indian respondents to have a better knowledge and more positive attitudes and beliefs towards Moringa than African respondents. Based on our study sample, we observed differences in terms of knowledge and consumption of Moringa between Indian and African respondents. However, these differences could not be explained in terms of beliefs and attitudes: No significant difference was found between African and Indian respondents' beliefs towards Moringa. Having positive attitudes and beliefs is not enough to change Moringa consumption behavior. Past behavior seems to be a better predictor of Moringa consumption behavior. As Moringa is not yet anchored in African families and cultural practices, especially in South Africa, providing only nutritional and health information is not enough to promote Moringa consumption in Africa. A better option would be to increase the familiarity of Moringa by incorporating it into familiar local foods with a high satiating power. Family also seems to be an important driver of Moringa consumption that needs to be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Madagascar is severely affected by the problem of children malnutrition. The present study aimed at exploring school children Malagasy parents' food practices and beliefs structures about the nutritional value of foods, to better understand the causes of this malnutrition. A combination of Focus Groups (72 participants), and questionnaires (1000 interviewees) was used to evaluate the food beliefs and the nutritional habits of low income parents of school age children in urban and rural areas of Antananarivo and Antsiranana. The respondents' beliefs were shown to focus not only on the nutrient and energetic composition of food, but also to involve more general relations between food and health and particularly the sanitary properties of food. Compared with such sanitary properties, nutrient content was not considered to be the priority in food choice and food preparation. The food category considered to be the most nutritive was cereals, ahead of protein foods, or vegetables and fruit. Nutritional beliefs were not the same in the Antananarivo and Antsiranana areas, nor between urban and rural areas of Antsiranana. Different socio-economic contexts, food availability and information may explain these differences. This study could guide actors involved in nutrition promotion to adapt to specific areas their nutrition programmes in the fight against malnutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demands of global trading, interests in cross-cultural comparisons have increased to gain understanding in the differences of sensory perception and consumer acceptability. The objective of this study was to compare the differences in perception by Korean and French consumers of green tea produced in Korea, China, and Japan, using Napping® followed by ultra flash profile. In addition, overall acceptability was examined in both countries. The results of Napping® showed that the Korean consumers were able to discriminate the green teas according to their origins and processing methods while the French consumers were less perceptive of these factors. The Korean consumers used more tea-related and roasting-related terms to describe the green teas. The sensory properties seemed to be the main factors in Napping® for the Korean consumers. On the other hand, the French consumers who were less familiar with green teas perceived the differences of green teas based on their acceptability. The result of this study indicated that familiarity affected the consumers' perception of green tea samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems of malnutrition constitute a major challenge in South Africa, particularly affecting the underprivileged populations of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces. The present study aimed to gain an understanding of how to improve the nutritional intake of South African university student mothers and their children by the introduction of Moringa oleifera in their food. Focus Group Discussion was implemented at two previously historically disadvantaged universities with predominantly black student populations, namely the University of Fort Hare and the University of Limpopo. Findings from the participants' discussion about food habits and barriers to healthy eating show that there is a gap between healthy eating knowledge and eating habits. Despite the high level of awareness of the importance of nutritional intake, most of the study participants and their children consume less healthy foods. Due to the high cost of healthy food and their limited income, student mothers face substantial financial constraints when trying to make healthy changes in their food habits. Moreover, student mothers' positive beliefs about the nutritional benefits of Moringa are insufficient to encourage its consumption. Finally, student mothers agree about using Moringa as a nutritional supplement. Maize porridge (pap) appears to be the preferred staple food for Moringa supplementation because of its palatability, satiating power, availability, affordability, and ease of preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Moringa supplemented biscuit's color and texture constitute barriers to consumer acceptance • Segmentation of consumer liking confirmed heterogeneity among consumers • The Moringa supplemented biscuit is rich in iron but deficient in vitamins • In vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) of the high supplemented biscuit is incomplete. Moringa oleifera is a nutrient-rich plant, known as a miracle tree, and commonly used as a food supplement. Despite its popularity, there are scant empirical findings on its real nutritional benefits and acceptance among consumers when added to food. To fill this gap, we added Moringa Dried Leaves (MDL) to biscuits. A consumer test was implemented to study the sensory properties of the biscuits. Nutritional properties, including in vitro protein digestibility, and physical properties were also investigated. Global liking indicates the segmentation of consumers into two clusters and confirmed heterogeneity. Cluster 1 consumers disliked the supplemented biscuits and cited dark green color and texture as the main reasons for dislike. Conversely, cluster 2 consumers, who were much younger, liked the supplemented biscuits due to their adventurous taste for novel products. Nutritional analysis revealed that the incorporation of MDL to biscuits increased their iron and proteins but led to incomplete protein digestion especially for biscuits with high supplementation. In addition, vitamin A derived from MDL was degraded during baking. The biscuit with the highest acceptability and digestion (C1) would increase protein intake only slightly but provide essential amino acids, which are deficient in wheat flour. These findings, confirm that there is a limit to further increasing the amount of MDL added to foods in order to provide more nutrients. In addition, it is recommended that Moringa supplemented products should be advertised with caution in order not to mislead the consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Winemakerś attitudes towards natural wines-NW- were studied by online questionnaires. • General negative attitude towards NW flavour, aging capacity and quality-price ratio. • Global positive attitude towards NW in terms of economic impact for the wine industry. • Five clusters of wine experts with different attitudes towards NW were identified. • Tradition, social identity, and ecology dimensions related to environmental awareness. There is an important movement in the wine industry towards the production of alternative and more sustainable wines. Natural wine (NW) is a controversial category of alternative wines, which needs to be further explored. Given the role of technical experts as opinion leaders, the present work aims to explore the attitudes of Spanish winemakers towards NW and their relationship with their overall environmental awareness. Therefore, 307 Spanish winemakers completed a questionnaire to evaluate: (1) their attitudes towards NW by scoring their agreement with 31 statements, (2) their ecological awareness by evaluating 11 items, (3) their frequency of consumption and interest towards NW, and (4) their sociodemographic profile and general information about wine production. PCA with varimax rotation calculated on 28 of the 31 statements related to their attitudes showed six independent dimensions. Further hierarchical cluster analysis calculated with the six dimensions showed five clusters of wine experts with different attitudes towards NW. Results show that there is a major negative attitude towards the flavour of NW, their ageing capacity and their quality-price ratio, but a positive one in terms of economic impact for the wine industry. Aspects related to the role of NW in tradition, social identity, ecology, health, artisanal production and economic feasibility mark differential attitudes. Interestingly, the dimension related to winemakerś attitude towards tradition, social identity, and ecology of NW was positively correlated with their overall ecological awareness and thus their life style. This paper sheds light in the understanding of the behaviour of Spanish winemakers regarding ecological transition and provides tools for policymaking regarding NW certification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]