In order for food businesses, scientists and policy makers to develop successful products, services and policies, it is essential that they understand food consumers and how they decide which products to buy. Food consumer behaviour is the result of various factors, including the motivations of different consumers, the attributes of specific foods, and the environment in which food choices occur. Recognising diversity between individual consumers, different stages of life, and different cultural contexts is increasingly important as markets become increasingly diverse and international.The book begins with a comprehensive introduction and analysis of the key drivers of consumer food choices, such as the environment and sensory product features. Part two examines the role of consumers' attitudes towards quality and marketing, and their views on food preparation and technology. Part three covers cultural and individual differences in food choice as well as addressing potentially influential factors such as age and gender. Important topics such as public health and methods to change consumers' preferences for unhealthy foods are discussed in part four. The final section concludes with advice on developing coherent safety policies and the consumers' responsibility for food production and consumption.Understanding consumers of food products is a standard reference for all those in the food industry concerned with product development and regulation. - Develop an understanding of buyer behaviour to assist developing successful products - Recognise the diversity between consumers and learn how to cater for their needs - Covers cultural and individual differences in food choice

Have you ever bought a cold drink at a lemonade stand? Or have you baked cookies for a school bake sale? If so, you’re a consumer and a producer! Consumers, producers, buyers, and sellers all provide things other people want and need. How do they work together in the marketplace? Read this book to find out.

Approximately 30 percent of the edible food produced in the United States is wasted and a significant portion of this waste occurs at the consumer level. Despite food's essential role as a source of nutrients and energy and its emotional and cultural importance, U.S. consumers waste an estimated average of 1 pound of food per person per day at home and in places where they buy and consume food away from home. Many factors contribute to this wasteâ€"consumers behaviors are shaped not only by individual and interpersonal factors but also by influences within the food system, such as policies, food marketing and the media. Some food waste is unavoidable, and there is substantial variation in how food waste and its impacts are defined and measured. But there is no doubt that the consequences of food waste are severe: the wasting of food is costly to consumers, depletes natural resources, and degrades the environment. In addition, at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has severely strained the U.S. economy and sharply increased food insecurity, it is predicted that food waste will worsen in the short term because of both supply chain disruptions and the closures of food businesses that affect the way people eat and the types of food they can afford. A National Strategy to Reduce Food Waste at the Consumer Level identifies strategies for changing consumer behavior, considering interactions and feedbacks within the food system. It explores the reasons food is wasted in the United States, including the characteristics of the complex systems through which food is produced, marketed, and sold, as well as the many other interconnected influences on consumers' conscious and unconscious choices about purchasing, preparing, consuming, storing, and discarding food. This report presents a strategy for addressing the challenge of reducing food waste at the consumer level from a holistic, systems perspective.

Explains the basics of food technology and new product development from initial planning through formulation, market research, manufacturing and product launchCarefully outlined test protocols plus quantified sensory, financial and feasibility analysisRecaps key technical concepts across the entire food science curriculum Developed as a comprehensive guide to how food products are planned, budgeted, manufactured and launched, this original textbook forms a cohesive introduction to all phases of food product development. A unique feature of the book is that it reviews the main concepts of food chemistry, ingredient functionality, additives, processing, quality control, safety, package labeling and more-—virtually the entire food technology curriculum. With this specialized information as context, the book spells out the procedures needed to formulate, cost-justify and test market safe and profitable new products that meet regulatory guidelines and consumer expectations. The technical exposition is highlighted by case studies of novel food items introduced by U.S. companies. Syllabus-ready and furnished with back-of-chapter questions and projects, the volume is highly suited for university courses, including the capstone, as well as in-house and team training short courses in industry.

A Consumer's Guide to Food Regulation & Safety is a consumer-friendly guide to understanding the laws and policies relating to the food industry. Learn more about current policies designed to protect consumers and how to challenge them if necessary. Issues of fraudulent promotion, labeling, and advertising by members of the food industry are also examined. Food related issues are regularly making headlines. This almanac provides consumers with the information they need to better understand the laws and policies in place to help protect them from harm. Do you find many food labels confusing and misleading? Do you know what to do if you get sick from contaminated food? As a consumer, can you take legal action if you fall victim to food fraud or illness? All of these issues are addressed in this easy to comprehend legal guide.

Experts from around the world present changes in the global marketplace and developments in research methodologies underpinning new product development (NPD) in this essential collection. The business and marketing aspects of NPD, sometimes neglected in books of this type, are addressed alongside methods for product testing.Trends, processes and perspectives in consumer-driven NPD in the food and personal care product industries are addressed in the opening chapters of the book. Specific topics include evolution in food retailing and advances in concept research. Hedonic testing is the focus of the next section. Different viewpoints on consumer research methods and statistics for NPD are reviewed in later chapters. The final part of the book looks towards the future of innovation, covering the implications for NPD of topics such as human genetic variation in taste perception and neuroimaging.Several chapters are not standard scientific articles. Rather they are written records of conversations between two people on a particular topic related to consumer-driven innovation in foods and personal care products. In them the interviewees speak freely about their views and experiences in NPD, providing unique insights.Consumer-driven innovation in food and personal care products will broaden readers' understanding of the many approaches available to NPD personnel and ways in which they can be used to support innovation activities. - Provides expert insight into the changes in the global market place and developments in research methodologies underpinning NPD - Examines the business and marketing aspects of NPD, sometimes neglected in books of this type, are addressed alongside methods for product testing - Chapters review the different viewpoints on consumer research methods and statistics for NPD

This volume provides an overview of the latest research findings on the physics, physiology, and psychology of food oral consumption, as well as the experimental techniques available for food oral studies. Coverage includes the main physical and physiological functionalities of the mouth; the location and functionalities of various oral receptors; the main sequences of eating and drinking, and the concomitant food disintegration and destabilisation. Chapters also explain oral processing and its relation to flavour release and texture perception, and there is an introduction to the principles of food rheology as they relate to eating. Food Oral Processing is directed at food scientists and technologists in industry and academia, especially those involved in sensory science and new product development. It will also be of interest to oral physiologists, oral biologists and dentists. The book will be a useful reference for undergraduate and postgraduate students of these disciplines.