Understanding Consumer Behavior in the Organic Food Market: Perceptions, Preferences and Purchase Factors

In light of the increasing consumer interest in health-conscious choices, particularly organic food products, this study aims to investigate the perceptions, preferences, and motivations that drive Indian consumers to purchase organic food items. Primary data was obtained from a sample of 120 consumers visiting organic stores for understanding the consumer perceptions, preferences and buying motives for organic food products in Bangalore city of Karnataka State. Factor analysis and cross tabulation are employed for analysing the data. The findings of the study indicated that consumers predominantly perceive organic food as healthy yet expensive. Core product factors influencing purchase of organic products include healthiness and quality, while augmentation factors include preservative-free, nutritional properties and certification. Branded organic stores are preferred place of purchase while social media and influencers are primary information sources. Purchase frequencies vary, from daily for fruits and vegetables to occasional for juices. Food safety ranks highest followed by influential and personal factors are major purchase drivers for organic food products. The study findings led to the development of consumer buying behaviour model for organic food products that majorly lay emphasis on personal, psychological and social factors considered during purchase of these products

Motivational factors towards fast-food joint selection in under-developed country setting: A Partial Least Square and Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach

The abrupt rise in the fast food business the world over calls for research attention to the phenomenon, especially, in underdeveloped and developing economies. Research is scanty regarding the phenomenon; especially what motivates patrons to select fast food joints in under developed economies such as Ghana. The study sought to ascertain the motivational factors that actuate (or stimulate) consumers' intent to select a fast-food joint in an under-developed country setting, particularly, in Ghana, a sub-Sahara African region. Additionally, the partial goal of this survey is to examine the mediating role of convenience (CONV), and taste and preference (TASPRE) given the indirect effect of traditional advertising communication medium (ACM); Radio/Tv and word-of-mouth. Using a quantitative research approach, a structured survey questionnaire was used to intercept buyers of fast-food at vantage points in the Cape Coast metropolis in the Central region of Ghana. A non-randomized sampling technique, precisely, the convenience sampling, was adopted to consider popular fast-food joints that aided the researchers to intercept customers/buyers for the study. Results from the application of partial least square and structural equation modelling (PL-SEM) of 305 valid responses revealed that the mediation (indirect) analysis supported all the mediate-hypotheses. The research implications and future study directions are discussed in the concluding part of the paper.Internal Grant Agency of FaME through Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic [IGA/FaME/2019/008

Effect of yoghurt containing Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12® on faecal excretion of secretory immunoglobulin A and human beta-defensin 2 in healthy adult volunteers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Probiotics are used to provide health benefits. The present study tested the effect of a probiotic yoghurt on faecal output of beta-defensin and immunoglobulin A in a group of young healthy women eating a defined diet.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>26 women aged 18-21 (median 19) years residing in a hostel were given 200 ml normal yoghurt every day for a week, followed by probiotic yoghurt containing <it>Bifidobacterium lactis </it>Bb12^®(10⁹in 200 ml) for three weeks, followed again by normal yoghurt for four weeks. Stool samples were collected at 0, 4 and 8 weeks and assayed for immunoglobulin A and human beta-defensin-2 by ELISA. All participants tolerated both normal and probiotic yoghurt well. Human beta-defensin-2 levels in faeces were not altered during the course of the study. On the other hand, compared to the basal sample, faecal IgA increased during probiotic feeding (P = 0.0184) and returned to normal after cessation of probiotic yoghurt intake.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>Bifidobacterium lactis </it>Bb12^®increased secretory IgA output in faeces. This property may explain the ability of probiotics to prevent gastrointestinal and lower respiratory tract infections.</p

<span style="font-size: 22.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Dielectric constant/loss behaviour of 11.6 MeV/n U^{<span style="font-size:17.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">238</span>}<span style="font-size:17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> <span style="font-size:22.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:15.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">ion irradiated poly (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">p</i>-hydroxy benzoic acid-co-ethylene terephthalate) liquid crystal polymer </span></span></span>

633-636<span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">Polymer liquid crystal, a copolymer or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and poly hydroxy henzoic acid (PHB) whence referred as PET/x PHB where <span style="font-size:15.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt; font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">x <span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">represents the molar concentration or PHB, for x=0.3 and 0.7 or 165 µ<span style="font-size:13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:6.0pt;font-family:HiddenHorzOCR;mso-hansi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:HiddenHorzOCR">m nominal <span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">thickness were irradiated with 11.6 MeV /n <span style="font-size:19.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">U238 -ion at DRAMSTADT (Germany) with fluence 1×10<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:6.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">6 ions/cm2 .<span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family: " arial","sans-serif""="">The dielectric constant/loss measurements for these polymer liquid crystal samples were measured in the temperature range 20-220°C b<span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family: " arial","sans-serif""="">y using Keithley's precision LCZ meter for frequencies 120Hz, 1 kHz, 10kHz and 100kHz. An increase in the dielectric constant at low temperature (20-60 °C) mainly ascribed to <span style="font-size:15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" ms="" mincho";mso-bidi-font-family:arial"="">α-relaxation, which depends upon the molar concentration of PHB. This peak has been attributed to the polar nature or both PET and PHB. The α<span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">-relaxation is followed by suppression in dielectric constant or PET/0.3PHB and sharp increase in dielectric constant of -PET/0.7PHB from which one can understand that, due to irradiation, the PET rich phase has been affected drastically. The decrease in the dielectric constant <span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">at higher temperatures is due to the increase in crystallinity as annealing-like effects are also induced due to irradiation by <span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">energetic heavy ions. The peak in the dielectric loss (0.3 PHB) curve ascribed to the space charge relaxation processes, which is in accordance with the thermally-stimulated polarization current behaviour. A continuous decrease in the dielectric loss curve (0.7PHB) ascribed to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">m-transition that is in conformity with the investigations on internal friction. </span

<span style="font-size: 22.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:15.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Dielectric relaxation studies of 100 MeV Ni⁵⁸<span style="font-size:17.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> <span style="font-size:22.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 15.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">ion irradiated kapton-H polyimide film </span></span></span>

654-659<span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">Kapton -H polyimide samples of thickness 12.5<span style="font-size:14.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:7.5pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:="" hiddenhorzocr"="">µ<span style="font-size:14.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:7.5pt; font-family:HiddenHorzOCR;mso-hansi-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family: HiddenHorzOCR">m <span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt; font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">have been irradiated with 100 MeV Ni58 ion beam with fluences 6.295 <span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 5.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">×<span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">1011 and 2.57 <span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:5.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif""="">× 1012<span style="font-size: 12.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:5.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""=""> ions/cm2 .<span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family: " arial","sans-serif""="">The dielectric constant/loss investigations have been measured from 30 to 240°C<span style="font-size:19.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""=""> <span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">for different frequencies ranging from 100Hz to 3 MHz. The nature of Ɛ'-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">T curve in low temperature region (30-70°C) is mainly governed by γ-relaxation. The dielectric loss peak at 60°C is in conformity with this relaxation. The dielectric constant in the temperature range 70-180°C is mainly governed by dipolar and space charge relaxations. The new energy <span style="font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;font-family:HiddenHorzOCR;mso-hansi-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family: HiddenHorzOCR">trap <span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">due to the formation or free radicals by high-energy ion irradiation, contributes significantly towards space charge relaxation. In this temperature region,Ɛ<span style="font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 6.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">' <span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">or high flux irradiated samples is more than low flux irradiated samples. In high temperature region (180-240°C) the increase in Ɛ<span style="font-size:14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:7.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""=""> ' with temperature is mainly due to interfacial polarization, which arises due to formation or new phases by irradiation. The loss maximumin Ɛ "- <span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt; font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">T <span style="font-size:15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">curve at 240°C confirms the presence or this relaxation. </span

A study on various tomato based products preferred by horeca sector in South India

Urbanization, rising income levels, technology penetration, changing life styles are some of the driving forces for the growth of food service industry especially the HoReCa segment in India. Westernization of food consumption patterns has demanded for wide variety of processed foods. Among several food products, the usage of tomato in fresh form is very known by Indian households while an increased application of tomato based products in various culinary applications has become prominent. The present study focus on various tomato based products, brands preferred by HoReCa sector in their culinary applications. Purposive cum snowball sampling design is employed in the present study. The sample size of the study is 60. Among the tomato based products, the sector is majorly using chopped tomatoes followed by tomato paste. The monthly consumption requirement of tomato sauce exhibited wide variations i.e. from 20 kgs to more than 80 kgs per month and. The sector prefers plastic containers for tomato sauce packaging and tetra pack for tomato juice majorly due of their shelf-life and consumption safety. Tomato sauce and ketchup are majorly sourced from company distributors. The major tomato based brands preferred are Morton and Delmonte. Rich tomato sauce procured majorly from outside while others are prepared based on cuisine and customer requirement. The usage of tomato sauce is majorly used in snacks items followed by breakfast items in south and north Indian culinary applications while in Chinese and Italian culinary applications, the usage is prominent in noodles, manchuria, soup, rice, chicken, mutton and starters.</jats:p

Penetration of farm mechanization services through FPOs: rural dynamics-based business modelling

Farm mechanisation although one among the essential input to raise the agriculture productivity, but individual owning of agricultural machinery by resource constrained small and marginal farmers who constitute around 85% of operated land holdings in India is uneconomical. Hence, innovative arrangements such as custom hiring centres’ (CHCs) are being encouraged through farm aggregation models like cooperative farming, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to get access to farm machinery services at affordable prices and promote mechanization of operations on small farms. With this background, the present study is taken upto assess the feasibility for the establishment of FPO owned and operated model custom hiring centre (CHC) in Nimmanapalle mandal of chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh state and formulate suitable business strategies for ensuring viability of the unit. The sample size of the study was 120 farmers. The major crops grown in the study area are tomato, paddy and groundnut and the market potential for farm machinery is estimated at Rs. 269.73 lakhs. The SWOT analysis conducted indicated the opportunity for establishment of CHC due to inadequate farm machinery services, labour shortages and farmers habituated to hiring services. The financial assessment for the proposed unit over a five year period showed that the unit is worth investing as reflected by positive NPV of 6.56 lakhs at 12% discount rate, BCR of 1.05 and IRR of 17.27%. The debt service coverage ratios of greater than two from second year onwards and annual increase of positive cash accruals signifies the unit strength in meeting the debt obligations. The unit if established shall have long term social benefits that includes increase in input use efficiency of farm resources due to timeliness of operations, productivity, yields, income levels in addition to creation of employment in non-farm sector.</jats:p