Current issue
Volume 13, Issue 1, 2024
Online ISSN: 2182-1054
Volume 13 , Issue 1, (2024)
Published: 01.05.2024.
Open Access
Dear Readers,
It is a privilege to introduce our first 2024 issue (Vol 13) of the International Journal of Food Studies.
The journal mission was again well addressed, with a diverse research authorship and a stimulating discussion in the area of food education, food research and innovation.
The consumer was one of the main themes through this issue:
- Guo presented an analysis of the power of media to shape consumer attitude towards meat alternatives and the opportunities that policy makers have in this area.
- Un Nisa et al studied the quality assessment of a strawberry juice with prebiotic fibre processed with ultrasound, showing how ultrasound processed samples obtain higher scores in sensory acceptability.
- Acella and colleagues aimed to enhance the knowledge on the perception of quality by consumers of short food supply chain products, with 20 case studies of SFSCs across Europe. Social characteristics of the products such as genuineness were seen as major criteria.
A second main topic in this issue was shelf life:
- Andriani et al studied a traditional Indonesian fish shelf life demonstrating that vacuum packing and salt may contribute to extend the short shelf life of this product.
- Susantia and Kristamtini assessed in vivothe ability of black garlic extracts to maintain blood sugar homeostasis as well as reducing low density lipoprotein levels and increasing the high density lipoproteins.
- Haddad and Bani-Hani assessed the ability of protective cultures to extend the shelf life of Labaneh, a traditional dairy product from Jordan.
- Duc Vu and colleagues presented an analysis of the efficiency of the commercial production of dried Segestid shrimp studying losses and bringing a better understanding of the production of this traditional Vietnamese product.
Finally, food and health was the third underlying theme, where:
- Najat and colleagues discussed the issue of brucellosis in dairy farms in Morocco, identifying a number of knowledge gaps in farmers and potential risks associated.
- Hernandez et al. presented a study highlighting the need to characterise liquids for dysphagia patients and the importance of rheology in these preparations.
- Hasain et al. findings included that energy drinks available in Kosovo may exhibit higher concentrations of caffeine than those levels declared in the label, highlighting the need to potentially secure the food safety and integrity of these products.
I would like to thank all the authors for their contributions, all the Editorial Board who continue to offer their voluntary work to this publication, the journal office that makes possible this issue and (last but not least) the Iseki Association support of the International Journal of Food Studies.
I wish you all a good reading.
Best regards,
Jesus Maria Frias Celayeta
Editor-in-Chief International Journal of Food Studies
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Contents
28.07.2022.
Original scientific paper
Understanding social innovation in short food supply chains: an exploratory analysis
Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are alternative food chains that have gained ground and contribute to the global food system's sustainable transition. To explore how to enhance their capacity to act and benefit society at large, we turned to scholarly and policy work on Social Innovation (SI). We concentrated on understanding what SI in SFSCs is and how it may stimulate their potential, following a two-phase approach. In Phase 1, employing a two-step systematic literature review, we generated a rich database of SI definitions, but no suitable definition was found. We proceeded to craft a domain-specific systems-centred definition, positing that SFSCs can be seen as social living systems, while SIs in SFSCs may be seen as processes that bring about change (e.g., new mentalities) and result in the creation of sustainable value for the actors involved and beyond. With the aid of an additional scholarly review, we also determined that the drivers of SI that matter are those that secure actor engagement in the co-design and co-development stages of SI (e.g., training). In Phase 2, we attempted to empirically validate the findings from Phase 1 in 12 Community of Practice (CoP) events in nine European countries. We found partial support for the SI definition, strong support for the vital role of trust, and concluded that, in any SFSC, it is critical to have a group of dedicated actors that have realized their role as (co-)leaders in co-shaping their own future.
Eugenia Petropoulou, Theo Benos, Irini Theodorakopoulou, Constantine Iliopoulos, Alessandra Castellini, Vilma Xhakollari, Maurizio Canavari, Annarita Antonelli, Damiano Petruzzella
28.07.2022.
Original scientific paper
Barriers and facilitators of purchasing from short food supply chains: evidence from consumer focus groups in Germany, Spain, Greece and Hungary
This study aimed to identify the barriers and facilitators of consumers purchasing from short food supply chains (SFSC). Eight focus groups were conducted with consumers in the rural and urban areas of Germany, Spain, Hungary and Greece. Participants generally felt that increasing the convenience of purchasing SFSC products (in terms of a proximal location and being able to purchase a wide range of produce in one place) was a prerequisite for them to buy such products. Food quality in terms of taste, freshness and organic status were also taken into account in purchase decisions, and there appears to be a greater focus on health rather than the environmental implications of organic production, although the environmental aspects are also appreciated. Some participants also like the idea of supporting their local community through purchasing from local producers and/or retailers. It was believed that small-scale production and SFSC result in better quality food, but participants had less confidence in the hygiene and food safety standards of SFSC compared to longer chains. Participants thought that consumers would purchase local food if they could more easily access a variety of local food in one place, such as through supermarkets, cooperatives, farm shops and markets, or an online platform that aggregates producers.
Ágnes Szegedyné Fricz, Sophie Hieke, Constantine Iliopoulos, Irini Theodorakopoulou, Frank Jansseni, Begoña Alfaro, Débora Campos, Camille Aouinaït, Theo Benos, Elena Santa Cruz, Betty P.I. Chang, Adrienn Hegyi, Viktória Szente, Katalin Kujáni, Dennis Gawlik, Verena Hüttl-Maack, Eugenia Petropoulou, Malou Reipurth, Camila Massri
