The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential relationship between shelf life and environmental sustainability from a micro-economic perspective. In particular, we aimed at: (i) estimating the value that consumers attribute to shelf life and environmental sustainability through the use of a Choice Model (e.g. Conditional Logit) and (ii) identifying the efficient trade-off between shelf life and environmental sustainability. We applied our analysis to the case of the ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ cheese. Our choice experiment was carried out through a survey submitted to 757 consumers across Southern Italy. Results provided indications on how much consumers are willing to pay for a longer shelf life compared to environmental sustainability of a product and on the trade-off value between these two attributes. Estimated results suggest that the presence of an environmental and PGI certification as product attributes is highly perceived by consumers. A high willingness to pay (WTP) would translate for a high premium price for both of these attributes. Although the WTP for an extended shelf life is lower than that of an environmental and PGI certification, its positive value shows that consumers would prefer traditional products with a longer ‘expiration date’. Under a firm’s perspective, the obtained results can encourage food companies oriented to invest in this product innovation. Finally, given the coexistence of a premium price for environmental sustainability and IGP certification, there exists the possibility to develop synergies between environmental and food product quality policies.

In this work, Combination of Uniform and shifted Binomial random variables (CUB) models were used to understand the role played by liking/disliking toward the sensory meat characteristics and the uncertainty of the respondents. The detection of significant similarities and differences among sensory evaluations was proposed by comparing the parameters estimated by CUB models with the aid of multidimensional scaling (MDS). The MDS approach was also proposed to confirm the presence of the two latent variables – feeling and uncertainty – estimated by CUB models. In particular, the sensory characteristics of a conventional hamburger and a new one produced from dairy cattle at the end of their milk production, properly mixed with chicken and turkey meat were evaluated and compared. This approach resulted useful to understand which hamburger was preferred and why. In particular, the results showed a good level of acceptance for both hamburgers, with a slight preference toward the new product in terms of feeling and uncertainty. The outcomes of the analysis also provided indications to meat producers oriented to exploiting dairy cattle for slaughter and could give suggestions for bottom-up sustainable food policy implications.

Typical products are foods for which the place of origin constitutes an essential element of quality. For these products the development of new ideas is scarce and difficult. Main innovations concern brand, certifications, package restyling, but they don’t involve technological processes that are trapped inside of production rules. Shelf life extension can be considered as a permitted technological innovation that could meet needs of consumer having little time for food shopping. This innovation has also positive effects on producers, in terms of more efficient production planning strategies and logistics management. Nevertheless, it’s known that technologies oriented to extend the shelf life of food products negatively impact the environment. On this background, we found relevant to investigate the link between shelf life and environmental sustainability of a product from a micro-economic perspective, by means of consumer preference analysis. In particular, this paper aimed to measure consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for food with prolonged shelf life, compared to environmental sustainability and identify the efficient trade-off value between these two attributes. The study was focused on the “Canestrato di Moliterno”, that is a typical cheese produced in Italy, with a protected geographical indication (PGI). A Choice Model was used for the analysis. The survey was conducted over a sample of 757 consumers living in Italy. Results show a high WTP for a typical cheese with both environmental and PGI certification while the WTP for food with an extended shelf life, even positive, is lower than the above two attributes. The results underline the possibility to develop synergies between environmental and food product quality policies.

Le indicazioni geografiche certificano il legame esistente tra la qualità di talune produzioni agro-alimentari e il loro territorio di produzione. Per tali prodotti il premium price ricevuto è in parte legato alla presenza del marchio di tipicità, in parte alla reputazione stessa del territorio considerando l’esistenza di casi in cui pur in assenza di un marchio di tipicità vi è una elevata reputazione territoriale. Con il caso studio proposto si è inteso valutare l’effetto disgiunto di questi due fattori. L’analisi è stata focalizzata sul Pomodoro di Pachino IGP attraverso un’indagine che ha coinvolto 700 consumatori intervistati su tutto il territorio italiano. I risultati dell’indagine evidenziano maggiore disponibilità a pagare, per il prodotto certificato IGP. Tuttavia l’elevato premium price riconosciuto alla sola indicazione della provenienza geografica lascia presuppore una scarsa consapevolezza da parte dei consumatori circa il significato del marchio IGP. L’analisi è stata completata da una segmentazione del mercato che consentito di identificare i consumatori più propensi ad acquistare prodotto certificato.

L’IGP è uno dei marchi di qualità attraverso cui l’UE accorda riconoscimento e protezione legale a prodotti agro-alimentari che hanno un forte legame con il territorio, esso costituisce un’opportunità per i produttori che intendono soddisfare la domanda di segmenti di consumatori per i quali l’origine del prodotto costituisce un importante fattore di scelta. Sebbene per queste produzioni il sistema di controllo sia molto rigoroso, la vera origine dei prodotti non è tuttavia facile da garantire, poiché diffusi sono gli episodi di dettaglianti che, sfruttando la notorietà dell’originale, indicano illegalmente l’area di produzione anche per prodotti non IGP. I limiti del sistema di tracciabilità e la breve shelf life di alcuni prodotti rendono non sempre efficace il monitoraggio e conseguente sanzione delle frodi; osservare ed eventualmente indirizzare il comportamento dei consumatori sembra, pertanto, essere l’unica strada perseguibile per contrastare l’uso non legittimo di questi marchi. Laddove scarsa è la capacità dei consumatori di distinguere tra prodotti a marchio e omonimi illegali il problema assume caratteristiche rilevanti, in questi casi la preferenza verso prodotti non certificati costituisce il presupposto affinché possano verificarsi fenomeni di selezione avversa. Supponendo i prodotti IGP originali e omonimi illegali come sostituti imperfetti, il lavoro analizza le preferenze dei consumatori nei confronti dell’acquisto di pomodoro ciliegino fresco. Nello specifico si esamina il caso del pomodoro di Pachino IGP, poiché per questo prodotto frequenti sono i casi di frodi alimentari. L’approccio alla ricerca si basa sull’analisi delle preferenze dichiarate dei consumatori mediante applicazione di choice model. I risultati evidenziano che i consumatori pagherebbero un prezzo più alto per la garanzia del luogo di origine oltre che per la denominazione IGP, riconoscendo quindi valore a questi attributi del prodotto sebbene si evidenzi confusione nel distinguere l’IGP originale dall’analogo non certificato.

In the context of traditional and typical foods, innovation is both a controversial concept and an essential factor for competition. Literature lacks of studies related to consumer's innovation acceptance of traditional foods. The present paper aims at examining, with a focus on an Italian cheese, how consumers perceive two different types of innovations: shelf life extension and environmental certification. Through a consumer behaviour approach, we assess that consumer's willingness to pay for these attributes is high and the existence of positive trade-offs suggest the creation of synergies across food policies oriented to innovation, product quality and environmental sustainability

A ready meal based on precooked gluten-free pasta with a yogurt-based sauce enriched with probiotic bacteria was developed and optimized from both the nutritional and sensory point of view. Conceptually, the work aims at understanding the innovation stress in consumers and check whether the “perfect beauty” of a complex food product innovation, which is extremely admirable from a food technology point of view, could be effectively appreciated by consumers. In other words, we are interested in knowing whether there exists a gap between science-based or ”innovation-leading” technologists’ food preferences and consumers’ preferences, which are taste, information, price and promotion driven.