Food technology has been instrumental in ensuring that troops remain ＂fit to fight＂. Early food technologies produced flat bread, hard biscuits, cheese and salted meat, allowing Roman legionaries to carry rations fo...Food technology has been instrumental in ensuring that troops remain ＂fit to fight＂. Early food technologies produced flat bread, hard biscuits, cheese and salted meat, allowing Roman legionaries to carry rations for several days. Canning was invented in the late 18th century in response to the French Government＇s offer of a substantial reward to the person whose invention would allow troops to carry their food when marching long distances. World War II saw further advances in the form of stable and palatable canned meals, compressed cereal bars, candy-coated peanuts and other innovative foods in US combat rations. Two significant technology breakthroughs in the second half of the 20th century have altered the form of military rations. Freeze drying matured as an industrial technology, allowing the production of long-life, light-weight rations. Flexible packaging, based on plastic laminates, led to reduced weight and less waste disposal through the development of retort pouched meals （meals in flexible packaging that have undergone heat sterilization）, which have largely replaced metal cans in combat rations. Improvements in quality of military rations, particularly their organoleptic properties, are emerging through application of innovative technologies such as high-pressure thermal processing, pulsed electric field, and microwave assisted thermal sterilization. Research and development of ＂functional foods＂, such as those containing added essential fatty acids or probiotics offers the potential to provide combat rations that can further improve soldier health and performance.展开更多
As a result of a large number of food scandals, societal interest in transparency in the food sector has grown considerably. Hence, the creation of transparency in the production process has been the focus of recent l...As a result of a large number of food scandals, societal interest in transparency in the food sector has grown considerably. Hence, the creation of transparency in the production process has been the focus of recent legislation. In addition to tracking and tracing, one finds in the public discussion an increasing number of demands for further information on such issues as food safety, animal and environmental protection and the sustainability of food production processes. However, it has not yet been sufficiently clarified which information about the production process--and thus which level of transparency--is actually desired or can actually be processed by consumers at the point of sale. In order to analyze this topic from the viewpoint of consumers, a large-scale empirical study has been conducted. This research uses an adaptive conjoint analysis to determine what transparency expectations consumers have with regards to information on packaged pork. Initial results show a very heterogeneous demand for information. Furthermore, consumers＇ demand for more information sometimes does not match their actual benefit profiles. The results provide insight into consumers＇ information needs and their willingness to pay for greater transparency; they also have interesting implications for meat processors＇ product development strategies.展开更多
文摘Food technology has been instrumental in ensuring that troops remain ＂fit to fight＂. Early food technologies produced flat bread, hard biscuits, cheese and salted meat, allowing Roman legionaries to carry rations for several days. Canning was invented in the late 18th century in response to the French Government＇s offer of a substantial reward to the person whose invention would allow troops to carry their food when marching long distances. World War II saw further advances in the form of stable and palatable canned meals, compressed cereal bars, candy-coated peanuts and other innovative foods in US combat rations. Two significant technology breakthroughs in the second half of the 20th century have altered the form of military rations. Freeze drying matured as an industrial technology, allowing the production of long-life, light-weight rations. Flexible packaging, based on plastic laminates, led to reduced weight and less waste disposal through the development of retort pouched meals （meals in flexible packaging that have undergone heat sterilization）, which have largely replaced metal cans in combat rations. Improvements in quality of military rations, particularly their organoleptic properties, are emerging through application of innovative technologies such as high-pressure thermal processing, pulsed electric field, and microwave assisted thermal sterilization. Research and development of ＂functional foods＂, such as those containing added essential fatty acids or probiotics offers the potential to provide combat rations that can further improve soldier health and performance.
文摘As a result of a large number of food scandals, societal interest in transparency in the food sector has grown considerably. Hence, the creation of transparency in the production process has been the focus of recent legislation. In addition to tracking and tracing, one finds in the public discussion an increasing number of demands for further information on such issues as food safety, animal and environmental protection and the sustainability of food production processes. However, it has not yet been sufficiently clarified which information about the production process--and thus which level of transparency--is actually desired or can actually be processed by consumers at the point of sale. In order to analyze this topic from the viewpoint of consumers, a large-scale empirical study has been conducted. This research uses an adaptive conjoint analysis to determine what transparency expectations consumers have with regards to information on packaged pork. Initial results show a very heterogeneous demand for information. Furthermore, consumers＇ demand for more information sometimes does not match their actual benefit profiles. The results provide insight into consumers＇ information needs and their willingness to pay for greater transparency; they also have interesting implications for meat processors＇ product development strategies.
