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Fruit and vegetables are important components of a healthy diet, and their textural characteristics are important in determining consumer choice. The food industry needs reliable instrumental methods to measure the textural quality of fresh produce, but also needs to ensure that the instruments measure characteristics important to consumers. A study was carried out to probe consumer understanding of textural characteristics, and to relate their perceptions to sensory profiles developed by trained panels. The results were correlated with instrumental texture measurements, and included sound emitted during fracture. Consumers had a clearer understanding of the nature of crunchiness, in contrast with crispness, and good correlations were found with the instrumental parameter, fracture toughness.

A New Centre for Food Research was created in September 1993 at Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh. Its main purpose is to promote research into food choice, particularly factors influencing choice such as sensory, socio‐cultural and nutritional aspects. Research undertaken involves a multi‐disciplinary approach by bringing together expertise from various disciplines including consumer sciences, dietetics and nutrition, food science, social sciences and hospitality studies. A one‐day symposium “Food research in Europe” was held in 1994 to mark the Centre′s official launch. The symposium was well attended, with delegates representing a wide range of organizations in the UK and other EU countries. Presentations were given by eminent speakers and researchers – Dr David Lindsay, MAFF; Dr Ronan Gormley, The National Food Centre in Dublin; Dr David Kilcast, Leatherhead Food Research Association; Dr Wendy Brown and Dr Richard Shepherd, both from the Institute of Food Research, Reading. The centre′s major research interests and activities are related to fruit and vegetable consumption (sensory qualities of apples; barriers to consumption); the relationship between snacking, body weight and physical activity; healthy eating award schemes in the UK.

With the recent publication in the UK of draft legislation referring to the introduction of food irradiation in 1991, the food industry, consumers and regulatory authorities have at last had the opportunity to assess the likely impact of this controversial new process. Food categories to be licensed for irradiation are based on those under discussion within the EEC, with some modifications of more direct relevance to the UK. In this article the technological justifications for food irradiation are examined, together with the possible applications within the permitted food categories.

Despite public unease, certain irradiated foods will be legally on sale in the UK in 1990. The irradiation process is outlined and its applications described. At present 36 countries have legalised the process and more than 40 different foods are treated. Although the process has as yet no detection method, all products so treated will be identified. The main initial application in the UK will probably be spices and herbs, whose decontamination is currently problematic.

Reports a study in which a structured questionnaire was used to elicit the attitudes and knowledge of 451 women (18‐35 years), 217 dieters and 234 non‐dieters to nutritional issues. It included questions on frequency of reading labels, attitudes to and likelihood of buying products labelled with qualitative terms, and understanding of nutritional terms. Data were analysed to determine differences between dieters and non‐dieters. Dieters were significantly more likely to read labels, and gave more priority to “low in calories”. Both groups most often ranked “no additives” as most important. “Calories” and “fat” were most often associated with “fattening”, but “energy” and “joule” were less widely recognized. Dieters recognized more energy‐related terms. Significantly, more dieters knew that fat has more calories than sugar, but the majority of both groups thought saturated fatty acids had more calories than polyunsaturated fatty acids. Results indicate dieters to be slightly more knowledgeable, but that confusion remained over a number of issues.

Reports the results of a Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food‐funded research project which examined practical approaches to increasing vegetable consumption. Identifies ways of overcoming obstacles to increasing the consumption of both vegetables and fruits. Develops practical strategies for implementing the findings.

Assesses the effect of fat substitutes on satiety and subsequent food intake in men; 50 per cent of fat in pork sausages was replaced by natural fat substitutes ‐ Avicel, Tapiocaline and Simplesse. Results showed that high‐energy fat breakfasts comprising full‐fat sausages led to delayed satiety compared with high‐energy CHO breakfasts. There were no differences between hunger and satiety ratings nor energy and fat intakes following different fatsubstituted breakfasts on the test day and the following day. The deficit in energy between high‐energy and reduced‐energy breakfasts was maintained throughout the test day. Consumption of one reduced‐fat meal resulted in a significant reduction of energy intake, which was not compensated for on the test day or on the following day.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate Japanese consumer perceptions of the benefits of consuming fresh leafy vegetables.

An online bulletin board survey was conducted in Japan to collect responses to an open-ended question about reasons for consuming fresh leafy vegetables. A total of 897 responses were analysed using word co-occurrence network analysis. A community detection method and centrality measures were used to interpret the resulting network map.

Using a community detection algorithm, the authors identify six major groups of words that represent respondents’ core motives for consuming leafy vegetables. While Japanese consumers view health benefits to be most important, sensory factors, such as texture, colour, and palatability, and convenience factors also influence attitudes. The authors find that centrality measures can be useful in identifying keywords that appear in various contexts of consumer responses.

This is the first paper to use a quantitative text analysis to examine consumer perceptions for fresh leafy vegetables. The analysis also provides pointers for creating visually interpretable co-occurrence network maps from textual data and discusses the role of community structure and centrality in interpreting such maps.

Irradiation is an effective means of increasing a food′s microbiological safety. However, it has not been widely adopted in the UK as a routine process. The major stumbling block is consumer resistance. Tests the hypothesis that this may be due to radiophobia (fear of irradiation). Perceptions of irradiation, gauged by means of questionnaire, showed a low awareness of irradiation and the treatment involved. In those aware of irradiation, radiophobia was apparent, demonstrated by both fear of radioactivity and worries of potential detrimental health effects after consuming irradiated foods. However, younger consumers appeared to be less radiophobic than older consumers. Consumers are generally unaware of process benefits. This demonstrates a need for education, if food irradiation is to be accepted on a routine basis.