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Manufacturers are producing an extensive range of added value products which are formulated using meat replacers but which are designed to appeal to a wide range of consumers, above and beyond the “traditional vegetarian” market. This study considered the relatively recent impact of such products on the Northern Ireland market, with a particular emphasis on the quality and acceptability of Quorn based products. A small‐ scale questionnaire (n = 100) considered customer perceptions of meat replacers, whilst the acceptance of selected tofu, textured vegetable protein (TVP) and Quorn products was measured using selected sensory evaluation techniques. The study concluded that Quorn can offer similar texture and flavour attributes to those consumers who wish to avoid meat products for health and/or safety reasons. It is this customer base which needs to be targeted, but it must be noted that negative perceptions of meat replacers still exist. Therefore, further developments need to be supported by appropriate marketing strategies which will both attract and educate consumers and help to achieve a sustained level of purchasing.

The potential value of sensory analysis has often been undermined in the food industry, where results tend to be viewed with scepticism. In reality, however, various forms of sensory‐related work can provide an important investigative and informative function in a number of areas. This may include consumer preference and buying behaviour, product development, production and quality control. The objective must be to achieve a realistic balance between sensory and instrumental methods and to manage the sensory process effectively, if results are to be meaningful. The main problem, however, is in dealing with people and their variability. A preliminary study assessed the potential value of using computerized systems to help improve the credibility of sensory analysis and, in particular, to maintain and improve panel motivation and consistency of response. Generally, accuracy improved significantly as tests progressed and panellists preferred using the computerized system.

Reviews the main food choice trends driving consumer demand for functional foods and the constraints limiting market development. Considers previous research activity in the functional food arena and subsequently identifies paramount research priorities that may facilitate the development of products that will help satisfy consumer demands for convenience, health and sensory pleasure.

Much sensory research focuses on an initial analysis of sensory descriptor data followed by a principal component analysis (PCA) of the sensory descriptors. This paper illustrates an alternative approach of conducting PCA and then applying analysis of variance (ANOVA) to the extracted principal components. The approach is applied to data from a case study quantifying the sensory characteristics of a sous vide vegetable product during storage. In the case study, 11 out of 18 descriptors were significantly influenced by product. Using the alternative approach, however, three out of six principal components were significantly influenced by product. The alternative approach, therefore, provided a more concise presentation of results and one that was consistent with the analysis of the original descriptors. It is hoped that this approach could improve interpretation and subsequent communication of sensory profiling results and help to bridge the gap between core and wider product development activities.

THIS SURVEY was undertaken by the authors as private research because of the apparent lack of awareness in the profession about employment conditions. It was not paid for or sponsored by any organisation.

Salt is one of the most valuable substances available to man, with a definitive role in the human body and in food production. However, the continued use or indeed misuse of salt has led to adverse effects on health. The increasing consumption of convenience foods has contributed greatly to a high salt intake. Highly processed, convenience foods are known to contain large quantities of salt to optimise storage stability and flavour acceptability. Current high salt intakes have therefore been attributed to processed foods, accounting for 75‐85 per cent of total salt intake. Such findings and associated health implications have prompted a call from health professionals and food researchers to reduce salt intake. Effective salt reduction, however, can only be achieved with the co‐operation and commitment of the food industry in the development of lower‐salt processed foods.

To assess the potential for development in the agri‐food sector by investigating: consumer awareness of health‐enhancing foods; key influences on their perceptions of and attitudes towards these foods; their relevant purchasing behaviour in the context of the Northern Irish dairy products market. To develop recommendations for future segmentation and positioning strategies for health‐enhancing dairy foods.

Northern Ireland is a geographically discrete area of the United Kingdom, which relies heavily on the agri‐food industry in general, and the dairy sector in particular. A consumer questionnaire was adapted from previous studies. After two pilot studies with 30 and 50 consumers, 600 were administered face‐to‐face to a quota sample of male and female shoppers in six key supermarkets across Northern Ireland. Results were collated and analysed by SPSS. Descriptive parametric and non‐parametric statistics re‐reported in findings.

There is potential for the agri‐food industry to expand further, particularly in the case of added‐value food products, among which health‐enhancing foods should be treated as an important subset. However, a pre‐requisite is development of enhanced consumer segmentation and product positioning strategies.

The findings and conclusions derive from one study of one specialist product type in one small national market. Generalisation should be possible, at least informally, but comparative studies are indicated.

The findings indicated a general lack of awareness of the health‐enhancing food concept and the level of (largely proven) health benefits of such products, which is a barrier to their wider adoption of these products. The key aims goals for marketing planners in this context are thus awareness generation and consumer education. The crucial segments of the general target audience and the core message to be conveyed, are both defined by the findings.

This study provides a research‐based foundation for a more proactive and informed marketing strategy in a particular context, potentially transferable to other market sectors and locations.

Retailer loyalty card marketing intelligence presents actual customer purchasing preferences, competitor activities and performance. Typically, extant literature implies that larger firms with formal marketing planning approaches will be more able to leverage it, structured as it is within a formalized statistical format. Small business literature on the other hand emphasizes their more informal approach to marketing planning. The purpose of this paper is to consider, for the first time, the potential relationship between retailer loyalty card marketing intelligence and small business market orientation.

A conceptual model is developed which diagrammatically interprets how retailer loyalty card marketing intelligence can relate to small business market orientation. Propositions provide a basis for further discussion with applied and research implications.

A pertinent aspect of the conceptualization is the role of small business owner‐manager insight and intuition within an experiential learning context. A complementary relationship is posited in the leveraging of retailer loyalty card marketing intelligence to enhance small business market orientation, which with higher levels of entrepreneurship orientation can lead to positive organizational outcomes, such as facilitating more successful and informed engagement with larger suppliers.

The paper addresses the increasing pressure small businesses face in dealing with retailer loyalty card marketing intelligence. Generally, literature has yet to adequately address marketing planning implications for firms. The informal/formal tension when considering small businesses presents a particularly interesting area of conceptual development, integrating market orientation literature and also recent developments which point to interaction between market and entrepreneurship orientations. This paper therefore provides a basis for a new small business research agenda in an area which is highly topical and important, with a synthesis of the extant literature in developing a conceptualization and propositions. The conceptualization and propositions can facilitate the development of new research and thinking in this potentially fruitful area of future enquiry.