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Adequate vegetable consumption is fundamental to a healthy balanced diet; however, global compliance with recommendations is poor which is particularly important for young adults as they form food consumption habits. There is a growing interest in the circular economy of hospitality and sustainability of current dietary patterns in light of climate change and an expanding global population. The food value chain needs to be considered both vertically and horizontally where the research and development (R&D) investment is optimised by being “joined up” and not fragmentary; in addition, consumer trade-offs of health vs for example sensory appeal are taken into consideration. The purpose of this study was to identify factors predicting acceptance of vegetable dishes by young adults and present a roadmap that can be used for dish development and healthful marketing.

This study used the health belief model (HBM) as framework to investigate key factors that encourage vegetable intake by young adults using an online questionnaire sample of 444 enrolled in undergraduate programs at universities in Brazil.

Structural modelling showed that vegetable consumption frequency was positively influenced by Health concerns, Naturalness and Self-efficacy (including cooking skills), whereas Sensory factors and Familiarity demonstrated a negative loading that might be related to unpleasantness.

Globally, there is a strong need to promote the consumption of vegetables as a public health policy priority but also to ameliorate barriers to action that could be facilitated by availability, dish development and healthful marketing in hospitality operations.

Despite growing demand, little product information is available when eating out. Information that is provided is often not well understood leading to a lack of consumer control and acting as a barrier to healthy food choices. The AIDA model which highlights the key stages of effective marketing communication (awareness, interest, desire and action) is applied. Information provided through technological solutions is examined to provide clear guidance on future use.

Exploratory qualitative methods through four focused group discussions allowed consumers views to be probed in-depth and key themes to emerge through thematic analysis.

In addition to the four key elements of the AIDA model, accessibility and relevance are found to be key constructs relevant to food information provision. Accessibility highlights the need for quick and clear data display, while relevance stresses how salient information is key to each consumer. Technological solutions may offer the most responsive, effective and trusted way to provide enhanced information.

With increasing consumer demand for clear information, a competitive advantage can be gained through the provision of personalised enhanced dish information when eating out. Findings from this study highlight consumers’ desire for online (app or website-based) platforms.

The provision of enhanced food information when eating out has clear public health implications and may influence choice leading to a reduction in non-communicable disease.

This study evaluates consumers’ perceptions to the provision of enhanced food information out of home providing novel insights and guidance for both managerial and societal impact.

Advances have been made in the provision of nutritional and ingredient information on packaged food, however, there is a need to translate this to eating out reflecting consumer desire for greater transparency and knowledge of menu content. The purpose of this paper is to assess consumer’s preferences for food information presentation in four European countries (UK, Greece, Denmark and France) in a workplace dining setting.

This study focusses on workplace canteens since the regularity in which they are used provides an important context and potential for behaviour change. An exploratory phase designed iteratively in collaboration with experts, end-users and researchers (qualitative) informed a survey (quantitative) conducted in four European countries. The survey was used to examine workplace diners’ preferences towards food information presentation.

Differences were found and clustered (n=5) to “heuristic processors” (33 per cent) “brand orientated” (25 per cent) “systematic processors” (17.3 per cent) “independent processors” (16.1 per cent) and “tech-savvy” (8.6 per cent). Dual-process theories were used to analyse the findings and produce new insight into how menu information can be most effectively delivered.

When eating-out consumers struggle to make choices or make the wrong choice from a health perspective, partly caused by a lack of nutrient profile information as well as other criteria of concern. Giving catering managers the understanding of preferred communication channels can enable a more competitive operator. Traffic light labelling was the optimal presentation with the opportunity for consumers to discover more detailed information if desired. For the first time this research has given operational clarity whilst allowing food providers to be considered as part of corporate health.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of different menu labelling formats on healthy food choices in a real restaurant setting.

This cross-sectional, randomised and controlled parallel-group trial was conducted in Brazil in 2013. In total, 313 university students were randomly assigned to one of three parallel groups with different menu labelling formats. Of these, data from 233 students were analysed. The others did not attend and were excluded. Intervention Group 1 (n=88) received information in the form of a traffic light plus guideline daily amounts, while Intervention Group 2 (n=74) was presented with ingredients list plus highlighted symbols (IL+S). The control group (n=71) received a menu with no menu labelling. Data were collected on one weekday in a restaurant setting. Trial outcomes were assessed by healthy food choices.

Healthy food choices of students who received the menu showing IL+S were significantly higher when compared to the other groups. This same menu labelling format positively affected healthy food choices in women, not overweight participants and in participants who often ate out more than twice a week.

Menu labelling format presenting ingredients list and highlighted symbols was positively associated with healthy food choices among the university students in Brazil. This type of labelling could be adopted in future legislation on menu labelling in Brazil and around the world.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate consumer's perceptions towards descriptive menus and branding in hospital foodservice. This research is unique in its focus; earlier work has tended to concentrate on palatability and the variety of the menu rather than on dish description.

Data were collected by means of a questionnaire in both medical and surgical wards (n=42). In addition, qualitative comments were sought from patients and foodservice management to enhance and add weight to results and conclusions drawn.

Menu description was welcomed with patients preferring familiar foods. The general consensus was that an unfamiliar dish would not be selected on brand name alone.

The potential impact of the proposed work could be significant with regard to hospital foodservice strategy particularly as greater emphasis has been given to the role of food in clinical outcomes. Any initiative such as improved dish description or use of familiar branded products that alleviates patient concern and concurrently leads to greater acceptance and consumption must be one that is regarded with favour.

A full review of the literature on menu description has been undertaken and no research to date has been conducted to identify patient's perceptions of menu rhetoric design and the effect on food acceptance. This research will bring new information based on empirical evidence about the benefits of dish descriptive style and hints towards a procurement policy for enhancing patient satisfaction. The potential value of this research, therefore, to inform hospital foodservice practice and strategy is identifiable.

The purpose of this paper is to review one aspect, impact of the forthcoming assessment of research in UK universities, the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and to examine its meaning and potential for enhanced partnerships between practitioners and academia.

This article debates the increasing requirement of practitioner and academic collaboration as well as outlining how we, as a contributing University, are grappling with the evidence needed to develop a framework that will demonstrate impact outside of formal academia.

It is difficult to establish the link between cause and effect and to assume that the potential changes in behaviour are the result of certain interventions; capturing learning or useful data which contributes to evidenced based policy is challenging. The problem is compounded by the diversity of funding sources, each with its own scrutinising requirements. The importance of REF for the integration of evidenced based practice is evident and demonstrates the major role that practitioners could play in the future.

A considerable amount of UK research is publically funded, hence fuelling the Government's drive to determine impact on society. This paper debates for the first time that practitioners have a role to play in its creation and identification.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the changes in emotion brought by eating the midday meal. Many aspects of eating out have been studied, yet emotions remain an under‐researched area, despite having been shown to play a significant role in food consumption.

This paper reports findings from a qualitative study, involving semi‐structured interviews with British undergraduates about changes in their emotional state after eating their lunchtime meal. Data were analysed through the technique of thematic analysis.

Participants observed a clear relationship between their emotions and eating a meal, with changes noted in concentration, energy and happiness levels. The quality of the food eaten was an issue of concern to participants; access to a healthy meal was seen to be important, given the perceived benefits for emotional and physical health. Finally, eating was deemed to be both a physical and social activity. Eating in company enhanced the emotional experience of dining, as it offered the opportunity to bond with friends. Recommendations for further research are made.

This research addresses a paucity of information on the link between food and emotion, helping to better understand the role of emotions when eating out. Further research into different settings is called for in order to broaden the understanding of the relationship between eating and emotional state, and to find out whether or not similar findings emerge from alternative settings.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the influence of nutritional information on menu choices in a higher educational setting using a menu designed by the students themselves.

Based on USDA healthy eating standards, a menu comprising seven healthy and seven unhealthy meal options were presented, once unlabeled as control (n=214) and once labeled with healthy and non-healthy nutrient icons as an intervention test menu (n=212).

Findings demonstrate that despite a positive observed trend, there were no significant differences between healthy selection of labeled and unlabeled dishes (p=0.16).

Providing nutritional information in student cafeterias may be challenging but helpful. However, more strategies need to be developed with student input to provide nutrition data on menus in an informative, comprehensive, yet friendly way that encourages healthy eating in campus foodservices.

No labeling system or legislation can control choices made by individuals, so the responsibility for a healthy selection must always remain personal. However, consumers should have input on menus as they have a stake in the outcome of the products.

This novel study tested a student-designed menu to assess whether user input can influence food choice.

This research aims to explore the scope of the food neophobia scale (FNS) as a means of identifying classes of adopters in the market diffusion of new food products.

A questionnaire incorporating the FNS, together with a number of demographics questions, was administered to 226 postgraduate students. Data from the questionnaire were analysed using t‐testing, one‐way analysis of variance, cluster and discriminant analysis.

There were small differences between recently arrived and long‐term residents, between men and women, and, more significantly, between Europeans and East Asians, although not between other groups. A two‐cluster structure was revealed within the data which broadly conformed to the expected pattern of adopters, but did not provide a more precise discrimination. This suggests that the FNS is dichotomous rather than continuous.

The FNS provides a potential tool for marketers of food products, but it would need to be used with other measures to identify all five classes of adopters.

This study addresses a gap in current knowledge, since food neophobia and the FNS have not been considered before in the context of market diffusion of new food products.

The potential for the foodservice industry to be part of a public health strategy has led to a new understanding of this sector’s role in a wider interdisciplinary health environment. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the influence of the foodscape on fruit and vegetable choice by staff in a higher educational setting.

Foodscape mapping of fruit and vegetable provision on campus was conducted to provide context. Two focus groups with staff and two interviews with foodservice managers took place to gain depth of understanding. Thematic analysis was conducted to allow for pattern and meaning to emerge.

Results demonstrate two main overarching themes; personal influence and food operator influence that impact on fruit and vegetable choice. In addition connectivity, perceptions of freshness, food quality and display seemed to be strong categories emerging from the data. Interestingly, this research indicated that consumers were more likely to eat fruit and vegetables when part of a composite dish than if served separately.

Providing a positive foodscape to enhance availability of fruit and vegetables may be challenging but helpful towards health promotion. Nevertheless, no “nudging” can control choice made by individuals, responsibility for healthy selection must always remain personal.

Knowledge gained by this pilot study will add to the body of literature and evidence base for further research while contributing to foodservice strategies which may promote increased fruit and vegetable consumption.