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This paper aims to advance the design-thinking approach in food from an engineering mind-set toward a positive psychology perspective by investigating how consumer experiences evoked by food-related activities can facilitate, stimulate and enhance individuals’ happiness and perceptions of life satisfaction.

A diary field experiment was conducted. Participants from a major European city were asked to reflect on their food-related activities, provide descriptions and answer questions on experiential stimulation derived from these activities in relation to happiness and perceived life satisfaction.

Food-related activities generally result in positive consumer experiences and psychological well-being. Experiential stimulation resulting from food activities is positively related to perceived life satisfaction directly and indirectly via pleasure and meaning. Although the authors found an overall positive relationship between these constructs, they also found differences based on the experience type considered. A “crescendo model” of experiences that details how experiences lead to happiness and perceived life satisfaction is presented.

This study is largely exploratory. Future research should adopt an experimental approach and further test the relationship between experiential stimulation, happiness and perceived life satisfaction in the context of food.

The paper offers innovation teams in food companies a practical “crescendo model” that can be used to design product–consumer interactions.

The research bridges literatures on design thinking, psychological well-being and consumer experiences. By studying the relationship between experiences, happiness and perceived life satisfaction in the context of food, the findings contribute to research on food well-being by expanding the notion of happiness seen only as pleasure. The research also contributes to work on design thinking by offering an experiential framework that contributes to the notion of consumer empathy.

The purpose of this paper is to explore differences in consumers’ willingness to purchase functional foods (FFs) in southern Chile in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, consumer knowledge, and subjective well-being.

A survey was carried out among 400 people in southern Chile. The questionnaire measured willingness to buy FFs with 18 different benefits, knowledge about FFs, socio-demographic characteristics and satisfaction with life and with food-related life.

Two dimensions were found for benefits sought in FFs: disease prevention and improvement of bodily functions. Cluster analysis was used to distinguish three types of consumers. The majority (59.8 per cent) showed a significant disposition to buy FFs that prevent diseases or improve bodily functions. Others (25.8 per cent) were less inclined to buy either type of FF. A minority (14.5 per cent) showed greater disposition to buy FFs which improve bodily functions. The types differ according to the size of family, presence and age of children at home, ethnic origin, education, socio-economic status, knowledge about FFs and satisfaction with life and food-related life.

This study was conducted in the context of only one country in South America. The results reveal a high interest to buy FFs in order to improve bodily functions, and this preference may be associated to lifestyle changes in the population in Latin American countries.

This study provides information on the willingness to buy FFs and relates it to ethnic origin and satisfaction with food-related life. People from ethnic minorities are less inclined to buy FFs. People who are more inclined to buy FFs are more satisfied with their life and their food-related life.

The purpose of this study is to develop and test an integrated structural gastro-tourism wellbeing model consisting of food-related lifestyle and leisure attitude as a precursor of the consumption enjoyment of the gastro-tourism experience with satisfaction, life domain outcomes, tourism autobiographical memory and life satisfaction as outcomes of the consumption enjoyment.

The conceptual model was assessed with quantitative data collected from tourists based on their deliberate and incidental gastro-tourism experiences (N = 617).

The findings indicated that the enjoyment of gastro-tourism consumption experience significantly influences satisfaction, life domain outcomes, life satisfaction and tourism autobiographical memory. Life domain outcomes and tourism autobiographical memory have enduring influence on life satisfaction over time. Food-related lifestyle and leisure attitude are salient determinants of gastro-tourism wellbeing with their significant influence on consumption experience. Satisfaction with consumption experiences contributes to life satisfaction regardless of the experience type (deliberate versus incidental).

This research extends our knowledge of tourism consumption experience in the domain of gastro-tourism as well as quality of life or wellbeing.

This research has offered an integrated framework to measure the interplays of salient and enduring determinants of gastro-tourism wellbeing. Future studies will benefit from this research as a baseline model linking consumption experience and life satisfaction.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of food-related lifestyle (FRL) and food-related personality traits (FRPTs) on customer satisfaction and loyalty so that sufficient evidence for forming a new pattern of predictors of customer satisfaction and loyalty can be explored.

The research method in this study was the descriptive type and was based on the goal of the applied research methods. Data were collected from 384 sample group consumers of chain stores in the city of Tehran. The hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Final results of study showed the significant effects of FRL and FRPT on satisfaction and loyalty of consumers. This indicates that aforementioned variables can create customer satisfaction and loyalty toward food. The research conceptual model was confirmed with goodness of fit.

First, the sample consisted of customers who use a wide range of food despite diverse motives and interests. While knowing that costumers’ specific traits about food would have provided a more detailed and comprehensive understanding, conducting research in a set of general food consumer without considering special foods category could be a limitation. Second, and more importantly, since the customer behavior in consumption choices is an unconscious and cognitive process, other factors and domain that are linked to customer satisfaction and loyalty would have been missed.

This study shows that understanding the behavioral aspects of food consumption can help food producing companies to adjust their production and specially to foresee changes. Marketers are advised to investigate customer traits to promote customer satisfaction and loyalty effectively. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge in food marketing.

The present study offers a unique and valuable insight into a customer’s behavior and deepens customer satisfaction and loyalty by incorporating FRL, food neophobia scale and food involvement scale as independent variables to contribute knowledge in the context of food marketing, and throws some light upon the predictive power of mentioned variables on customer behaviors.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the consumer acceptance of a functional meat processed product made with different meat sources, and to distinguish the existence of different market segments.

Non-probability sampling was used to recruit a sample of 411 consumers in Southern Chile, over the age of 18 and responsible for the purchase of meat products for their household.

Using a fractional factorial design for conjoint analysis, it was found in the total sample that the meat source of the meat processed product was more important than packaging, region of origin, price and the functional ingredient claim, with preference for lamb and pork meat processed products with omega-3. Two main segments were identified using a cluster analysis; these segments differed according to family size, presence and age of children, ethnic origin, general health interest, quality of diet and level of satisfaction with food-related life. The largest segment (56.0 percent) shows a high preference toward lamb meat processed product with dietary fiber and omega-3. The second (33.6 percent) preferred turkey meat processed product with antioxidants.

A differentiated marketing strategy with different meat sources and functional ingredients may give access to a large market share. People more willing to accept different functional ingredients in processed meat products may enjoy a better quality of life. The level of satisfaction with food-related life and quality of diet can be useful in explaining preferences for functional meat processed products.

This is the first study to evaluate consumer acceptance of a functional meat processed product made with three different meats and three different functional ingredient claims, which analyzed the relationship between acceptance, the consumer’s quality of diet and their level of satisfaction with food-related life.

The subject of food has been well researched by academics, and is often employed by tourism destination practitioners. However, a review of relevant literature indicates that there is a lack of research reported and written in English on the importance of food in Chinese local regional development. The purpose of this paper is to assess the potential of local food to act as a destination attraction, and contribute to the development of local regions in China, by examining the food-related motivation, involvement, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions of Chinese domestic tourists.

Data were collected using interviewer-completed questionnaire from a sample of 1,353 domestic tourists at eight destinations geographically spread or in one region in China.

The results reveal three types of food-related behaviour (which are described and evaluated below). While gender is seen to be significant, other demographical factors, such as ages and educational levels, do not appear to influence the level of interests and involvement in local food for Chinese domestic tourists.

This study is a contribution towards assessing the potential for using local food as a tool to develop local regions in China, and to obtain a better understanding of the market segmentation of Chinese local food tourists. It assists in identifying potential food tourists towards whom marketing should be addressed.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships among satisfaction with food-related life (SWFL), perceived foodservice quality, and quality of life for older adults.

A survey done using face-to-face interviews of older adults residing in long-term care facilities. A total of 238 older adults participated in this study.

The results showed that perceived foodservice quality had a strong association with SWFL; SWFL had a significant positive association with quality of life; perceived foodservice quality positively related to quality of life. Increased SWFL would improve quality of older adults.

This study has limitations related to convenience sample. Different sampling could help with generalization of results.

Foodservice managers in long-term care facilitates should try to maximize food and service qualities for residents because improving food and service quality improves their quality of life. For example, offering a variety of menus to allow older adults to enjoy food and improve their SWFL.

This study emphasized that food was important to older adults and helped determine quality of life for them. SWFL was rarely empirically examined in the previous research.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the effect of attitudes towards functional foods (AFF) on university students’ satisfaction with food-related life (SWFL) and to distinguish student typologies, considering that the AFF are not homogeneous among consumers.

A survey was applied to 372 university students (mean age=20.4 years, SD=2.4) in Southern Chile. The questionnaire included the AFF questionnaire and the SWFL scale, questions about consumption and knowledge about functional food (FF) and socio-demographic characteristics.

Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling, it was found that AFF directly and significantly influence students’ SWFL. A cluster analysis applied to the Z-scores from the factors obtained by the CFA classified three typologies: positive towards FF (36.3 per cent), moderately positive towards FF (43.0 per cent) and negative towards FF (20.7 per cent). The positive towards FF type had a significantly greater SWFL score than the negative towards FF type. The types differ according to consumption and knowledge about FF.

This study was conducted in the context of only one country in South America.

This study is the first that assesses the effect of AFF on SWFL in a sample of university students. Fostering positive attitudes towards FF will allow for a growth in the degree of SWFL of university students with features similar to those of the study sample.

This study aims to investigate the effects of visitors’ dietary habits on their acceptance of local food from the perspective of positive (e.g. local food involvement) and negative (e.g. food neophobia) food-related personality traits.

A survey was conducted on visitors to the Slow Food Festival in Taitung, Taiwan. A total of 327 valid questionnaire responses were collected and structural equation modeling was used to conduct path analyzes.

The analysis results supported all hypotheses. Food neophobia plays a key factor in moderating roles.

This study contributes to the literature by integrating positive and negative perspectives of food-related personality traits. In addition, this study proposes that food neophobia plays a moderating role in food choice and behavioral decisions.

This study analyses the dimensions of cocreation in on-site food-related activities.

A systematic literature review was conducted in two databases (Scopus and Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science), and 67 peer-reviewed articles were identified on cocreation in tourism experiences.

The study reveals that food-related activities involving active participation are more likely to be successfully performed in more informal environments, in which culinary experiences cocreated by both tourists and hosts are favoured. Moreover, tourists who learn something new appreciate the value of cocreation within food tourism experiences better.

Although the researchers used two renowned databases to conduct the systematic literature review, there is the risk that some manuscripts related to the topic were excluded.

The transfer of new skills and knowledge through direct contact between tourists and hosts are prerequisites for the raise of the value of the cocreation process itself and of the final outcome of the cocreation experience. As a result, professional service providers should dedicate more attention to the inclusion of cocreative ‘learning’ elements in the food tourism experiences they create.

Due to the changing structure of the tourism ecosystem (technological advances), the manner in which experiences are designed, distributed and consumed (cocreated) is being transformed. The present study highlights some aspects to be developed by tourism destination managers.

This study is the first to explore food-related tourism experiences through the lens of cocreation.