10.06.2013

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Food Quality, Versatility, Needs and Expectations

Wolfgang KneifelDepartment of Food Science and

Technology 

BOKU – University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna

CONTENT

• Food quality: definitions, trends, drivers, consumer attitudes

• Food quality & safety, crises, outbreaks, gaps& needs

• Food quality vs. food fraud• Food quality & safety: lessons and examples

we can learn from

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…During our life we, on average, have morethan 75.000 meals

‐ small wonder that many problems occur„after eating“…?

Dean O. Cliver,Food Microbiologist,1990

FOOD SAFETY SENSORYVALUE

NUTRITIVEVALUE

COVENIENCE,PREFERENCE

Food Quality

…the sum of properties contributing to the abilitymeeting all necessary and/or expected requirements

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FOOD SAFETY SENSORYVALUE

NUTRITIVEVALUE

COVENIENCE,PREFERENCE

TasteFlavourTextureMouthfeelAppearance

ExperienceRecommendations

Prize, Value for MoneyAuthenticity

Hazards:(Micro)Biological

ChemicalPhysicalFraud

EnergyMacronutrientsMicronutrients

Essential Ingredients

INFORMATIONabout

Food etc.

GOVERNMENTALAUTHORITIES

INDUSTRY

SCIENCE

CITIZENS

MEDIA

Consumer Information on Food –Amplification, Selection, Framing

Variousdisciplines

Variouspreferences

Differingquality,advertisement

Definedstructures

PRIMARYPRODUCTION

OWN EXPERIENCE

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Ranking of Important Criteria for Consumers´ Choice *)

*) Source: CATI Food Study, AC Nielsen (2007)

1. Like the taste2. Natural, non‐GMO3. Healthy4. Family likes it5. Regional origin6. Ingredients of high quality7. Rich in vitamins8. Organic, biological9. Fat‐reduced10. Easy to prepare11. Well‐known12. Affordable price13. Calory‐reduced14. Fast to prepare

„TOP FIVE“

Drivers and Consequences of Food ConsumptionChanges with Economic Development

*) Source: J. Kearny: Phil. Trans. R. Soc.B. (2010) 365:2793

Food consumptionconvergence of diets

´westernization` = increasedintake of meat, fat, processed

foods, sugar and salt…

Socio‐economic urbanizationTrade policiesMarket liberaliziationIncreased affordabilityWomen in employmentConsumer attitudesAgeingFood fear (?)

Food supplyChanges in retail – rise

in supermarketsAvailability

Extended shelf‐life of productsIntensive food production methods

Marketing

D R I V E R S

Health issuesDiseases of urbanizationAffluenceIncreases in social inequality

Agriculture and food productionLoss of biodiversity

Effects on environmentGreenhouse gas emission

Sustainability of wild stocks (e.g., fish)

*)

CONSEQUENCES

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Source: ERS/USDA, Euromonitor(2010)

How much of our budget do we spendon food at home?

Selected Food Related Issues EU Citizensare Concerned about *)

*) Source: Special Eurobarometer 389

• 76% are concerned that sufficient food isproduced to meet the needs of world´s population

• 81% agree that more food has to be produced to reducethe dependence on imports and to meet the rising demands

• 96% say that quality is important when buying food• 91% say that the prize is important when buying food• 60% of citizens aged 15‐24 see quality as very important• 62% of the NMS12 countries state that brands are notably

more important• 67% check foods for quality labels• 24% are aware of the EU´s Organic farming logo

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Trends: Per capita Consumption of Livestock Products*)

*) FAO Corporate Document Repository: WHO Techn. Report Series 916 (2003)

Number of livestock animals consumed by an average German during life

4 cattle 4 sheep 12 geese

37 ducks

46 pigs

46 turkeys

945 chicken Source:  Fleischatlas 2013,Heinrich Böll‐Stiftung, Berlin

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FOOD SAFETY

Factors Contributing to Food(Un)safety (& Consumer Perception)

•Mass production• Gobalisation• Lifestyle trends• Residues (...„analytics unlimited“)•„New“ plagues (?)• Public Media•Missing knowledge• etc.

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…….did you know

that this product may

contain 35 products oringredients

from 60 countries

and 5 continents

?

Globalisation (Example)

So, how can we find out, which control button (relatingto an ingredient or to a supplier) is to be pressed

in case of emergency

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Traceability

isthekeyto

effectivefood crisis

prevention & management

Technologies for Traceability

Barcode

Matrix code

Radio frequency technology(incl. transponder technology)

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Food retaildistribution centre

Shop 1

Shop 2

Shop 3

Shop 4

Restaurants

Processing Unit 2Slaughterhouse 1

Slaughterhouse 2

Farm 1Farm 2

Farm 3Processing Unit 1

Challenges in Traceability Networks

„…advances in modern medicine have led to thefact that there is no one healthy person among us, as for many individuals some parameters of clinical

investigations may not be within the given normal range…..“(although they are of good health)

Polemicalstatement(related to public health)

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FOOD QUALITY & SAFETY: OUTBREAKS,CRISES, GAPS & NEEDS

Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Examples of (re‐)emerging infectious diseases

ENDEMIC   ‐ EPIDEMIC   ‐ PANDEMIC

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Distribution of strong evidence outbreaksby food vehicle in the EU (2010)

FOOD POISONING CASES IN EUROPE: WHERE?

EFSA Journal 2012; 10(3):2597

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EHEC Outbreak, Germany 2011

• Under State Secretary forEnvironmental AffairsSonoda is drinking waterfrom a Fukushima spring (fall 2011)

• Prime Minister Noda is eatingrice balls (2012)

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A crisis is an undesired and unscheduledprocess of limited duration

State of emergency

Critical situation

Normal situation

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CRISIS 2

CRISIS 1 Productsales

SubstituteProductsales

Post crisis phase

Productsales

Productof firstcrisissales

SubstituteProductsales

Long term

Consumersensitivity

Productsales

SubstituteProductsales

Consumers´ reactions on crises

FOOD QUALITY vs. FOOD FRAUD

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FOOD  SAFETY

Lessons to learn from…From (bad) experience…“something (bad) has to happen first, beforesomething (…a reaction) will happen…“

BSE crisisDioxin problemSalmonella eggsMelamine crisisPlasticiser 

monomersMycotoxinsListeria salmonsetc.

Many corrections andimprovements areconsequences toa breakdown

W. Kneifel © 2011

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION