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Research Abstracts

IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

Profiling the Soy Gatekeepers: Three Methods for Differentiating Influential Cooks
Brian Wansink, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

ABSTRACT
While nutritional education often focuses on food consumers, this research focuses on cooks. How can we determine the characteristics that define cooks who are capable of encouraging a preference and acceptance of soy from those who are less influential? Using in-depth interviews, focus groups, and a survey of 770 North Americans, we show that the domain of personality most effectively differentiates between segments of influential cooks. This segmentation enables researchers and those in public policy to identify which cooks are likely to be most socially influential, most inclined toward healthy behavior, and most predisposed to preparing soy. Food Quality and Preference  (2003). Forthcoming

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Taste Profiles that Correlate with Soy Consumption in Developing Countries
Brian Wansink, and Jaehak Chong, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

ABSTRACT
While insufficient protein consumption is a concern to many demographic segments in developed countries, it is a greater concern in developing nations where the cost or availability of traditional forms of animal protein results in protein deficiencies. Soy is a low-cost, highly available protein source, yet it is largely overlooked because of its unfamiliar taste and texture. To determine how to best encourage soy consumption, a convenience sample of 132 Indians and Pakistanis living in the United States was examined for insights in to what characterizes someone who regularly eats soy for taste-related reasons. Three groups of consumers were analyzed, people who ate soy primarily for taste-related reasons, those who ate it primarily for health-related reasons, and those who did not eat it.

People who ate soy primarily for taste-related reasons were found to be more likely to appreciate fine food, to live with a great cook, and to be more of an opinion leader than did those in either of the other two groups. These along with additional findings have implications for targeting soy-predisposed consumers, who will adopt soy for the long-term, and who can influence others because of their role as opinion-leaders within their peer or reference group. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition (2002), 1:6 (December), 276-278.

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ABSTRACT
In order to integrate soy foods into a given culture the process must take into account the culture it is being introduced into. To better understand these cultural influences, analysis was done on how an unfamiliar product of soy can be potentially integrated into two different markets, Russia and Colombia. This research develops a framework for increasing the consumption of soy by accounting for cultural context and utilitarian/hedonic food perceptions. Insights related to the distribution, message positioning, and marketing strategy of soy are then discussed. Review of Agricultural Economics (2002), 24:2, 353-365.

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The Marketing Battle Over Genetically Modified Soybeans: Consumer Acceptance of Biotechnology
Brian Wansink and Junyong Kim, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

ABSTRACT
On the biotechnology battlefield, proponents try to sell the benefits of genetically modified soybeans, and opponents try to sell the risks. Yet for both camps, oversimplified assumptions about consumers have lead to counter productive strategies and tactics. For instance, proponents assume the biotechnology issue will "blow over" and that good science sells, while opponents of assume that consumers want to be informed, and that risks of the unknown are more important than benefits. Based on an understanding of consumer behavior, eight assumptions of proponents and opponents are examined and revised. The resulting insights points to specific changes that both proponents and opponents of biotechnology can use to more effectively educate their constituents. American Behavioral Scientist (2001), 44:8 (April), 1405-17

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ABSTRACT
Is it reasonable to believe that the consumption of functional foods such as soy is driven by nutritional knowledge?  A national survey of 770 US consumers indicated that 39% of males and females did not know of any health benefits associated with soy.  Among those knowing of soy's nutritional benefits, consumption only occurred among those perceiving these benefits as specifically relevant to themselves.  Interestingly, people who had even a slight familiarity with functional foods were more likely to consume soy.  Contrary to what many believe, improving the taste properties of soy will appear to have a more dramatic impact on the consumption of those who are knowledgeable about functional and medicinal foods than on the general population.Journal fo Medicinal Foods (2001), 4:3 (December), 147-152.

ABSTRACT
Heavy users of commodities can be critical segments for both packaged goods marketers and manufacturers to target. Yet relatively less effort has been directed toward associating heavy users with other marketing and behavioral variables for derived user profiles to be more useful. Many attempts to profile heavy users have proven to be unsuccessful because of methodological and measurement problems. This article investigates what characteristics best differentiate heavy, light, and non users of soy products and how those users can be further differentiated within user groups. Differences among users regarding their eating patterns, cooking habits, potentials of new product concepts, usage intentions of soy substitutes, leisure time spending patterns, and demographics will be examined in association with affinity marketing. Implications for marketing and consumer education will be addressed.

ABSTRACT
Using a "Phantom Ingredient" taste test, this article demonstrates how the use of soy labels and health claims on a package negatively biased taste perceptions and attitudes toward a food erroneously thought to contain soy. Consumers who ate products which mentioned soy on the pack-age described the taste more grainy, less flavorful, and as having a strong aftertaste compared to those who ate the product but saw no soy label. Yet, while putting "soy" on a package negatively influenced taste-conscious consumers, when combined with a health claim, it improved attitudes among consumers who are health-conscious, natural food lovers, or dieters. Our results and discussion provide better direction for researchers who work with ingredient labeling as well as for marketers who work with soybean producers. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review (2000), 3, 85-94.

ABSTRACT
Although much research has investigated whether consumers use printed product claims, little is known about how consumers use these claims. This article examines how health claims and nutrition information formats influence consumers' interpretation of those claims and information as well as consumers' evaluations of a product. The results indicate that the presence of a short package claim on the front label generates more specific attribute-related thoughts, more inferences, and creates a more believable and positive image of the product in the consumers' mind than a long package claim on the front label. This article concludes with a discussion of how labeling information needs to be presented to effectively allow consumers to understand and use claim information.

ABSTRACT
Our objectives were to develop acceptable extruded snack products containing soy protein, and to evaluate the influence of soy protein type, soy level, and mooisture content. Addition of soy protein increased die temperature and pressure while decreasing motor torque. Results of two consumer tests for 12 prototype products and the most acceptable 3 samples indicated positive responses. Aceeptance correlated highly with consumer attitudes towards soy foods and prior information about health effects of soy protein. Differences between protein types suggested that formulation optimization could develop highly acceptable soy/corn extruded snacks. Journal of Food Science 60:185-188, 1999.

ABSTRACT
Understanding the quality of products containing a substantial amount of soy protein is essential to meet the demand for soy foods that are acceptable to American consumers. In this study, the effects of sugar and feed moisture contents on the sensory characteristics of extruded corn-soy breakfast cereals were investigated, and the relationships among the product sensory and physical properties and extruder system responses were characterized by generalized Procrustes analysis (GPA). Corn meal-soy protein isolate mixes were extruded at feed moistures of 21, 23, and 25% and sugar levels of 0, 5, and 10%. Descriptive sensory attributes, physical properties, and extruder responses were measured. GPA results showed that the breakfast cereal sensory attributes were primarily affected by the sugar-addition level. Products with sugar added at the 5% level were associated with soy and off-flavors, but increasing sugar to 10% yielded an association with crunchiness and hardness. Feed moisture content had a dramatic effect within the 5% added sugar products in determining sensory characteristics. Reverese relationships between mechanical system responses and sensory texturre attributes were revealed by GPA results. Increased heat and mechanical forces in the extruder barrel were responsible for higher sensory residual soy flavor and off-flavor intensities. Cereal Chem. 75:904-908, 1998.