Where is sustainability? An assessment of vending products

Journal title RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA'
Author/s Alberto Bertossi, Stefania Troiano, Francesco Marangon
Publishing Year 2022 Issue 2022/1 Language English
Pages 26 P. 155-180 File size 361 KB
DOI 10.3280/RISS2022-001010
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

One way to make food sector more sustainable is to orient consumers towards di-ets that respect people, the planet, and society. According to recent research stud-ies, consumers have started to evaluate food products based on sustainable claims given on the packaging, but no study has focused on food products obtained through vending machines. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse which types of sustainable claims, if any, food products sold at vending machines show on their packaging. A content analysis was performed to this end, focusing on four locations within a town in northeast Italy. The results obtained from the analysis of 171 food products highlighted that, in general, products sold at vending ma-chines heavily lack textual and graphical information on sustainability.

Keywords: vending, sustainability, healthy food, fair-trade, eco-friendly, claims.

  1. Faris M. E., Al-Bakheit A., Hasan H., Cheikh Ismail L., Jahrami H., Rajab D., Afra Almashgouni A., Alshehhi A., Aljabry A., Aljarwan M., Alnaqbi M., & Obaid R. S. (2021). Assessment of nutritional quality of snacks and beverages sold in university vending machines: A qualitative assessment. British Food Journal, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print). DOI: 10.1108/BFJ-07-2020-0601
  2. Festila A., & Chrysochou P. (2018). Implicit communication of food product healthfulness through package design: A content analysis. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 17(5): 461-476.
  3. Ghvanidze S., Velikova N., Dodd T. H., & Oldewage-Theron W. (2016). Consumers’ environmental and ethical consciousness and the use of the related food products information: The role of perceived consumer effectiveness. Appetite, 107: 311-322.
  4. Goh S. K., & Balaji M. S. (2016). Linking green skepticism to green purchase behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 131: 629-638.
  5. Grimmer M., & Bingham T. (2013). Company environmental performance and consumer purchase intentions. Journal of Business Research, 66(10): 1945-1953.
  6. Hall K. D. (2018). Did the Food Environment Cause the Obesity Epidemic?. Obesity, 26(1): 11-13.
  7. Hieke S., Kuljanic N., Pravst I., Miklavec K., Kaur A., Brown K., Egan B., Pfeifer K., Gracia A., & Rayner M. (2016). Prevalence of Nutrition and Health-Related Claims on Pre-Packaged Foods: A Five-Country Study in Europe. Nutrients, 8(3), 137.
  8. Hoek A. C., Pearson D., James S. W., Lawrence M. A., & Friel S. (2017). Shrinking the food-print: A qualitative study into consumer perceptions, experiences and attitudes towards healthy and environmentally friendly food behaviours. Appetite, 108: 117-131.
  9. Ikonen I., Sotgiu F., Aydinli A., & Verlegh P. W. J. (2020). Consumer effects of front-of-package nutrition labeling: An interdisciplinary meta-analysis. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(3): 360-383.
  10. ILO (2018). Women and men in the informal economy: A statistical picture. -- https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_626831.pdf.
  11. FAO (2018). Future of food and agriculture: Alternative pathways to 2050. FOOD & AGRICULTURE ORG. -- https://www.fao.org/3/I8429EN/i8429en.pdf.
  12. FAO (2017). Food and agriculture: Driving action across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  13. EVA (2021). EVA Market Report on European OCS & Vending. -- https://www.vending-europe.eu/activities/market-information/.
  14. European Commission (2020). Farm to Fork strategy: For a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system. -- https://ec.europa.eu/food/horizontal-topics/farm-fork-strategy_en#Strategy.
  15. Elliott C. (2008). Marketing Fun Foods: A Profile and Analysis of Supermarket Food Messages Targeted at Children. Canadian Public Policy, 34(2): 259-273.
  16. Eldesouky A., Mesias F. J., & Escribano M. (2020). Perception of Spanish consumers towards environmentally friendly labelling in food. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 44(1): 64-76.
  17. Duran A. C., Ricardo C. Z., Mais L. A., Martins A. P. B., & Taillie L. S. (2019). Conflicting Messages on Food and Beverage Packages: Front-of-Package Nutritional Labeling, Health and Nutrition Claims in Brazil. Nutrients, 11(12), 2967.
  18. Crippa M., Solazzo E., Guizzardi D., Monforti-Ferrario F., Tubiello F. N., & Leip A. (2021). Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions. Nature Food, 2(3): 198-209.
  19. CONFIDA (2022). Dati di settore. https://www.confida.com/dati-di-settore/.
  20. Clarke N., Pechey E., Mantzari E., Blackwell A. K. M., De-loyde K., Morris R. W., Munafò M. R., Marteau T. M., & Hollands G. J. (2020). Impact of health warning labels on snack selection: An online experimental study. Appetite, 154, 104744.
  21. Chrysochou P., & Festila A. (2019). A content analysis of organic product package designs. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 36(4): 441-448. DOI: 10.1108/JCM-06-2018-2720
  22. Chen M.-F., & Lee C.-L. (2015). The impacts of green claims on coffee consumers’ purchase intention. British Food Journal, 117(1): 195-209. DOI: 10.1108/BFJ-07-2013-0196
  23. Castaldo S., Perrini F., Misani N., & Tencati A. (2009). The Missing Link Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Consumer Trust: The Case of Fair Trade Products. Journal of Business Ethics, 84(1): 1-15.
  24. Cargill (2022). Research finds more consumers weighing sustainability claims on packaged food choices. -- https://www.cargill.com/2022/research-finds-more-consumers-weighing-sustainability-claims.
  25. Burlingame B., & Dernini S. (2012). Sustainable diets and biodiversity – Directions and solutions for policy, research and action. FAO. -- https://www.fao.org/policy-support/tools-and-publications/resources-details/en/c/522860/.
  26. Brown K. A., Harris F., Potter C., & Knai C. (2020). The future of environmental sustainability labelling on food products. The Lancet Planetary Health, 4(4): e137-e138. DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30074-7
  27. Bos C., van der Lans I. A., van Kleef E., & van Trijp H. C. M. (2018). Promoting healthy choices from vending machines: Effectiveness and consumer evaluations of four types of interventions. Food Policy, 79: 247-255.
  28. Biceika J., & Robles M. C. (2022). Sustainable Food: Will Consumers Pay a Premium? Euromonitor International. -- https://www.euromonitor.com/article/sustainable-food-will-consumers-pay-a-premium.
  29. Bevenuto Mattar J., Carare Candido A., Larissa de Souza Vilela D., Ladeira de Paula V., & Carla Vidigal Castro L. (2022). Information displayed on Brazilian food bar labels points to the need to reformulate the current food labelling legislation. Food Chemistry, 370, 131318.
  30. Berry C., & Romero M. (2021). The fair trade food labeling health halo: Effects of fair trade labeling on consumption and perceived healthfulness. Food Quality and Preference, 94, 104321.
  31. Ballco P., de-Magistris T., & Caputo V. (2019). Consumer preferences for nutritional claims: An exploration of attention and choice based on an eye-tracking choice experiment. Food Research International, 116: 37-48.
  32. Anastasiou K., Miller M., & Dickinson K. (2019). The relationship between food label use and dietary intake in adults: A systematic review. Appetite, 138: 280-291.
  33. Aitken R., Watkins L., Williams J., & Kean A. (2020). The positive role of labelling on consumers’ perceived behavioural control and intention to purchase organic food. Journal of Cleaner Production, 255, 120334.
  34. Joerß T., Akbar P., Mai R., & Hoffmann S. (2017). Conceptualizing sustainability from a consumer perspective – A qualitative study in the food sector. Uwf, 25: 15-23.
  35. Ketelsen M., Janssen M., & Hamm U. (2020). Consumers’ response to environmentally-friendly food packaging – A systematic review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 254, 120123.
  36. Lago N. C., Marcon A., Ribeiro J. L. D., de Medeiros J. F., Brião V. B., & Antoni V. L. (2020). Determinant attributes and the compensatory judgement rules applied by young consumers to purchase environmentally sustainable food products. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 23: 256-273.
  37. Magnier L., & Crié D. (2015). Communicating packaging eco-friendliness: An exploration of consumers’ perceptions of eco-designed packaging. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 43(4/5): 350-366. DOI: 10.1108/IJRDM-04-2014-0048
  38. Massey M., O’Cass A., & Otahal P. (2018). A meta-analytic study of the factors driving the purchase of organic food. Appetite, 125: 418-427.
  39. Nguyen T. T. H., Yang Z., Nguyen N., Johnson L. W., & Cao T. K. (2019). Greenwash and Green Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Green Skepticism. Sustainability, 11(9), 2653.
  40. Osservatorio Immagino (2021). Le etichette dei prodotti raccontano i consumi degli italiani. -- https://servizi.gs1it.org/osservatori/osservatorio-immagino-10/#item35302.
  41. Otto S., Strenger M., Maier-Nöth A., & Schmid M. (2021). Food packaging and sustainability – Consumer perception vs. correlated scientific facts: A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 298, 126733.
  42. Petersen T., Hartmann M., & Hirsch S. (2021). Which meat (substitute) to buy? Is front of package information reliable to identify the healthier and more natural choice?. Food Quality and Preference, 94, 104298.
  43. Pickett‐Baker J., & Ozaki R. (2008). Pro‐environmental products: Marketing influence on consumer purchase decision. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 25(5): 281-293. DOI: 10.1108/07363760810890516
  44. Rahi B., Kawtharani F. B., Hassan A. M., & Hassan H. F. (2022). Assessment of the nutritional value of vending machine products and associated purchasing behavior in Lebanese universities. British Food Journal. DOI: 10.1108/BFJ-08-2021-0887
  45. Rees W. (2019). Sustainability cues on packaging: The influence of recognition on purchasing behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 13.
  46. Román S., Sánchez-Siles L. M., & Siegrist M. (2017). The importance of food naturalness for consumers: Results of a systematic review. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 67: 44-57.
  47. Rondoni A., & Grasso S. (2021). Consumers behaviour towards carbon footprint labels on food: A review of the literature and discussion of industry implications. Journal of Cleaner Production, 301, 127031.
  48. Rousseau S. (2015). The role of organic and fair trade labels when choosing chocolate. Food Quality and Preference, 44: 92-100.
  49. Ruggeri G., Corsi S., & Nayga R. M. (2021). Eliciting willingness to pay for fairtrade products with information. Food Quality and Preference, 87, 104066.
  50. Sama C., Crespo-Cebada E., Díaz-Caro C., Escribano M., & Mesías F. J. (2018). Consumer Preferences for Foodstuffs Produced in a Socio-environmentally Responsible Manner: A Threat to Fair Trade Producers?. Ecological Economics, 150: 290-296.
  51. Schifferstein H. N. J., de Boer A., & Lemke M. (2021). Conveying information through food packaging: A literature review comparing legislation with consumer perception. Journal of Functional Foods, 86, 104734.
  52. Shangguan S., Afshin A., Shulkin M., Ma W., Marsden D., Smith J., Saheb-Kashaf M., Shi P., Micha R., Imamura F., & Mozaffarian D. (2019). A Meta-Analysis of Food Labeling Effects on Consumer Diet Behaviors and Industry Practices. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(2): 300-314.
  53. Tseng M.-L., Sujanto R. Y., Iranmanesh M., Tan K., & Chiu A. S. (2020). Sustainable packaged food and beverage consumption transition in Indonesia: Persuasive communication to affect consumer behavior. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 161, 104933.
  54. Tseng S.-C., & Hung S.-W. (2013). A framework identifying the gaps between customers’ expectations and their perceptions in green products. Journal of Cleaner Production, 59: 174-184.
  55. United Nations (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. -- https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/ RES/70/1&Lang=E
  56. United Nations. (2022). The 17 Goals. -- https://sdgs.un.org/goals.
  57. Vecchio R., & Annunziata A. (2013). Consumers’ attitudes towards sustainable food: A cluster analysis of Italian university students. New Medit, 12(2): 47-55.
  58. Vega-Zamora M., Torres-Ruiz F. J., & Parras-Rosa M. (2019). Towards sustainable consumption: Keys to communication for improving trust in organic foods. Journal of Cleaner Production, 216: 511-519.
  59. Wensing J., Caputo V., Carraresi L., & Bröring S. (2020). The effects of green nudges on consumer valuation of bio-based plastic packaging. Ecological Economics, 178, 106783.
  60. Wyrwa J., & Barska A. (2017). Packaging as a Source of Information About Food Products. Procedia Engineering, 182: 770-779.
  61. Shih-Tse Wang E., & Chen Y.-C. (2019). Effects of perceived justice of fair trade organizations on consumers’ purchase intention toward fair trade products. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 50: 66-72.
  62. Silayoi P., & Speece M. (2007). The importance of packaging attributes: A conjoint analysis approach. European Journal of Marketing, 41(11/12): 1495-1517. DOI: 10.1108/03090560710821279
  63. Steenis N. D., van der Lans I. A., van Herpen E., & van Trijp H. C. M. (2018). Effects of sustainable design strategies on consumer preferences for redesigned packaging. Journal of Cleaner Production, 205: 854-865.
  64. Stelick A., Sogari G., Rodolfi M., Dando R., & Paciulli M. (2021). Impact of sustainability and nutritional messaging on Italian consumers’ purchase intent of cereal bars made with brewery spent grains. Journal of Food Science, 86(2): 531-539. DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.15601
  65. Tarabieh S. M. Z. A. (2021). The impact of greenwash practices over green purchase intention: The mediating effects of green confusion, Green perceived risk, and green trust. Management Science Letters, 451-464.
  66. Thøgersen J. (2017). Sustainable food consumption in the nexus between national context and private lifestyle: A multi-level study. Food Quality and Preference, 55: 16-25.
  67. Tobi R. C. A., Harris F., Rana R., Brown K. A., Quaife M., & Green R. (2019). Sustainable Diet Dimensions. Comparing Consumer Preference for Nutrition, Environmental and Social Responsibility Food Labelling: A Systematic Review. Sustainability, 11(23), 6575.

  • Financing for sustainable food systems: The role of the vending sector Alberto Bertossi, Stefania Troiano, Francesco Marangon, in Economia agro-alimentare 2/2023 pp.115
    DOI: 10.3280/ecag2023oa14828
  • Pathways towards food sector sustainability: the case of vending Alberto Bertossi, in Agricultural and Food Economics 13/2024
    DOI: 10.1186/s40100-024-00305-x

Alberto Bertossi, Stefania Troiano, Francesco Marangon, Where is sustainability? An assessment of vending products in "RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA'" 1/2022, pp 155-180, DOI: 10.3280/RISS2022-001010