V. Feka, D. Xouris and G. Tsiotras
The Greek dairy industry, with more than 1,000 companies, is extremely dynamic and developing, and it is presumably attractive to some investors, usually big foreign companies…
Abstract
The Greek dairy industry, with more than 1,000 companies, is extremely dynamic and developing, and it is presumably attractive to some investors, usually big foreign companies. The question of great interest is which cluster of the industry should they compete with, and what changes will that potential entrance cause to the industry. Uses the strategic group theory to cluster firms in this industry into groups, as a first approach to investigate this industry. That provides a better approach of understanding and evaluating the industry’s potential as well as useful information of the current situation and the future changes.
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Wei Huang, Xianglin Zhang, Quan Wu and Bin Wu
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel and concise technique of fabricating HA/β‐TCP composite ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering via extrusion deposition…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel and concise technique of fabricating HA/β‐TCP composite ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering via extrusion deposition method.
Design/methodology/approach
A new rapid prototyping (RP) machine called motor assisted micro‐syringe (MAM) system is used in the authors' research. It is implemented to control the morphology, pore size and porosity of scaffolds precisely and to optimize their mechanical properties in this study.
Findings
In the fabrication process, HA/β‐TCP ceramic composite slurry with prominent uniformity, stability and liquidity is prepared by deliberating the influential factors such as its ingredient, pH and viscosity. After optimizing the system parameters, scaffolds with homogeneous and interconnected pores in sizes ranging from 50 to 580 μm were obtained, and the whole process had excellent stability and repeatability. The average compressive strength of scaffolds with a porosity of around 50% reaches 50.33 MPa after sintered in microwave furnace at 1,200°C for 30 min.
Research limitations/implications
Degradation rates and biological properties concluding experiments in vitro and vivo should be further investigated.
Practical implications
The paper describes a brief method with excellent stability and repeatability which is practical for manufacturing composite ceramic scaffolds with desirable structures and strength.
Originality/value
The mentioned method can be used in tissue engineering, not only proper for ceramics scaffolds but many medical application fields such as implants.
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Gizem Aytekin Sahin and Fatma Hazan Gul
There are many studies investigating people’s eating habits during the COVID-19 period, and people have been encouraged to eat healthier. Healthy nutrition is made possible by…
Abstract
Purpose
There are many studies investigating people’s eating habits during the COVID-19 period, and people have been encouraged to eat healthier. Healthy nutrition is made possible by making healthy food choices and food labels are one of the tools that help consumers make healthy food choices. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers’ food label reading behaviours and their level of trust in food labels.
Design/methodology/approach
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,012 adults aged 18–65 years from seven different regions of Turkey. Participants’ food label reading behaviours and their trust in food label information were assessed using an online questionnaire, and COVID-19 fear scores were determined using the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S).
Findings
Although not statistically significant, participants’ rate of reading food labels increased during the pandemic (65.6% vs 68.7%, p = 0.078). On the contrary, trust in label information decreased significantly (52.1% vs 43.9%, p < 0.001). In addition, increased COVID-19 fear was associated with an increased rate of food label reading and decreased trust in the label information (p < 0.001).
Research limitations/implications
Because of the study’s cross-sectional nature, the authors cannot provide a causal link between COVID-19 fear and food label reading behaviours and trust in food label information. However, it is difficult to investigate this causal link due to difficulties in studies of consumer behaviour and food choice (e.g. multifactorial effects and complexity). Second, because the present study’s findings were based on self-report data, there may be a risk of resource bias. Nevertheless, the authors think that this study will shed light on future studies as it is the first time that the COVID-19 pandemic has investigated consumers’ food label reading habits and their trust in food labels.
Practical implications
Considering the pandemic as an opportunity to change consumer behaviour, it may be useful to provide food label reading education to consumers, especially during this period. In addition, the information given on the label should be clear and understandable for a better understanding of the food label information. Furthermore, it may be beneficial to conduct food inspections more frequently and share the results with the public to increase consumers’ trust in food labels. Moreover, as the food system shifts towards a “new normal”, it is critical for policymakers to understand the changes in consumer perceptions, preferences and trust in foods.
Originality/value
COVID-19 fear affected consumers’ food label reading behaviours. As far as the authors know, there is no study about the effects of COVID-19 on consumers’ food label reading behaviours.