Theme 1: Consumer Food Choice

This theme focuses on household food consumption style, food preparation, outsourcing and the food choice process. In Behavioural Economics the assumption of constructed preferences is accepted rather than the assumption of stable preferences. Food decision making is connected with the context of choice. Factors influencing food choice include, among others, the type of food (hedonic versus utilitarian, sustainable food), distraction, presentation of food information, social norms, and characteristics, such as education level, time orientation, attitudes and emotions. Attention is paid to socio-economic values related to the consumption of food such as the relationship between environmental and health values and product-related or act-related characteristics of food consumption. A special topic is food choice by consumers having a food allergy.