Hedonic measurements in the frame of consumer tests of foods are prone to many different biases and the validity of test designs has been subject to much research with special emphasis on the role of context. While bringing elements of natural consumption context to the testing conditions is generally seen as an improvement, other aspects of the test design such as the task format have received little attention. In particular, the influence of analytical questions on hedonic responses has been studied in standardized contexts only.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConsuming too much fat, sugar, and salt is associated with adverse health outcomes. Food reformulation is one possible strategy to enhance the food environment by improving the nutritional quality of commercial products. However, food reformulation faces many hindrances.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPassive acoustic monitoring (PAM) can inform wildlife management by providing information on the distribution of cetaceans. This paper presents an automatic data selection for validation (ADSV) method to effectively identify all species acoustically present in large PAM data sets. The ADSV method involves the application of automated detectors, the automated selection of a portion of data for manual review, and the evaluation/optimization of automated detectors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSix baleen whale species are found in the temperate western North Atlantic Ocean, with limited information existing on the distribution and movement patterns for most. There is mounting evidence of distributional shifts in many species, including marine mammals, likely because of climate-driven changes in ocean temperature and circulation. Previous acoustic studies examined the occurrence of minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and North Atlantic right whales (NARW; Eubalaena glacialis).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPromoting a more balanced animal/plant dietary protein ratio by changing portion sizes or introducing new foods is a promising means to improve diet quality, but little is known about the willingness of individuals to adopt such changes. Our objective was to assess the willingness to adopt dietary changes by these means. In a French cross-sectional study in 2018 (n = 2055), we analyzed the association between the willingness to eat smaller or larger portions or to introduce non-consumed protein foods and the current dietary patterns of individuals and their socio-demographic characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMeat consumption in Western countries is declining and, while the proportion of strict vegetarians remains low, intermediate diets such as flexitarianism have been developing in recent years. Our objectives were to identify the different levels of transition towards low-meat diets, characterize how these diets differ in terms of food intake, and identify whether attitudes and beliefs can explain these degrees of transition. In a representative survey of the French adult population conducted in 2018 (n = 2055), participants declared whether they followed a particular diet and completed a food frequency questionnaire on 29 food sources of protein and a questionnaire on their attitudes and beliefs regarding protein sources.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEstimates of abundance and survivorship provide quantifiable measures to monitor populations and to define and understand their conservation status. This study investigated changes in abundance and survival rates of fin whales () in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence in the context of anthropogenic pressures and changing environmental conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Consumers are being encouraged to increase the proportion of plant protein in their diet to tend to a sustainable food system. Solutions could include developing a food rich in plant protein. However, these new products have an interest only if they are in accordance with expectation and the liking of consumers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn adults, fat is a major determinant of food palatability. From the onset of complementary feeding (CF) adding fat to complementary foods is recommended to ensure an optimal growth and cognitive development. However, whether adding fat to complementary foods would impact acceptance (in terms of intake and liking) has been little investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLittle is known of the spatio-temporal occurrence of beaked whales off western Ireland, limiting the ability of Regulators to implement appropriate management and conservation measures. To address this knowledge gap, static acoustic monitoring was carried out using eight fixed bottom-mounted autonomous acoustic recorders: four from May to December 2015 on Ireland's northern slope and four from March to November 2016 on the western and southern slopes. Recorders ran for 205 to 230 days, resulting in 4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe echolocation signals of most beaked whale species are still unknown. In fact, out of the 22 species comprising the family Ziphiidae, only the echolocation pulses for 7 species have been clearly described. This study describes two distinct beaked whale echolocation signals recorded in the Cook Strait region using passive acoustic technology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGiven new distribution patterns of the endangered North Atlantic right whale (NARW; Eubalaena glacialis) population in recent years, an improved understanding of spatio-temporal movements are imperative for the conservation of this species. While so far visual data have provided most information on NARW movements, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) was used in this study in order to better capture year-round NARW presence. This project used PAM data from 2004 to 2014 collected by 19 organizations throughout the western North Atlantic Ocean.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn France, 50% of consumers sweeten plain yogurts prior to consumption. This study measured how much sugar consumers added under contextualized testing conditions. Participants (199 French adults who regularly consume plain yogurt adding sugar) were given a plain yogurt (125 g) at the end of a full meal and were allowed to sweeten it with their usual sweetener (caster sugar, honey, or jam).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeveral authors showed that providing choice may increase food liking and food intake. However, the impact of choice may be modulated by assortment's characteristics, such as the number of alternatives or their dissimilarity. The present study compared the impact of choice on food liking and intake under the two following conditions: (1) when choosing a product to consume from among similar products versus dissimilar products; and (2) when choosing a product to consume from among pleasant products versus unpleasant products.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConsumption of a product is preceded by an anticipation of its qualities by the consumer, which can itself modify the consumption experience. Improved knowledge of anticipation would allow better manipulation of it, for example to enhance the acceptance of healthier foods. According to the Assimilation-Contrast theory, the size of anticipation-reality divergence determines how anticipation influences consumers' satisfaction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlobal warming poses particular challenges to migratory species, which face changes to the multiple environments occupied during migration. For many species, the timing of migration between summer and winter grounds and also within-season movements are crucial to maximise exploitation of temporarily abundant prey resources in feeding areas, themselves adapting to the warming planet. We investigated the temporal variation in the occurrence of fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in a North Atlantic summer feeding ground, the Gulf of St.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper reports on the acoustic detection of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) songs from the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort stock, including the first recordings of songs in the fall and early winter. Bowhead whale songs were detected almost continuously in the Chukchi Sea between October 30, 2007 and January 1, 2008 and twice from April 16 to May 5, 2008 during a long-term deployment of five acoustic recorders moored off Point Lay and Wainwright, AK, between October 21, 2007 and August 3, 2008. Two complex and four simple songs were detected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPassive acoustic data are increasingly being used as a tool for helping to define marine mammal populations and stocks. Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) songs present a unique opportunity to determine interstock differences. Their highly stereotyped interpulse interval has been shown to vary between geographic areas and to remain stable over time in some areas.
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