JoAnne Labrecque

Functional foods: a conceptual definition

Purpose – To draw the frontiers of the functional food universe, to identify concepts that should be included in a broadly accepted functional food definition and to propose a definition.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a review of the literature and the Delphi technique with a group of North American and European experts.Findings – Four concepts were identified: the nature of food, health benefits, functions and regular consumption. Two dimensions, physiological effects and functional intensity, were developed to define the frontiers of the functional food universe and a definition is suggested.Practical implications – A large number of definitions as well as great variations within definitions make it difficult to provide industry partners with robust information on market trends and market potential, or to appropriately protect consumers through legislation. This paper should contribute to the debate surrounding the type of food that should be considered a functional food and surrounding the lack...

Sociopolitical Foundations of Food Safety Regulation and the Governance of Global Agrifood Systems

The discovery of the first domestically originating North American bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) case dominated discussions concerning the marketing development prospects of an entire industry. By considering the industry as a political economy, the concept of the task environment paradigm, as recognized in marketing literature, is integrated with the political economy framework. Marketing activities in the cattle industry pervade the framework presented in this article. Dimensions of environmental uncertainty are also presented. Personal testimony from beef producers is considered to add a human element to the theoretical discussion. Furthermore, this article provides an empirical perspective on the means by which sudden effects from the macroenvironment of a marketing channel create uncertainty, which is intensified in today’s increasingly complex and turbulent agrifood markets.

Can genetically modified foods be considered as a dominant design?: An actor-network theory investigation of gene technology in agribusiness

Purpose – Technology influences market growth and productivity, and the food industry has seen major technological and productivity method changes in recent years. The debate on genetically modified (GM) food, in particular, has been led on multiple levels in both Europe and North America. Studies to date have described the structural differences between the North American and European regulatory agencies as reasons for differing attitudes towards GM foods. The purpose of this paper is to establish a conceptual framework that puts forward a systemic view on the interconnections between corporate marketing strategies (i.e. tool makers), public policies (i.e. rule makers), and science (i.e. fact makers) when a dominant design emerges in the food industry.Design/methodology/approach – This paper begins by describing the fundamental elements of the dominant design concept and the actor‐network theory (ANT). This is followed by the presentation of levers that permit the emerging agrifood dominant design to be ...

The allocation of time to grocery shopping: A comparison of Canadian and U.S. households

This study examines grocery shopping time and incorporates some of the advances made in the estimation of time use, including enjoyment of time spent in an activity, the endogeneity of grocery prices, and simultaneity of time and expenditures. Three groups of consumers are compared: Anglophone and Francophone Canadians and U.S. households. Results indicate that the model explains more of the variation in time use for Anglophone Canadians and U.S. households than for Francophone Canadians.

Sustainability and strategic advantages using supply chain-based determinants in pork production

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of sustainability as strategic cornerstone for a marketing channel in a mature market, particularly in the hog industry in the Canadian Province of Quebec. Due to the growing attention to sustainability, and the international trend toward agricultural trades and stakeholder involvement in food, there is a need for a system-based approach in the field of food systems sustainability. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 12 semi-structured individual interviews were conducted among marketing managers working for different organizations within the Quebec hog marketing channel. The organizations chosen vary depending on the size, level of integration and involvement in the industry, to create a sample that adequately represents the industry. For the purpose of this research, three primary producers, one veterinarian, three licenced abattoirs, one food processor, one distributor, one independent retailer and two types of food service facility, one fro...

Perceived health value of ready meals and side dishes: regional and gender differences

Purpose – This study aims to examine gender differences in consumption frequency, perception of health value and enjoyment associated with two categories of convenience foods – snacks, and ready meals and side dishes – among university students in French and English Canada, the United States and France. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 376 women and 324 men replied to a self-administered questionnaire that included general questions on attitude toward health and specific questions on consumption frequency, perception of health value and enjoyment attributed to products in both categories. Findings – Variance analysis brought to light differences in gender within each regional group. Overall, perceived health value of ready meals and side dishes, while slightly negative, is less negative than for snacks, whereas greater enjoyment is attributed to snacks. For all regions combined, men attribute a less negative health value to snacks and ready meals and side dishes than women do, and derive more enjoyment than women from ready meals and side dishes, whereas women enjoy snacks more than men do.