Aims & Objectives

The main goal of VeggiEAT is to increase knowledge and understanding of the determinants of vegetable acceptability (liking), consumption/intake, through sensory characteristics and aspects of the eating environment across all age groups and institutional settings.

This goal will be achieved by pursuing the following specific objectives within three overlapping research and partnership programme areas of product and sensory analysis, recipe development and consumer behaviour:

  • To evaluate the sensory characteristics, including acceptability of processed vegetables (frozen and canned) across age groups and countries.
  • To select the preferred recipes/dishes incorporating the vegetable as its component part.
  • To identify enhanced choice architecture variables that optimizes and exploits vegetable consumption. To interpret and evaluate consumer preferences towards vegetable consumption and hence identify further determinants of vegetable acceptability and sustained intake across countries (Denmark, France, Italy, UK), age groups and institutional settings (schools and elder care).
  • To evaluate and model the effect of selected choice architectural interventions measured by changes in consumers’ attitude, intention and consumption of processed vegetables within public sector foodservice settings, such as schools and elder care homes in Demark, France, Italy and the UK.
  • To provide a platform, promote, inform and educate the general public and industry competiveness within the European business climate. To develop methods for wider applicability and to aid design of potentially more effective measures to improve, enhance efficacy and cost effectiveness when promoting vegetable intake.