Branding advantage of agri-food companies in competitive export markets: a resource-based theory

PurposeThe purpose of the present study is to investigate the antecedents of export performance and branding advantage, as a key type of competitive advantage in export markets among entrepreneurs and managers of agri-food exporters.Design/methodology/approachA sample of entrepreneurs from 182 exporting firms of the agriculture and food industry participated in a cross-sectional survey. The data were collected by a self-reporting questionnaire and partial least squares were used to analyse the data and assess the path model.FindingsResults revealed that experiential resources strongly promote communication capabilities. Also, communication, distribution and product development capabilities contribute to the creation of the branding advantage in export markets. In addition, a positive relationship between the branding advantage and export performance of agri-food products is confirmed.Research limitations/implicationsThe study targets exporters of agri-food products. Hence, the results should be interpreted regarding the context of low-technology firms. Further, this paper delineates branding advantage considerations that managers need to account for to achieve effective exporting. Practitioners can efficaciously exploit resources to achieve a competitive advantage, considering that they focus on building capabilities, and in particular, communication capabilities.Originality/valueThe present study highlights the role of the branding advantage as an important type of competitive advantage in international entrepreneurship and export markets. It attempts to examine the combined relationships of resources and capabilities with branding advantage and export performance.

Challenges and Opportunities in Robotic Food Handling: A Review

Despite developments in robotics and automation technologies, several challenges need to be addressed to fulfill the high demand for automating various manufacturing processes in the food industry. In our opinion, these challenges can be classified as: the development of robotic end-effectors to cope with large variations of food products with high practicality and low cost, recognition of food products and materials in 3D scenario, better understanding of fundamental information of food products including food categorization and physical properties from the viewpoint of robotic handling. In this review, we first introduce the challenges in robotic food handling and then highlight the advances in robotic end-effectors, food recognition, and fundamental information of food products related to robotic food handling. Finally, future research directions and opportunities are discussed based on an analysis of the challenges and state-of-the-art developments.

The Technology and Composition of Functional Food Ingredients Obtained by Sorption of the Polyphenolic Compounds From Cranberry on Coagulated Egg Albumen

The technologies for developing food products for people with type 2 diabetes involve enrichment with polyphenolic compounds that have hypoglycemic and/or hypolipidemic properties. The production of ingredients for introduction into such food products should involve the techniques of concentration of natural polyphenols on certain food-grade protein matrices. In this study, a technology was developed for the production of a functional food ingredient, which was a complex of polyphenols (mostly anthocyans) from cranberries with coagulated egg albumen. The optimal parameters of sorption of anthocyans from cranberry juice on the albumen during the coagulation of the latter were determined. The contents and profile of anthocyans within the resulting food ingredient were assessed. The concentration of total anthocyans (recalculated to equivalents of cyanidin-3-glucoside) was determined by pH-differential spectrophotometry; the profile of individual anthocyans was determined by highperformance liquid chromatography. Sensory evaluation of the resulting ingredient (through a taste panel test) evidenced the possibility of including the product in the functional foodstuffs. The technology developed can be used in the design of functional food ingredients for subsequent introduction into anti-diabetic food products. Keywords: coagulated egg albumen, cranberry juice, anthocyans, functional food ingredients

Possibilities of Correction of Alimentary Status in the Era of Digitalisation

A balanced diet contributes to the prevention of nutritionallyrelated diseases. The purpose of this paperwas to demonstrate how tools of the digital economy could be used to help improve nutritional status, using the example of Microsoft Excel. To improve nutritional status, reliable digital information is needed on the content of macronutrients and micronutrients in raw materials and foodproducts. Then the correction of the diet or formulation of an individual product can be carried out. The database “Chemical composition of food raw materials and food products” was developed using Microsoft Excel; this database is a digital tool for quick and reliable information about the nutrient profile of Russian raw materials and food products. Itobtained official state registration under the number 2012620334. The database is a series of spreadsheets that are interconnected by common key fields. For each type of food raw material or food product, the database contains descriptors: the main chemical composition (mass fraction of water, protein, fat, saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol, mono- and disaccharides, starch, digestible carbohydrates, dietary fibre, ash, organic acids); minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron); vitamins (A, B1 , B2 , PP, C, beta-carotene, retinol equivalent, tocopherol equivalent, niacin equivalent); and energy value. Using the database can help to speed up and facilitate calculating individual and group diets and can assist in adjusting the nutritional status for healthier outcomes. Keywords: healthy nutrition, nutritional status, chemical composition, database, digitalisation, Microsoft Excel