Applying the Food Choice Process Model to Ultra-Processed Food Consumption: The Role of Dietary Globalization and Quality Perceptions
Keywords:
Ultra-processed food, dietary globalization, environmental awareness, food quality, food choice process model
Abstract
This study examines the determinants of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption frequency among young adults within the Food Choice Process Model, integrating macro-level (dietary globalization) and micro-level (perceptions of food quality, environmental awareness, and media exposure) influences. A survey was conducted with 310 young adults, and ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to test the hypothesized predictors of UPF consumption frequency.
Results indicate that dietary globalization is positively and significantly associated with UPF consumption, supporting the hypothesis that exposure to international dietary patterns increases the likelihood of consuming ultra-processed products. In contrast, negative perceptions of international food quality are negatively associated with consumption frequency, confirming that unfavorable quality evaluations reduce UPF intake. Environmental awareness and exposure to internet and social media content do not emerge as statistically significant predictors.
Overall, UPF consumption among young adults appears to be primarily shaped by globalization-related dietary exposure and evaluative perceptions of food quality, rather than environmental concerns or digital media influence. These findings provide empirical insight into the structural and cognitive drivers of contemporary dietary behavior and inform public health strategies aimed at reducing ultra-processed food consumption.
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References
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35. Mascarello, G., Pinto, A., Parise, N., Crovato, S., & Ravarotto, L. (2015). The perception of food quality: Profiling Italian consumers. Appetite, 89, 175-182.
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37. Mergenthaler, M., Weinberger, K., & Qaim, M. (2009). The food system transformation in developing countries: A disaggregate demand analysis for fruits and vegetables in Vietnam. Food Policy, 34(5), 426-436.
38. Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Levy, R. B., et al. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: What they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition, 22, 936-941.
39. Pong, V., & Tam, K. P. (2023). Relationship between global identity and pro-environmental behavior and environmental concern: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1033564.
40. Qutteina, Y., Hallez, L., Mennes, N., De Backer, C., & Smits, T. (2019). What do adolescents see on social media? A diary study of food marketing images on social media. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2367.
41. Radonjic, A., Fat Hing, N. N., Harlock, J., & Naji, F. (2020). YouTube as a source of patient information for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 71, 637-644.
42. Ram, U. (2025). McDonaldization: Reviving classical sociological theory. Thesis Eleven, 191(1), 100-106.
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50. Willett, W., Rockström, J., Loken, B., Springmann, M., Lang, T., & Vermeulen, S. (2019). Food in the Anthropocene: The EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The Lancet, 393, 447-492.
51. Yue, B., Sheng, G., She, S., & Xu, J. (2020). Impact of consumer environmental responsibility on green consumption behavior in China: The role of environmental concern and price sensitivity. Sustainability, 12, 2074.
2. Bai, Y., Alemu, R., Block, S. A., Headey, D., & Masters, W. A. (2021). Cost and affordability of nutritious diets at retail prices: Evidence from 177 countries. Food Policy, 99, 101983.
3. Baker, P., Machado, P., Santos, T., Sievert, K., Backholer, K., Hadjikakou, M., Russell, C., Huse, O., Bell, C., & Scrinis, G. (2020). Ultra-processed foods and the nutrition transition: Global, regional and national trends, food systems transformations and political economy drivers. Obesity Reviews, 21, e13126.
4. Barre, L., Cronin, A., & Thompson, B. S. (2016). What people post about food on social media (Poster abstract). Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 48, S52.
5. Barrett, C. B. (2021). Overcoming global food security challenges through science and solidarity. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 103(2), 422-447.
6. Boermans, D. D., Jagoda, A., Lemiski, D., Wegener, J., & Krzywonos, M. (2024). Environmental awareness and sustainable behavior of respondents in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland: A qualitative focus group study. Journal of Environmental Management, 370, 122515.
7. Bosone, L., Chevrier, M., & Zenasni, F. (2022). Consistent or inconsistent? The effects of inducing cognitive dissonance vs. cognitive consonance on the intention to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 902703.
8. Brief, B. (2025). The overconsumption of ultra-processed foods in the United States. Retrieved December 1, 2025, from https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/the-overconsumption-of-ultra-processed-foods-in-the-united-states
9. da Cunha, D. T. (2025). Risk perception, communication and behaviour towards food safety issues. Foods, 14, 322.
10. de Blanes Sebastián, M. G., & de Matías Batalla, D. (2024). Analysis of video game streaming on consumer behavior and digital marketing strategies. In Marketing innovation strategies and consumer behavior (pp. 348-363). IGI Global.
11. Ding, Y., Nayga, R. M., Jr., Zeng, Y., Yang, W., & Snell, H. A. (2022). Consumers’ valuation of a live video feed in restaurant kitchens for online food delivery service. Food Policy, 112, 102373.
12. Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). Spatially bounded online social networks and social capital: The role of Facebook (Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the International Communication Association). International Communication Association.
13. Enriquez, J. P., & Achila-Godinez, J. C. (2021). Social and cultural influences on food choices: A review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 62, 3698–3704.
14. FAO. (2020). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2020: Transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/3/ca9692en/online/ca9692en.html
15. FAO. (n.d.). Dietary guidelines and sustainability. Retrieved December 15, 2025, from http://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-dietary-guidelines/background/sustainable-dietary-guidelines/en/
16. Feldmann, C., & Ulrich, H. (2015). Consumers’ perceptions and preferences for local food: A review. Food Quality and Preference, 40, 152-164.
17. Fielding-Singh, P. (2017). A taste of inequality: Food’s symbolic value across the socioeconomic spectrum. Sociological Science, 4, 424-448.
18. Galanakis, C. M. (2020). Food ingredients and active compounds against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic: A comprehensive review. Foods, 9, 1701.
19. Galanakis, C. M. (2023). The “vertigo” of the food sector within the triangle of climate change, the post-pandemic world, and the Russian–Ukrainian war. Foods, 12, 721.
20. Gómez, M. I., Barrett, C. B., Raney, T., Pinstrup-Andersen, P., Meerman, J., Croppenstedt, A., Carisma, B., & Thompson, B. (2013). Post-Green Revolution food systems and the triple burden of malnutrition. Food Policy, 42, 129-138.
21. Grunert, K. G. (2005). Food quality and safety: Consumer perception and demand. European Review of Agricultural Economics, 32(3), 369-391.
22. Grunert, K. G., Bredahl, L., & Brunsø, K. (2004). Consumer perception of meat quality and implications for product development in the meat sector: A review. Meat Science, 66(2), 259-272.
23. Hartmann, C. (2017). Consumer perception and behaviour regarding sustainable protein consumption: A systematic review. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 61, 11-25.
24. Hawkes, C. (2006). Uneven dietary development: Linking the policies and processes of globalization with the nutrition transition, obesity and diet-related chronic diseases. Globalization and Health, 2, 1-18.
25. Holmberg, C., Chaplin, J. E., Hillman, T., & Berg, C. (2016). Adolescents’ presentation of food in social media: An explorative study. Appetite, 99, 121-129.
26. Ilieva, G., Yankova, T., Ruseva, M., Dzhabarova, Y., Klisarova-Belcheva, S., & Dimitrov, A. (2025). Consumer perceptions and attitudes towards ultra-processed foods. Applied Sciences, 15(7), 3739.
27. Kennedy, E. H., & Givens, J. E. (2019). Eco-habitus or ecopowerlessness? Examining environmental concern across social class. Sociological Perspectives, 62(5), 646-667.
28. Leibowitz, J., Rosch, J. T., Ramirez, E., Brill, J., & Ohlhausen, M. (2012). A review of food marketing to children and adolescents: Follow-up report. Federal Trade Commission.
29. Leite, F. H. M., Khandpur, N., Andrade, G. C., et al. (2022). Ultra-processed foods should be central to global food systems dialogue and action on biodiversity. BMJ Global Health, 7, e008269.
30. Lim, W. M. (2017). Inside the sustainable consumption theoretical toolbox: Critical concepts for sustainability, consumption, and marketing. Journal of Business Research, 78, 69-80.
31. Lim, W. M. (2022). The sustainability pyramid: A hierarchical approach to greater sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals with implications for marketing theory, practice, and public policy. Australasian Marketing Journal, 30(2), 142-150.
32. Lim, W. M., Ciasullo, M. V., Douglas, A., & Kumar, S. (2023). Environmental social governance (ESG) and total quality management (TQM): A multi-study meta-systematic review. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 1-23.
33. Liu, P., Teng, M., & Han, C. (2020). How does environmental knowledge translate into pro-environmental behaviors? The mediating role of environmental attitudes and behavioral intentions. Science of the Total Environment, 728, 138126.
34. Luga, E., & Mehmeti, G. (2024). Factors that affect the intention of consumers to buy food products online. Economia Agro-Alimentare, 26(2), 55-82.
35. Mascarello, G., Pinto, A., Parise, N., Crovato, S., & Ravarotto, L. (2015). The perception of food quality: Profiling Italian consumers. Appetite, 89, 175-182.
36. Mathers, J. C. (2019). Paving the way to better population health through personalised nutrition. EFSA Journal, 17(Suppl. S1), e170713.
37. Mergenthaler, M., Weinberger, K., & Qaim, M. (2009). The food system transformation in developing countries: A disaggregate demand analysis for fruits and vegetables in Vietnam. Food Policy, 34(5), 426-436.
38. Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Levy, R. B., et al. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: What they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition, 22, 936-941.
39. Pong, V., & Tam, K. P. (2023). Relationship between global identity and pro-environmental behavior and environmental concern: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1033564.
40. Qutteina, Y., Hallez, L., Mennes, N., De Backer, C., & Smits, T. (2019). What do adolescents see on social media? A diary study of food marketing images on social media. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2367.
41. Radonjic, A., Fat Hing, N. N., Harlock, J., & Naji, F. (2020). YouTube as a source of patient information for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 71, 637-644.
42. Ram, U. (2025). McDonaldization: Reviving classical sociological theory. Thesis Eleven, 191(1), 100-106.
43. Sharma, J., & Nagar, L. (2021). Globalization and fusion of cuisine: Getting variety or homogenization. International Journal in Commerce, IT and Social Sciences, 8(5), 40-45.
44. Sproesser, G., et al. (2019). Understanding traditional and modern eating: The TEP10 framework. BMC Public Health, 19, 1-14.
45. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2022). World population prospects 2022: Ten key messages.
46. Van Rijswijk, W., & Frewer, L. J. (2008). Consumer perceptions of food quality and safety and their relation to traceability. British Food Journal, 110(10), 1034-1046.
47. Van Zanten, H. H., Van Ittersum, M. K., & De Boer, I. J. (2019). The role of farm animals in a circular food system. Global Food Security, 21, 18-22.
48. Von Braun, J., Afsana, K., Fresco, L., Hassan, M., & Torero, M. (2021). Food systems: Definition, concept and application for the UN Food Systems Summit. Scientific Innovation, 27, 27-39.
49. Vural, B., & Bat, M. (2010). Yeni bir iletişim ortamı olarak sosyal medya: Ege Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesine yönelik bir araştırma. Journal of Yasar University, 20(5), 3348-3382.
50. Willett, W., Rockström, J., Loken, B., Springmann, M., Lang, T., & Vermeulen, S. (2019). Food in the Anthropocene: The EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The Lancet, 393, 447-492.
51. Yue, B., Sheng, G., She, S., & Xu, J. (2020). Impact of consumer environmental responsibility on green consumption behavior in China: The role of environmental concern and price sensitivity. Sustainability, 12, 2074.
Published
2026-03-13
How to Cite
Luga, E., & Mehmeti, G. (2026). Applying the Food Choice Process Model to Ultra-Processed Food Consumption: The Role of Dietary Globalization and Quality Perceptions. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 51, 398. Retrieved from https://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/view/20752
Section
ESI Preprints
Copyright (c) 2026 Eda Luga, Gentjan Mehmeti
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
