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Exploring the influence of food context and culture on indulgence and consumer response to dairy and dairy-alternative creams : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Food Technology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 14 July 2029.
(Massey University, 2026) Lett, Bella
Indulgence perception plays a central role for product categories such as cream. Understanding how appearance, aroma, texture, taste and flavour of creams impact emotional responses (such as indulgence) and consumer acceptability across different cultures is essential for successful development of whipping cream. However, the extent to which realistic food pairings alter perceived indulgence and liking remains unclear. This study investigated the influence of food context on perceived indulgence and liking of whipped creams across two cultures. Ethnicity one and ethnicity two consumers (n=140) evaluated seven whipped creams across two sessions: cream alone and cream on cake. Liking, emotional response, sensory perception, and perceived indulgence were measured. As indulgence, emotional response, and contextual meaning are multidimensional constructs, seven open-ended questions were incorporated into consumer evaluation to provide depth beyond structured scales alone. Groups liked whipped creams similarly with a few key differences. Notably, overall ethnicity one rated emotions lower than ethnicity two consumers with a few exceptions. Unsurprisingly, positive emotions correlated with higher liking scores and indulgence, with the food context enhancing emotional response across both groups. Cream related sensory attributes such as ‘cream flavour’, ‘milky’, ‘buttery’, and ‘smoothness’ drove liking and indulgence for both cultures. In contrast, ‘sweet’ had a stronger and more complex impact for ethnicity two consumers, acting as both a positive and negative driver depending on sample and food context. Dairy based whipped creams performed the best overall, followed by hybrid, with plant-based and mock creams receiving the lowest ratings. Cross-cultural insights into indulgence perception for products within the dairy industry are limited, especially when evaluated in a realistic food context. Indulgence embodies emotional reward and contextual meaning; these findings show the importance of evaluating whipped cream in realistic food pairings. This study provides guidance for product development and cross-cultural consumer testing of indulgent dairy and dairy-alternative creams, particularly when considering products intended end use, and highlights the importance of food context and culture when measuring consumer acceptability.
Unspecified event : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Creative Writing at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 15 April 2028.
(Massey University, 2026) Perry, Hana Joyce
Affect, the emotional conditions that arbitrate our meaningful relations with ourselves, one another, and the world, is constantly morphing and moving. Affect and its patterns over time are complex, volatile, and ambiguous, yet we rely on them to give us meaningful certainty, both political and personal, in an uncertain world. This critical portion of the thesis explores, through Margaret Wetherell’s affective practice, the possible figuration of affect as a singular unconscious–conscious socially discursive interplay in Samantha Harvey’s 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘜𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦: 𝘈 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨. The thesis simultaneously examines affect as a force that can escape emotionally laden discursive (and recursive) ideological meaning-making, through the lens of Brian Massumi’s theory of autonomous affect. The creative thesis, alongside the critical, explores the contradictions of affect for myself, an ex Jehovah’s Witness, and its potential figurations, which led me to come out as a trans woman in my fifties. The creative component is a memoir tracing the patterns of affect that have formed me across eleven non-fiction stories. The stories reflect how, the more I research, write, and meditate, the more an understanding of affect escapes my grasp; the sheer complexity of emotions that reciprocate and generate between the unconscious and the conscious overwhelms and exceeds me. They are not binary containers but are integrated with one another, with the body, and across bodies. Where I begin, and another body starts, becomes less clear to me. I am left to locate the self, neither in essence nor in chaos, but in infinitely unfolding space.
Corporate intentions and behaviours when complying with mandatory assurance of climate reporting: a qualitative study of New Zealand reporting entities
(Emerald, 2026-08-11) Perera A; Koya N; Thrikawala S
Exploring New Zealand consumer affective and sensory responses of no and low (NOLO) alcohol Wines in a realistic consumption setting
(Wiley, 2026-06-30) Xuan KNP; Hort J; Diako C; Dupas de Matos A
Declining alcohol consumption both in New Zealand and globally has increased interest in no- and low-alcohol (NOLO) wines; however, limited research has examined how alcohol level influences consumer responses. This study investigated how alcohol content (0%, 6%, and 13%) affected such responses for Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot. Participants (n = 172) evaluated nine samples in a digitally recreated wine bar, rating liking, emotions, sensory attributes, and willingness to purchase and pay. Results showed that 6% white wines received higher liking and purchase intent, driven by fruity, floral, smooth attributes, and positive emotions. Merlot maintained perceived value across reduced versions, reflecting its structural complexity. Motivational factors such as driving and avoiding hangovers influenced NOLO consumption, while barriers included perception that “wine without alcohol” lacks purpose. Findings highlight the importance of varietal-specific consideration in sensory optimization, as well as realistic testing environments to support market growth of NOLO wines.
Experiments on entrainment and mixing in particle-driven gravity currents
(Cambridge University Press, 2026-09-10) Tonoyama S; Woods A
New experiments with particle-driven, finite-volume gravity currents show that some of the ambient fluid displaced up and over the head of the current becomes mixed into the current. Measurements show that this leads to an increase in volume of the current at a similar rate to that in a single-phase current. Experiments also show that particles gradually settle from the top surface of the current, releasing fluid from the current. Eventually, this begins to dominate the entrainment through the head, and the volume of the current then decreases. Meanwhile, particles continuously sediment from the base of the flow, reducing the particle load. A simplified integral box model is developed to illustrate the evolving balance between these processes as a function of S0, the ratio of the current speed, based on the initial buoyancy, to the particle fall speed, for 30 < S0 < 300. The model combines the entrainment law proposed by Sher and Woods (J. Fluid Mech., 2015, vol. 784, pp. 130–162) for single-phase gravity currents, the sedimentation law proposed by Bonnecaze et al. (J. Fluid Mech., 1993, vol. 250, pp. 339–369) for a constant-volume gravity current, and a new model for the release of fluid from the top surface of the current through particle settling. We show that the maximum volume of the current and the position of the nose when reaching this maximum volume both increase nearly linearly with S0. We discuss the importance of these results for particle-driven gravity currents, especially where the effects of fluid entrainment can lead to a change in fluid chemistry, promoting flocculation and hence sedimentation, or a change in fluid buoyancy through fluid–particle interaction.