Péter Huszka
56177678700
Publications - 10
NGOs in Hungary against food waste
Publication Name: Civil Szemle
Publication Date: 2024-09-18
Volume: 21
Issue: 4
Page Range: 31-49
Description:
Food waste is one of the major issues of our time, especially in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Many NGOs are involved in the fight against food waste, setting up initiatives to reduce the overproduction and wastage of food The aim of this research is to present the NGOs working to reduce food waste and to explore their awareness, need and consumer perception among the young Hungarian population In order to answer the research questions, secondary data collection and an exploratory quantitative survey were conducted Among the NGOs, the main objectives and results of the Shopping Communities, the Hungarian Food Association and the No Leftovers Program are presented The results are presented in a short case study Food rescue organizations are less well known among consumers and thus are likely to play a minor role in reducing food waste in everyday life The development of technologies such as "food saver" applications may continue to grow in the future and may even become a common tool for food shopping, especially for the younger generation The role of NGOs will continue to be important in raising awareness and collecting practices to reduce food waste, but more intensive marketing work is recommended.
Open Access: Yes
The Role and Awareness of Food Rescue Ngos in Hungary: Based on the Results of an Online Survey
Publication Name: Chemical Engineering Transactions
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 114
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 739-744
Description:
The issue of food waste is a significant global challenge that is closely linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are of critical importance in addressing this issue, spearheading initiatives aimed at curbing overproduction and waste. This study introduces the principal non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in food waste reduction and assesses the extent of public awareness of their activities in Hungary. The research is based on secondary data and an online survey of 231 respondents. It explores initiatives such as shopping communities, the Hungarian Food Bank Association, the No Leftovers program, and the Munch app. The findings indicate that food rescue organisations are not widely recognised, which constrains their potential impact. However, younger generations demonstrate greater engagement with digital food-saving solutions. The lack of public awareness underscores the necessity for enhanced marketing and educational initiatives. Furthermore, the study identifies a generational and socioeconomic divide, with younger, higher-income individuals demonstrating a greater commitment to sustainable practices. The study offers insights into how NGOs can enhance their impact through the strategic use of technology and targeted communication.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3303/CET24114124
Analysis of Hungarian consumers' food consumption and wastage patterns in times of the crisis
Publication Name: Ukrainian Food Journal
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
Page Range: 192-209
Description:
Introduction. The present research studies the extent to which recent crises have affected the food purchasing habits of Hungarian consumers and whether the financial difficulties caused by the crisis have changed their food wastage patterns. Materials and methods. The research method was a questionnaire survey, and the authors evaluated the data based on the opinions of a total of 798 respondents. The evaluation was carried out using SPSS version 28 and Smart PLS software. Results and discussion. The results showed that the current economic crises have a significant impact on the purchasing habits of the Hungarian consumers surveyed and the amount of food they buy. During a crisis, Hungarian consumers are more conscious and buy less. Consumers are less optimistic about the future (mean: 3.00 standard deviation: 1.248). The study shows that optimism has no effect on whether they waste food. Anxiety has a strong effect on perceptions of crisis and wastage. The study also shows that Hungarian consumers are not satisfied with the way the economic crisis is being handled (mean: 2.29, standard deviation: 1.185). The responses also show that consumers surveyed are typically careful about how much they buy (mean: 3.70, standard deviation: 1.113), what they put away and what they throw away. More conscious thinking about waste and consumption is well outlined (mean 3.62, standard deviation 1.205). Less food is thrown away, with 18.7% of respondents never throwing away food waste and one in five respondents buying only as much food as they can afford to take away. When food is left over, around 18% of survey respondents compost the leftovers. However, there was no difference in the extent to which those affected by economic impacts abandoned their previous consumption habits or stuck to their previous lifestyle. Conclusion. Wastage is affected by the experience of the crisis and a sense of uncertainty about the future. Similarly, the experience of the crisis is influenced by our knowledge of eating habits and our environmental awareness.
Open Access: Yes
Beliefs about plant-based diet based in a sample of Hungarian females
Publication Name: Ukrainian Food Journal
Publication Date: 2023-01-01
Volume: 12
Issue: 3
Page Range: 398-418
Description:
Introduction. The aim of research is to examine the knowledge about plant-based diets, what beliefs and misconceptions exist about plant-based diets (PBDs), and how these differ between lifestyle groups among Hungarian females. Materials and methods. Data were collected through an online survey on social media. These data were processed using univariate statistics (general description of the sample), exploratory factor analysis (identification of healthy lifestyles), cluster analysis (segmentation purposes), chi-square statistics (cluster profiling), F-statistics (comparing attitudes toward PBDs), and cross tabulation (knowledge and perceptions of PBDs). Results and discussion. Four health-related lifestyle dimensions (health-conscious eating, mindfulness, carbohydrate avoidance, red meat avoidance) were identified, and four segments emerged (healthy food choosers, red meat avoiders, stress-free women, rejecters). Healthy food choosers (40.9%) prioritize healthy eating, avoid sugary snacks, and monitor carbohydrate intake. Red meat avoiders (27.9%) are neutral about healthy eating, but avoid red meat and processed foods; don't focus on carbohydrates. Stress-free women (20.8%) value mindfulness, relaxation, and outdoor physical activity for a stress-free life. Rejecters (10.4%) have a negative attitude toward healthy eating, mindfulness, carbohydrates, and red meat. Red meat avoiders live in the capital city, eat fruits and vegetables more often or at least once a day. Rejecters live in villages and eat fruits and vegetables every 4–5 days in a week or do not eat fruits and vegetables in a week. Healthy eaters eat fruits and vegetables more times a day. Stress-free people eat fruits and vegetables every 2–3 days in a week. They differed in their knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of PBDs. 72.1% of healthy food choosers, 84.8% of red meat avoiders, 75.8% of stress-free people and 71.9% of rejecters thought that plant-based diet was similar to vegan and vegetarian diet. The attitudes range from “may have health benefits for certain diseases” as the attitude with the highest mean level of agreement (4.26), especially among red meat avoiders, to “encourages diary consumption” as the attitude with the lowest mean level of agreement (1.69), especially among red meat avoiders. Red meat avoiders, healthy food choosers, and stress-free women had more positive attitudes toward PBDs than did rejecters. The majority of females were thinking about trying out PBDs. Red meat avoiders, healthy eaters, and stress-free women had more positive attitudes toward PBD than did rejecters. Healthy eaters perceived PBD as healthy. Red meat avoiders perceived the plant-based diet as healthy, safe, varied, exciting, environmentally friendly, and a complete diet. Stress-free women thought the plant-based diet was unhealthy and environmentally unfriendly. Rejecters attached more negative attributes to the PBD. They perceived the meatless diet as unhealthy, dangerous, monotonous, boring, environmentally unfriendly, difficult to digest, and malnutrition. Conclusions The results contribute to the literature by adding empirical evidence to the emerging trends (PBD, vegan, vegetarian diets), as well as generating suggestions for nutrition and dietetics professionals and the government, as targeted marketing programs can be planned to change dietary behavior.
Open Access: Yes
The Impact of the Multicultural Education on Students’ Attitudes in Business Higher Education Institutions
Publication Name: Education Sciences
Publication Date: 2022-03-01
Volume: 12
Issue: 3
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The research aims to assess the cultural diversity of international students studying in higher education institutions. The results of the research provide an overview of the attitude of students studying in institutions of higher education to learning, the factors influencing their studies, and their expectations for their studies abroad. One type of quantitative research method, the questionnaire, was chosen for the primary research. The research results reflect the perspectives of students from different cultural backgrounds in institutions of higher education and focus on the phenomena and situations they experience. Following the hypothesis test results, an outcome can be seen that students believe that their studies in higher education provide a good foundation for their personal development. The results also confirmed that learning in a multicultural environment could positively affect students’ working abilities.
Open Access: Yes
Impact of the crisis caused by the coronavirus on Hungarian consumer behavior related to food purchases
Publication Name: Ukrainian Food Journal
Publication Date: 2022-01-01
Volume: 11
Issue: 2
Page Range: 315-330
Description:
Introduction. Due to the worldwide coronavirus epidemic, models of consumer behaviour related to the purchase of food need to be revised. Materials and methods. An empirical study was conducted with a questionnaire survey. The research took place in Hungary in the summer of 2020, involving 724 consumers. Results and discussion. A high percentage of consumers in Hungary reacted to the coronavirus crisis by panic buying. The consumption of healthier foods has spread in connection with the coronavirus crisis, and that the demand of Hungarian consumers for dairy products has also increased. Furthermore, there are differences between the products consumed by panic buyers and normal shoppers. The results showed those who were not afraid of the coronavirus paid less attention to their eating habits (Pearson's correlation: - 0.119, sign.:0.01). Some 59.9% of respondents said that it was worth storing large quantities of food because of the coronavirus epidemic. Females and males did not differ on this issue (Chi-square 0.160, df: 2, sign.:0.923, p≥0.05). Correlation tests showed that for dairy purchases, butter, cheese, fruit yoghurt and sour cream were significantly correlated with each other. By age, respondents aged 40–60 bought the most dairy products, while consumers aged 30 bought the least. Conclusion. The coronavirus pandemic has seriously affected not only the global economy, but also the daily life of the world's population. Negative consequences were also reflected in the attitude to the purchase of food and there were significant changes in the composition of consumed products.
Open Access: Yes
The coronavirus’s effect on the decisions and habits of food purchases in Hungary
Publication Name: Journal of International Studies
Publication Date: 2022-01-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 1
Page Range: 149-167
Description:
This article was inspired by current events. The shopping craze generated by the coronavirus pandemic raised some questions that this article aims to answer by analysing a variety of suppositions. The coronavirus pandemic caused panic shopping amongst consumers, whose motivation for increasing the volumes of shopping revolved around ensuring a safety margin of groceries while also reducing the number of shopping trips. The consumers did most of their shopping in hyper, and supermarkets, as well as in bigger ABCs and grocery stores (Lidl), where there’s a wider range of products and larger stock. The average consumer bought much more than the basic groceries during this period. Our research started in March 2020 and ended in May 2020. To validate our assumptions, primary information is derived from the statistical processing of a large number of data from a representative questionnaire survey of 724 respondents. The results show that for many people this period was about stockpiling storages of groceries. Flour saw the biggest increase in purchase volumes, but chicken and pastas were also amongst the more popular items. Stores with the biggest range of selection were able to satisfy this demand. As evidenced by data, consumers also purchased items, which are needed for any household during an emergency and are easy to store in higher volumes. These items include different oils and fats, which are required for cooking, and non-perishables, such as salamis, canned foods, rice and mineral water.
Open Access: Yes
A modified model of the willingness to pay for functional foods
Publication Name: Appetite
Publication Date: 2019-07-01
Volume: 138
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 94-101
Description:
The aim of this research was to develop a modified version of the Munene model summarizing the factors influencing willingness to pay for functional foods, adjusted to the Hungarian population. The questionnaire survey was conducted in 2014 in Hungary on a sample of 500 individuals, representative for gender, age, settlement type and region. Building blocks of the Munene model were examined and tested with a Latent Variable Path Analysis with the Partial Least Squares (LVPLS) model. According to the results, the strongest relationship in the modified model was identified between attitudes towards, and beliefs about, the attributes of functional foods, i.e. the more consumers believe in the health protecting effect of functional foods, the more positive their attitudes towards those foods, and the more they are willing to pay a premium for them. The highest explanatory power in the model was attributed to the attitudes towards functional foods, followed by beliefs about the attributes of functional foods, and then by consumer demographics. The modification of the original Munene model based on a Hungarian sample contributes to an examination of its usability and provides an example of how it can fit to another culture. Moreover, a comprehensive model including factors influencing WTP has not yet been developed among Hungarian consumers.
Open Access: Yes
Methodology development on aquatic environmental assessment
Publication Name: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Publication Date: 2017-04-01
Volume: 24
Issue: 12
Page Range: 11126-11140
Description:
The Water Framework Directive aims at reaching the good ecological status of the surface and ground water bodies (László et al. Microchem J 85(1):65–71, 2007). The paper deals with quality evaluation of waters with special focus on the water chemistry parameters as defined in the Water Framework Directive and pertaining legal regulations. The purpose of this paper is to devise a quantitative type of water quality assessment method which could provide rapid, accurate, and reliable information on the quality of the surface waters by using water chemistry parameters. Quality classes have been defined for every water chemistry parameter in light of the legal limit values of the water parameters. In addition to this, weight indices were calculated on the basis of the outcome of the paired comparison of water chemistry parameters and normalized matrix. This was followed by the parametric level analysis of the water chemistry parameters, and finally, the aquatic environment index (AEI) was calculated, which provided general information on the quality of water regarding the water chemistry parameters. The method was illustrated on Lake Balaton, Hungary in which case water samples taken from Balatonfüred City lake area were analyzed and evaluated with the method devised.
Open Access: Yes
Is early smoking a fashion trend or a defensive mechanism? - Study on consumer behaviour among students
Publication Name: Economics and Sociology
Publication Date: 2014-01-01
Volume: 7
Issue: 1
Page Range: 142-156
Description:
Health status in Hungary has been deteriorating since the mid-1960s, resulting that Hungary is behind the developed health cultures - mainly Western European - countries. Considering these facts, our scientific interest turned to the examination of health awareness, drinking and smoking habits, healthy lifestyles, state of health and environmental awareness of adolescents and youngsters. To realize these tasks, during the set-up of the sample our aim was to provide representativeness and randomness. The research found that those pupils, who had a harmonious relationship with their parents, maintained a lower level (substance use) smoking and smoking frequency characteristic. No less important is the observation that youngsters try the cigarettes more and more early, but they are far too optimistic in assessing their own health.
Open Access: Yes
