The food industry is one of the main contributors to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. The greatest impact is caused by production of animal-sourced foods. To reduce the planetary burden, a dietary shift from animal-based to more plant-based foods is necessary. Policy interventions are tools to achieve such a shift. For policies to be successful, acceptability is a crucial component. Several variables such as age, gender, education level, and geographical residence have previously been identified as decisive for policy acceptability. The aim of the present research is to go beyond these findings and obtain a deeper understanding of acceptability of policy proposals for reduced consumption of animal-sourced foods. Qualitative interviews with Swedish citizens were conducted to investigate which factors influence high respective low policy acceptability. Results indicate that environmental concern, exposure to plant-based foods, perceptions of others’ views, and environmental norms are crucial factors shaping policy acceptability, as these mediate several other critical factors. The discussion pointed out beliefs about the sufficiency of plant-based foods and the necessity of meat, ideas about consumers of plant-based foods as radical, and perceived effectiveness and fairness of the policies to be entry points for increasing policy acceptability, as these beliefs are theoretically established to be susceptible to change. Insights from the research can be used for policy design and communication efforts. The study offers recommendations to communicate the sufficiency and healthiness of plant-based foods, to frame its consumers in a more inclusive and appealing way for meat and dairy consumers to identify with, and to expose the policy tradeoffs by contrasting them with the environmental cause. / Mistra Food Futures WP7

Master of Science / Food Science Institute / Koushik Adhikari / The market of nail polish has been booming in recent years. Research on nail polish is scarce. A sensory lexicon for nail polish has been developed at Kansas State University, but how sensory factors affect female consumers’ acceptability of nail polish has not been examined. Also, other factors, such as price and usage characteristics that could affect consumers’ acceptability, are yet to be determined. A nail polish consumer study was conducted at Kansas State University to explore several sensory and non-sensory factors that could affect female consumers’ acceptability of nail polish. Eight nail polish samples, belonging to four categories, namely, regular (REG), gel (GEL), flake (FLK) and water-based (WAT), were evaluated by each of the 98 female consumers. The questionnaire consisted of three sections – application, observation and general usage questions. Results showed that consumers rated the samples similarly in both the application and observation sections. In general, consumers preferred the REG and the GEL samples more than the FLK and the WAT samples. Among all the sensory attributes, appearance attributes were the major attributes that affected consumers’ overall acceptability, while aroma had negligible impact on acceptability. Some sensory attributes like runny, shininess, opacity, spreadability, smoothness, coverage and wet-appearance were found to drive the consumer’s overall acceptability positively, while others such as pinhole, fatty-edges, blister, brushlines, pearl-like, flake-protrusion, glittery and initial-drag impacted their liking negatively. Four clusters of consumers were identified based on the consumers’ overall liking scores for both the application and observation sections. Considering all the factors that could affect consumers’ acceptability, sensory appeal, price, and conveniences of usage were the top factors picked by consumers. Age was also a factor that affected consumers’ acceptability for some of the samples. Consumers’ overall acceptability for these studied samples could guide a beauty store or a nail salon on building their selection on nail polishes. Consumers’ acceptability on different sensory attributes could help a nail polish company modify or improve their nail polish formula. The consumer cluster information could benefit a nail polish company on marketing a specific category of product and advertising to a specific group of consumers.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Nutrition / Delores H. Chambers / A green tea descriptive sensory lexicon was developed by a highly trained panel, which identified, defined, and referenced 31 flavor attributes of green tea. The attributes were categorized as “green” (asparagus, beany, Brussels sprout, celery, parsley, spinach, green beans, and green herb-like), “brown” (ashy/sooty, brown spice, burnt/scorched, nutty, and tobacco), “fruity/floral” (fruity, floral/perfumy, citrus, and fermented), “mouthfeel” (astringent and tooth-etching), “basic tastes” (overall sweet and bitter), and other attributes (almond, animalic, grain, musty/new leather, mint, seaweed, and straw-like). Using the green tea lexicon, the flavor differences that exist among a wide range of green teas (n=138) produced in various countries were determined. Roast-processed teas were mostly responsible for brown-related flavors and steam-processed teas were mostly responsible for green-related flavors. Aroma analyses of green tea showed that the concentration of volatile compounds were much lower than stated in the literature. Brown, brown-related attributes, bitterness, and astringency became stronger and green and green-related attributes become weaker as the brewing time lengthened (1, 2, 5, and 20 min) and the water temperature increased (50, 70, 95°C). The flavor characteristics of roast-processed, steam processed, or roast-steam-processed Korean green teas differed only in their characterizing green flavors. The flavor and aroma of green teas change after sequential brewings. Green teas in leaf form can be brewed four times: the first two brews providing stronger flavor and aroma characteristics whereas the third and fourth brews will provide milder flavor and aroma characteristics. The flavor and aroma change in green teas that are stored over two years were observed at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after their original packaging dates. Green tea changes minimally during the first year of storage and only slightly more during the first two years of storage. Consumer studies and descriptive evaluations were conducted to understand what green tea flavor characteristics influence US consumers' liking. Twelve green tea samples were evaluated by three consumer groups from Korea, Thailand, and the United States. The current research suggests that familiarity plays a role in tea acceptance. However, various flavor profiles may be acceptable to consumers who are familiar with other flavors of green tea.

Since the early 1990s, the Estonian health sector has been undergoing a number of reforms. At the same time, a number of legislative acts have also been established, forming a new legal basis for the health system. The introduction of a social health insurance in 1992 was the first reform in the Estonian health sector reorganisation, followed by a primary health care (PHC) reform, a hospital reform and a number of public health reforms. The aim of this thesis is to analyse these health sector reforms in Estonia, focusing on the outcomes of the health system from the population’s perspective. Proceeding from this general aim, the specific objectives of the thesis are as follows: 1) To analyse the PHC reform in terms of the access to the health services and the acceptability and satisfaction with these services. 2) To analyse the health insurance reform in terms of the acceptability and satisfaction with the new system. 3) To analyse the public health reforms and their impact on the health of the population. The empirical data were gathered with the following research methods: reviews of official health statistics and population surveys in 1998, 2002 and 2005 based on face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires. The main results can be summarised in relation to the objectives of the thesis: 1) The primary health care reform has been implemented and most of the objectives have been achieved. In general, people accept the changes in the PHC system and the satisfaction with the family doctors has increased. Access to the PHC services is good. Based on the results of a population study in 2002 and 2005, more than half of the respondents could see the family doctor on the same day they made an appointment. Almost a half of the respondents (49%) were satisfied with the access to the health services. Satisfaction with the PHC services and family doctors were found to have positive effects on satisfaction with access to health services. Although people with chronic conditions were less satisfied with the access to the health services they did not experience organisational barriers in their access to such services. 2) The health insurance reform has been implemented and a high level of financial protection has been maintained. The solidarity principle of the health insurance system guarantees access to health services for all the insured people. About half of the population is satisfied with the present system. Compared to 2002, the percentage of satisfied people has increased in 2005, while the percentage of very dissatisfied persons has decreased. The most important predictor of satisfaction with the health insurance was the satisfaction with the existing PHC system. The satisfaction with the health insurance was higher in 2002 as well as 2005 among those respondents who had visited a family doctor or a specialist or were admitted in a hospital during the last 12 months before the survey, but lower among those who had visited a dentist. A small majority preferred the solidarity principles and comprehensive financing of health service by health insurance. The attitudes regarding financing principles were related to the personal contacts with the health services. The respondents who had used the PHC or ambulance services preferred a more comprehensive financing of health services, while those who had had contacts with a specialists or dentists would prefer less comprehensive financing if the waiting lists were short. More than three quarters of the respondents were informed about their rights concerning the access to the health services. Personal contacts with family doctors and specialists had positive impact on the level of awareness. 3) Some progress has been made in connection with the public health reforms. A number of national programs and projects to prevent the most essential health risks have been initiated. As a result, there is some evidence of a positive impact on the health of the population – positive trends in dietary habits and decreasing infant mortality, number of abortions, and incidences of sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis. At the same time, however, the proportion of smokers and consumers of strong alcohol has not decreased. Moreover, there has been an explosive increase of new cases of HIV-infections in 2000, which is one of the most serious public health problems today. Greater progress has been achieved in the areas where health promotion and health education activities have been supported by political decisions to make a healthy choice for the population easier. However, a comprehensive national health policy and strategy is still lacking in Estonia. In public health, this is evidenced by a lack of long-term planning and understanding of the significance of intersectoral co-operation. Discussion. Up to now, the major reforms in the Estonian health system have been implemented. However, the environment is changing and the health system has to respond to these changes. The next step should therefore be to reach a public agreement about the common values of the health system and setting long-term health policy goals. To improve the effectiveness of policy implementation and reform, the importance of systematic research and evaluation should also be stressed.

A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / To systematically review all studies examining HPV vaccination acceptability among immigrant and ethnic minority parents and eligible individuals for cervical cancer prevention in the Unites states. MEDLINE/PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, and Cochrane database searches were conducted searching for English language, US‐based studies to examine immigrant and ethnic minority population’s acceptability of HPV vaccination. Thirteen of more than 3,098 potentially relevant articles were included in the final analysis. Results. Latinos were statistically more likely to accept vaccination for both their daughters and sons. Foreign‐born adult Latinas were more accepting of the vaccine than U.S.‐born Latinas after controlling for other variables. Overall African American and Asian American parents were less likely to accept HPV vaccination for their daughters than Hispanic and White parents. Of the African American parents who intended to vaccinate their children the majority were significantly non‐Baptist and had higher levels of education. The majority of Haitian immigrants intended to vaccinate daughters and the rest agreed that they would most likely have their daughters vaccinated if their daughters’ physicians recommended it. More research is needed, particularly in the context of health care provider HPV vaccination recommendation to immigrant and ethnic‐minority populations. Acceptance figures so far suggest that the vaccine is generally well received among Hispanic/Latin and Haitian immigrants, but details of ethnic variations among these groups and a qualitative understanding of lower rates of acceptability among African American and Asian American communities are still being awaited. Despite advances in cervical cancer screening rates in the US, cervical cancer remains disproportionately high among low‐income immigrant and minority women, making this subgroup particularly vulnerable to disparities in screening and its detection. The purpose of this study is to examine the qualitative aspects of institutional and community level interventions of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) within the immigrant and refugee populations and the use of HPV vaccination as a prevention method. Combinations of the following keywords/phrases will be used: CIN‐ Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia, Cervical diseases, Cervical dysplasia, Refugees, Pap smear, Cervical Cancer Screening, HPV‐ Human Papillomavirus, HPV vaccination, Ethnic minorities, Immigrants. Independent reviews of each article will be conducted to assess the study quality and confirm the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of the abstracted data.

Le présent travail de recherche se situe dans le cadre du développement et de l‟évaluation du concept de résidences-services développé par l‟association MEDeTIC. L‟objectif de cette association est de répondre au souhait de nombreuses personnes âgées de vieillir chez elles ou comme chez elles grâce à une offre de services intégrant des technologies au sein d‟un habitat adapté aux besoins évolutifs des personnes âgées. Notre travail a pour ambition d‟accompagner cette association dans une démarche de diagnostic psychosocial des besoins de la personne âgée en matière d‟habitat, de technologies et de services. En conservant pour cadre d‟analyse ces trois sources d‟innovation intégrées au sein des résidences-services, cette thèse vise à mobiliser les outils de la psychologie sociale et ergonomique en vue d‟identifier les freins et les leviers de leur déploiement (études 1A, 1B et 1C). Sous l‟égide d‟une approche traitant de l‟acceptabilité, nous examinons d‟une part la compatibilité entre les fonctionnalités offertes des services et les limitations rencontrées par les personnes âgées (étude B1) et d‟autre part l‟influence de la familiarité aux technologies (étude B2). Puis, pour comprendre les processus cognitifs et sociaux sous tendant l‟usage, les expérimentations C1 et C2 se focalisent sur les modèles prédictifs ainsi que sur l‟influence des déterminants individuels (i.e. âge, expérience), sociaux (i.e. opinions des aidants) et organisationnels (i.e. caractère volontaire de l‟accès aux services). Sur la base des résultats obtenus, des recommandations pratiques sont adressées à l‟association MEDeTIC afin qu‟elle poursuive son évolution / This research work is grounded in the development and evaluation of congregate housing concept carried by MEDeTIC non profit organization. Its purpose is to answer the need of elderly people who wish to successfully age in place by providing evolutionary ambient assisted living services at home. In order to support MEDeTIC developments, the ambition of our work was to engage a psychosocial diagnosis of elderly people needs concerning home, technologies and services. Through the focus of psychosocial and ergonomics tools, these three sources of innovations are conjointly analyzed in the present dissertation in order to identify what is hindering and driving congregate housing implementation (studies A1, A2, A3). Providing acceptability issues, this thesis firstly analyzes on the one hand service functionalities compatibility with activity limitations encountered by elderly people (study B1) and on the other hand familiar experience with technologies (study B2). Secondly, experiments C1 and C2 focus on model prediction and on individual (i.e. age, experience), socials (i.e. care givers opinions) and organizational (i.e. voluntary service usage settings) determinants in order to apprehend cognitive and social processes that drive usage of technical services by the elderly. Based on our findings, practical recommendations are address to MEDeTIC non profit organization in order to foster its evolution

This thesis contains five papers studying the economic efficiency and political acceptability of road pricing policies and transport investments in distorted economies. Interactions between the transport market and other distorted markets, such as the labor market, can have a large impact on the welfare effect of a road pricing policy or a transport investment. Many road pricing studies therefore try to incorporate effects from other distorted markets in the analysis. Paper I analyzes how the economic efficiency of a road toll in a distorted economy depends on assumptions about the initial tax system. In the road pricing literature, the welfare effect of a road toll is often found to depend on revenue use. Using a simple general equilibrium model paper I shows that the relative efficiency of marginal revenue recycling policies depends more on assumptions regarding inefficiencies in the initial tax system than on the road toll per se. Paper II studies the effect on welfare, equity and labor supply from a road toll in a commuting population with heterogeneous value of time and endogenous labor supply. When explicitly taking into account that commuters have different value of time, the road toll can increase total labor supply even when the revenues are not recycled back to the commuters. The analysis stresses the importance of recognizing traveler heterogeneity when analyzing congestion pricing. Road pricing policies are often characterized by conflicting interests between different stakeholders and different geographical areas. Papers III and IV study the economic efficiency and political acceptability of pricing and investment policies in different institutional and geographical settings. The main contribution of the papers is to explain how political constraints can lead to inefficient tolling strategies. The papers contribute to the existing literature on political acceptability of road pricing by analyzing the conflict and potential trade-off between political acceptability and economic efficiency. A difficulty when assessing the welfare effect of a future transport policy is also that many factors and parameters needed for the analysis are uncertain. Paper V studies the climate benefit of an investment in high speed rail by calculating the magnitude of annual traffic emission reduction required to compensate for the annualized embedded emissions from the construction of the line. The paper finds that to be able to balance the annualized emissions from the construction, traffic volumes of more than 10 million annual one-way trips are usually required, and most of the traffic diverted from other transport modes must come from aviation. / <p>QC 20121010</p>

O trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a aplicação de hidrolisado de carne (bovina, peru e frango) em preparações usualmente utilizadas em nossa alimentação e com padrão de aceitabilidade. Para obtenção do hidrolisado foi utilizada a carne com o suco de abacaxi \"in natura\" como fonte de bromelina (enzima proteolítica). Esse processo é de baixo custo e sua aplicação em preparações fáceis, contribui para variações nos cardápios com produto de valor nutricional maior, independentemente da classe sócioeconômica. Foram eleitas 4 preparações: sopa de beterraba, bolinho de batata, mousse de uva e vitamina de legumes e frutas. Todas as receitas foram desenvolvidas no Laboratório de Técnica Dietética da Faculdade de Saúde Pública / USP com recursos similares aos domésticos, para sua garantia à adequada orientação dietoterápica. Para a conclusão das preparações realizaram pelo menos 6 sessões laboratórios, quando o produto final obtido foi semelhante ao da receita padrão. A maior dificuldade em adaptar o hidrolisado foi com a carne bovina por ter coloração mais escura, sendo necessário portanto utilizar alimentos com cores mais fortes. A aceitabilidade foi verificada através da análise sensorial pelo método da escala hedônica, utilizando degustadores não treinados, funcionários, professores e alunos da Faculdade de Saúde pública/USP. Para o experimento, utilizou-se o delineamento estatístico através da análise de variância e teste de Tuckey. Os hidrolisados foram analisados quanto à sua composição centesimal: umidade, gordura, proteína. O valor nutritivo das preparações foi calculado antes e após a utilização do hidrolisado para comparação, utilizando o programa NUTRI-HNT. Os hidrolisados de carne apresentaram leve sabor residual, devendo ser mascarado nas diferentes preparações. O de bovino teve a coloração marrom, influenciando no produto final. O resultado da análise sensorial mostrou que as preparações com hidrolisado de carne, de peru e de frango foram as de melhor aceitação. A substituição de líquidos pelos hidrolisados de carne requer seleção adequada de receitas e seus ingredientes e o conhecimento das características sensoriais e físico químicas é de fundamental importância na obtenção de produto satisfatório. A utilização do hidrolisado de carne na preparação melhora o seu valor nutricional em proteínas, alguns minerais e vitaminas, em especial naquelas que usualmente não se acrescenta a carne (bolinho, mousse e vitamina). A forma em que se encontra a proteína no hidrolisado é vantajosa para o aproveitamento pelo organismo, podendo ser utilizado com as mais diversas finalidades, desde dietas especiais, suplementação alimentar, e até em alimentação enteral, com um dos seus constituintes. O hidrolisado de carne, assim apresentou aplicabilidade nas preparações selecionadas, através de sua aceitação, facilidade de sua obtenção com custos reduzidos e recursos disponíveis para a população em geral. / The objective of this study was to use hydrolysed meat (beef, turkey, or chicken) in the way usually prepared and accepted in the country. The meat was hydrolysed with bromelin (proteolytic enzyme) from pineapple\'s fresh juice. This process is cheap and easy to prepare, producing a large variety of foods of high nutritional value; being acessible to people from all socio economic levells. Four preparations of foods were selected as the best: beetroot soup, fried potato cake, grape musse and legumes and fruits shake. All recipes were developed at the Tecnical Dietetic Laboratory of the Public Health Faculty/USP in similar domestic conditions, to garantee an adequate dietetic orientation. The preparations were performed six times in the laboratory until a product similar with the standard was achieved. Hydrolysed beef was the most difficult to prepare because of the dark color, demanding the use of foods with strong colours. The acceptability was tested by sensorial analysis, using hedonic scale, by not trained tasters (workers, teachers and students of the Public Health Faculty/USP). The hydrolysed meats were analysed according to their composition, humidity, fat and protein. The nutritional value of the preparations were calculated before and after the utilization of the preparation for comparation, utilising the programme NUTRI-HNT. The statístical analysis was performed by the analysis of variance and Tukey test. The hydrolysed meat showed a mild residual flavour, that needed to be hidden in the preparation. The beef had brown coloration, influencing the final product. Sensory analysis showed that hydrolised turkey and chicken had better acceptability. The use of hydrolysate meat in the substitution of liquids demand adequate selection of recipes and ingredients. The knowledge of, the sensorial and physico chemical caracteristics of the foods is essential to obtain a good product. The use of hydrolysed meat in the preparation of foods, improved the nutritional value in proteins, vitamins and minerais, especially in those products that did not contain meat (cake, musse and shake). The protein in the hydrolysed meat improves its utilization by the organismo It may be used with great variability; in special diets, food supplementation, and enteral diets Hydrolysed meat presents a good applicability in selected preparations, showing good acceptability, facility to obtain at a low cost and availability by the population in general.

Com a utilização de quatro potros, com a idade entre 13 a 16 meses, e peso médio de 288±7,68 Kg, recebendo dieta composta de feno de gramínea e concentrado, objetivando-se analisar o efeito da inclusão de diferentes tipos de gordura de origem animal, de origem vegetal e óleo mineral. Avaliou-se a aceitabilidade das dietas, o coeficiente de digestibilidade aparente da Matéria Seca, Matéria Orgânica, Proteína Bruta, Extrato Etéreo, Fibra insolúvel em Detergente Neutro e Fibra insolúvel em Detergente Ácido, utilizando a metodologia de coleta total de fezes, foi observado o efeito da suplementação sobre níveis de gorduras nos valores plasmáticas (Triglicérides, Colesterol e de suas frações VLDL-C, HDL-C, LDL-C). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o Quadrado Latino 4X4, para separar os efeitos de tratamento foram utilizados três contrastes ortogonais, C1: óleo mineral vs dieta controle; C2: gordura animal vs gordura vegetal e C3: gordura animal+ gordura vegetal vs dieta controle. Os resultados demonstrados nesse experimento foram que a aceitabilidade não foi observada diferença entre os tratamentos, que o contraste ortogonal C1 apresentou resultado significativo para digestibilidade de MS e MO e EE, e o contraste C3 apresentou valor significativo para EE, para os valores plasmáticos o contraste ortogonal C1 apresentou valor significativo para HDL-C, sendo que os outros contrastes não apresentaram variação estatística. Podemos concluir que a adição de óleo mineral afeta a digestibilidade da MS, MO e EE se comparado ao controle, não afetando a digestibilidade da PB, FDN e FDA, que a adição de gordura vegetal não se diferencia com a gordura animal quanto a digestibilidade dos nutrientes aqui mensurados e a adição de gordura vegetal e animal altera a digestibilidade do EE em comparação com o controle. Quanto aos valores plasmáticos observamos que a adição de óleo mineral alterou os valores de HDL-C em relação à dieta controle, e os outros contrastes não obtiveram resultados significativos em relação aos valores plasmáticos. / Four foals, aging from 13 to 16 months and with average weight of 288 ± 7.68 kg were used in this study, in order to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of different types of fat from animal source, vegetable fat and mineral oil. The basis of the diet of experimental animals was grass hay and concentrate. It was evaluated the acceptability of the diets, the coefficient of apparent digestibility of Dry Material (DM), Organic Matter (OM), Crude Protein (CP), Extract Etéreo (EE), Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF), by means of the methodology of total feces collection. It was also observed the effect of supplementation on levels of plasma fat (Triglycerides, Cholesterol and its fractions, VLDL-C, HDL-C, LDL-C). The experimental design was a 4X4 Latin Square; three orthogonal contrasts were carried out in order to evaluate the effects of treatments: C1: mineral oil vs control diet; C2: animal fat vs. vegetable fat and C3: animal fat + vs vegetable fat diet control. It was demonstrated that the acceptability did not differ between treatments; contrast C1 showed significant results for digestibility of MS and MO and EE, and the contrast C3 showed significant result for EE. In regard of the values of plasma fat, contrast C1 presented significant value for HDL-C; contrast C2 and C3 did not show statistically significant variation. In conclusion, the addition of mineral oil affected the digestibility of DM, OM and EE, but did not affect the digestibility of CB, NDF and ADF; the addition of vegetable fats did not produce any variation in comparison with animal fats on the digestibility of the measured nutrients and the addition of both vegetable and animal fat altered the digestibility of EE. It was also observed that the addition of mineral oil changed the values of HDL-C compared with the control diet, and either contrasts C1 or C2 did not show significant differences on levels of plasma fat.

A tecnologia conhecida como \"ready to eat\", alia ao minimamente processado técnicas como o pré-cozimento, e permite a agregação de valor ao produto final. A preocupação crescente em relação à segurança e higiene dos alimentos consumidos faz com que técnicas de conservação de alimentos sejam estudadas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivos avaliar a ação de diferentes doses de radiação, temperaturas de armazenamento e a interação entre elas, em alguns legumes tais como batata, cenoura e vagem minimamente processadas, pré-cozidas e embaladas a vácuo. Foram avaliados os parâmetros físico-químicos, sensoriais e microbiológicos, e a aceitabilidade de produtos irradiados junto ao mercado consumidor. Para identificar os parâmetros físico-químicos foram realizadas análises de teor de sólidos solúveis, acidez titulável, pH, cor, carotenoides totais e firmeza. As análises sensoriais foram realizadas em relação aos parâmetros aroma, aparência e aceitação global. As análises microbiológicas foram realizadas, com o uso da técnica de números mais prováveis, para coliformes fecais e totais. A aceitabilidade de mercado do produto irradiado foi identificada pela aplicação de questionário em supermercados da cidade de Piracicaba, São Paulo. O método estatístico utilizado para as análises físico-químicas e sensoriais foi a análise de variância (nível de significância de 5%), seguidas do teste de Tukey. Para as análises microbiológicas e dados referentes ao questionário foram feitas análises descritivas dos dados. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, foi constatado que o uso do processo de irradiação, para a maioria dos casos, não afetou significativamente os parâmetros físico-químicos das amostras analisadas. O pH foi o parâmetro mais influenciado pelo uso das diferentes doses de radiação. As amostras irradiadas e acondicionadas em temperaturas mais baixas (5°C±1°C e -18°C±1°C) apresentaram melhor aceitação nos parâmetros sensoriais: aroma, aparência e aceitação global. Todas as doses de radiação gama foram eficientes no controle de microrganismos. Em relação à aceitabilidade de mercado, o desconhecimento e dúvidas quanto a segurança dos alimentos irradiados foram os principais motivos para a rejeição apresentada para alimentos irradiados / The technology known as \"ready to eat\" combines techniques such as minimal processing and pre-cooking, and makes possible the adding of value to the final product. Growing concern about the safety and hygiene of food is one important motivation for the study of food preservation. This thesis aims to evaluate the effects of different radiation doses, storage temperature, and the interaction between these variables, on vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and green beans which have been minimally processed, pre-cooked and vacuum packed. Physico-chemical, sensory and microbiological effects are evaluated and the acceptability of irradiated products to the consumer market was studied. To identify the physico-chemical parameters, analyses of soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, color, total carotenoids, and firmness were performed. Sensory analyses were performed in relation to the parameters of aroma, appearance, and overall acceptability. Microbiological analyses were performed using the most probable number method for fecal and total coliforms. The market acceptability of irradiated products was identified by a questionnaire survey performed in supermarkets in the city of Piracicaba, São Paulo State, Brazil. The statistical method used for the physico-chemical and sensory analyses was an analysis of variance (significance level of 5%), followed by the Tukey test. For microbiological data and for the questionnaire, descriptive analyses were made of the data. It was found that the use of irradiation in most cases did not significantly affect the physico-chemical parameters of the samples. The pH was the parameter most affected by the use of different radiation doses. The samples that were irradiated and packaged at lower temperatures (5°C±1°C e -18°C±1°C) showed better acceptance in sensory parameters: aroma, appearance, and overall acceptability. The use of gamma radiation was effective in controlling microorganisms. Regarding market acceptability, ignorance and doubts about the safety of irradiated foods were the main reasons given for their rejection