Newcastle University

Sharron Kuznesof (BA, MSc, PhD) is a lecturer in food marketing specialising in food consumer research.  She is experienced in the use of qualitative research methodologies including the secondary analysis of qualitative data, grounded theory, the use of computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software NVivo and focus group and in-depth interview qualitative data techniques. These qualitative research methodologies have been applied to the broad area of food consumer behaviour, specifically: consumer acceptance of novel foods and technologies; personalised nutrition; food risk communication; food safety; regional foods; and dietary change.   She has been involved in research funded by the EU, Food Standards Agency, Department of Trade and Industry and also ESRC funded studentships.  Sharron has assisted with the programme development of the successful BSc (Hons) Marketing degree at Newcastle University, and a recently approved MSc Advanced Food Marketing programme for which she is Degree Programme Director.  She teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has contributed to pedagogic research examining critical approaches within marketing curricula. She is currently supervising 3 full time PhD’s and is a member of the Knowledge Transfer Network Bioscience Food Group.

Research Interests

Subject Interests:
• Personalised nutrition

 •Consumer acceptance of novel foods and technologies (e.g. genetically modified foods, wholegrains)

 •Dietary change
• Food consumer behaviour
• Food risk communication
• New food product development in owner managed food enterprises

Methodological interests:
• Interpretive consumer research
• Secondary analysis of qualitative data sets
• Grounded theory
• Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis: NVivo

Current Work

 Food4Me FP7 Work Package 2: Public Perception of Personalised Nutrition.

Recently completed work:

PhD: Consumer Acceptance iof Novel Foods: A Grounded Theory Study (completed April 2010). This thesis was based upon the secondary analysis of six data sets to develop a conceptual understanding of consumer acceptance of novel foods. The output of thesis is now being written for publication.

·         A community embedded action plan related to food and dietary behaviours of older people (aged 65+), Strategic Development Funds for Engagement, Newcastle University, 2008/10 (Principle investigator with Dr Mary Brennan and Dr Emma Giles)

·         Participant Dietary Change 6 and 12 months post participation in the WHOLEheart study, Food Standards Agency, 2007/8

·         Embedding Business Planning and Innovation in the Curriculum, One North East and Newcastle University, 2007/8 (Principle investigator)

·         Randomised Controlled Trial to Test the Impact of Increased Consumption of Wholegrain Foods on Cardiovascular Disease Risk (WHOLEheart study), Food Standards Agency, 2005/8

·         Methodological Evaluation of the Focus Group:  Consumer Attitudes to Novel Foods and Technologies, Department of Trade and Industry Foresight Group - Food Chain and Crops for Industry (FCCI), (2000/01)

·         Communicating Food Risk Uncertainty to the Public, Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food; Food Standards Agency (1999/2000)

·         Consumer Acceptability of Biotechnology in Relation to Food Products with Special Reference to Farmed Fish, European Commission DGXII Scientific Studies on the Socio-Economic Impact of Biotechnology (1995)

PhD Supervision

Ian Boffey “Dietary change trajectories in response to the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes” (ESRC funded scholar) (Principle supervisor with Dr Mary Brennan). Start Date October 2010.

Helen Kendall “Food provisioning and domestic food hygiene practices of the over 60s in the North East of England” (Food Standards Agency funded scholar) (Principle supervisor with Dr Mary Brennan and Prof Chris Seal). Start Date October 2009

Nichol Watson “’5’ a day: A holistic investigation into the relationship of factors and motivations contributing to the achievement of the recommended intake of fruit and vegetables” (ESRC Scholar) (Co-supervisor with Prof Chris Ritson) (Completed 2012)

Eleftherios Alamanos “Attitudes and perceptions of UK consumers towards Greek wines” (Successfully completed 2009) (Co-supervisor with Prof Chris Ritson)

Angela Jones “Attitudinal and physiological responses to the consumption of wholegrain foods” (Successfully completed 2007) (Co-supervisor with Prof Chris Seal).

Ailbhe Smith “Sociological and dietary responses to the consumption of low-fat and wholegrain foods” (Successfully completed 2004) (Co-supervisor with Prof Chris Seal).

Membership

Member: Knowledge Transfer Network Biosciences -Food Sector Group

Projects

• Studies on the beneficial effects of consuming whole grain foods, the WHOLEheart Study
  Project Leader(s): Chris Seal, Sharron Kuznesof

Undergraduate Teaching

ACE3066 Food Marketing and Policy (Module Leader)

Contributor to:
ACE3163 Contemporary Issues in Food and Nutrition (Singapore)
ACE2148 Communicating about Food (Singapore)

Postgraduate Teaching

Module Leader:
ACE8089 Innovation and New Food Product Development
ACE8069 Dissertation Planning

Contributor to:
ACE8088 Researching the Food Consumer

ACE8058 International Food Markets and Marketing
ACE8095 Dissertation

• Kendall H, Kuznesof S, Seal CJ, Dobson S, Brennan M. Domestic food safety and the older consumer: A segmentation analysis. Food Quality and Preference 2013, 28(1), 396-406.
• Kuznesof S, Brownlee IA, Moore C, Richardson DP, Jebb SA, Seal CJ. WHOLEheart study participant acceptance of wholegrain foods. Appetite 2012, 59(1), 187-193.
• Brownlee IA, Moore C, Chatfield M, Richardson DP, Ashby P, Kuznesof SA, Jebb SA, Seal CJ. Markers of cardiovascular risk are not changed by increased whole-grain intake: the WHOLEheart study, a randomised, controlled dietary intervention. British Journal of Nutrition 2010, 104(1), 125-134.
• Treagear A, Dobson S, Brennan M, Kuznesof S. Critically divided?: How marketing educators perceive undergraduate programmes in the UK. European Journal of Marketing 2010, 44(1-2), 66-86.
• Kuznesof S. Reusing Qualitative Data to Generate Theory: Reflections on ‘Working at the Margins’. In: Reflective Marketing in a Material World: Academy of Marketing annual conference. 2008, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.
• Tregear A, Kuznesof S, Brennan M. Critical Apporaches in undergraudate marketing teaching: Investigating students perceptions. Journal of Marketing Management 2007, 23(5-6), 411-424.
• Smith AT, Kuznesof S, Richardson DP, Seal CJ. Behavioural, attitudinal and dietary responses to the consumption of wholegrain foods. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2003, 62(2), 455-467.
• Kuznesof S, Brennan M. Perceived Risk and Product Safety in the Food Supply Chain. In: Bourlakis, M.A., Weightman, P.W.H, ed. Food Supply Chain Management. London, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2004, pp.32-48.
• Miles S, Brennan M, Kuznesof S, Ness M, Ritson C, Frewer LJ. Public worry about specific food safety issues. British Food Journal 2004, 106(1), 9-22.
• Frewer LJ, Hunt S, Brennan M, Kuznesof S, Ness M, Ritson C. The views of scientific experts on how the public conceptualize uncertainty. Journal of Risk Research 2003, 6(1), 75-85.
• Frewer LJ, Miles S, Brennan M, Kuznesof S, Ness M, Ritson C. Public preferences for informed choice under conditions of risk uncertainty. Public Understanding of Science 2002, 11(4), 363-372.
• Kuznesof S, Tregear A, Moxey A. Regional foods: a consumer perspective. British Food Journal, 99 (6), 199-206 1997.
• Tregear AEJ, Kuznesof S, Moxey A. Policy initiatives for regional foods: some insights from consumer research. Food Policy, 23(5), 383-394 1998.
• Kuznesof S, Ritson C. Consumer acceptability of genetically modified foods with special reference to farmed salmon. British Food Journal, 98, (4-5), 39-47 1996.
• Kuznesof S, Ritson C. The Role of Marketing Rural Food Products. The Rural Economy and the British Countryside. London: Earthscan. Eds: Allanson, P. and Whitby, M., , 99-115 1996.
• Frewer LJ, Hunt S, Miles S, Brennan M, Kuznesof S, Ness M, Ritson C. Communicating risk uncertainty with the public. London: Food Standards Agency, 2001. Final Report and Technical Annex.
• Brownlee IA, Kuznesof S, Moore C, Jebb SA, Seal CJ. The impact of a 16-week dietary intervention with prescribed amounts of whole-grain foods on subsequent, elective whole grain consumption. British Journal of Nutrition 2013, 110(5), 943-948.