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Agritouristic guesthouse expansion in Romania has been influenced by the interaction between legislative and economic conditions. In this comparative study, we examine the northwestern and northeaster development regions through a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) in order to gain insight into how these factors affect the expansion of agritourism. The objective is to measure the impact of regulatory frameworks and economic landscapes on the establishment and evolution of agritourism businesses. Final findings reveal distinct regulatory environments, accessibility of finance, and market dynamics across regions. On the practical level, this research highlights the importance of legislative and economic conditions in stimulating or hindering the development of agritourism. The findings provide strategic insights for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to enhance sustainable growth in the agritourism sector, focusing on targeted responses adapted to regional challenges and opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cereals, as the world's most consumed food, face challenges related to nutrient quality due to climate change and increased production impacting soil health. In this study, we investigated the vitamin and mineral content, polyphenols, and antioxidant activity in cereals from Western Romania, analyzing whole and hulled wheat, rye, oat, and soybeans before and after heat treatment. Samples from 2022 crops were processed into dough and subjected to 220 °C for 30 min. The results reveal that, despite efforts to optimize nutrient content, cereals, particularly after heat processing, exhibited lower vitamin and mineral levels than the recommended daily intake. The decrease in polyphenols and antioxidant capacity was notable, with rye flour experiencing the largest decline (15%). Mineral analysis showed copper levels in decorticated wheat decreased by 82.5%, while iron in rye decreased by 5.63%. Soy flour consistently displayed the highest calcium, magnesium, and potassium levels, whereas oat flour had the highest zinc and copper levels before and after heat processing. The study highlights the concerningly low vitamins and minerals contents in cereals, as well as in the final products reaching consumers in the Western part of Romania, and contributes to the assessment of measures that are meant to improve the contents of these minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent pandemic, as well as sustainability issues have led to changing trends when it comes food purchasing and consumption. Thus, more and more consumers tend to pay more attention to how the food is produced, processed, handled and marketed. Over the past few years, the organic food market has experienced a notable surge in popularity. This study seeks to examine the factors and obstacles shaping the consumption of organic products. Additionally, it aims to explore the socio-demographic traits of consumers in this category and identify the primary types of preferred organic products. The study's convenience sample of 214 customers from Romania's Bihor County served as the basis for data collection, which was done online. The results of our study show that the confidence that a product is organic ranked first among all factors on the consumer's list, followed by a price similar to normal food products and certification by a control body. Organic vegetables, fruits, and eggs were among the most preferred products by the consumers, while processed and canned goods ranked lower on the preferences list for the respondents. Concerning obstacles to organic food consumption, the main concern is related to the additional cost that consumers have to cover relative to other food items. Additionally, half of the respondents who abstain from organic product consumption expressed a lack of belief in organic certification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food market in Romania is extremely complex and has suffered changes in the last 10 years. Knowing it's tendency regarding the biscuit consume in Romania is highly important, because it will develop a lot in the next few years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]