Daniel Adrian Gardan ^1,2* Paweł Bryła ³ Ionel Dumitru ⁴ Iuliana Petronela Gardan ⁵

• ¹ Department of Economic Sciences, Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Romania
• ² Doctoral School of Economic Sciences, ”Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați, Galați, Romania
• ³ Department of International Marketing and Retailing, Faculty of International and Political Studies, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
• ⁴ Department of Marketing, Faculty of Marketing, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania
• ⁵ Department of Psychology and Education Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Romania

Some of the most important changes nowadays are those that concern our eating behavior. In this decision-making process, a whole series of factors shape our perceptions, attitudes and behavior. These factors are in turn the expression of radical transformations based on the advance of technologies, changes caused by the post-pandemic crisis, environmental challenges and substantive changes in the global economy. Our Special Research Topic proposeds to take a look from various perspectives and various scientific backgrounds into these factors and the way in which consumers are responding to certain stimulus. Studies have shown that consumers are sensitive to sustainable labelling and trusted sources such as governments or public authorities that can back up the labelling process (1). Labelling that uses different simple and intuitive cues is more efficient and elicits a faster response in terms of consumers' decisions. We observe efforts made in the legislative field to help food consumers to make more informed and healthier choices based ofon the food products front labelling (2,3). A sustainability labelling framework (that can include regulatory measures for green claims, managing efficiently origin labelling, etc.) is needed and seen as an essential solution for the optimization of food consumers perceptions (2,43). Consumers are often sensitive to information and stimuli that can raise their level of self-awareness and positive self-image. Food -and packaging-related eco-labels have been highlighted as extrinsic cues able to affect consumers' perception of food quality and safety (54). There is a need to investigate reading labels in fine-grained models, adapted to different types of labels and different contexts of reading (65). The level of consumers' trust, and by extension, their positive decisions towards healthier food products, can be optimized through a substantial effort to inform them about the new smart packaging technology and its benefits. The level of consumers trust and by 36 extension positive decisions towards healthier food products can be optimized through a 37 substantial effort to inform about new smart packaging technology or the benefits derived 38 from (76). This effort is educational in its natureconsumers being taught how to recognize proper 39 nutritional information and to combine it in order to maximize their consumption (along with 40 budgetary concerns and other consumption barriers that can prevail in certain situations). 41In