
Consumer segments less or more willing to adopt foods with microalgae proteins
- Author
- Hélène Van der Stricht (UGent) , Christine Yung Hung (UGent) , Arnout R. H. Fischer and Wim Verbeke (UGent)
- Organization
- Project
-
- PROFUTURE (Microalgae protein ingredients for the food and feed of the future)
- Abstract
- The use of microalgae proteins as an alternative protein source in the European food market is becoming increasingly important. Despite their potential, these foods are still relatively unknown to European consumers. Therefore, it is crucial for their successful market introduction to explore consumer awareness, perception and willingness to try them. The objectives of this study were to identify factors shaping willingness to try and consumer segments likely to adopt foods with microalgae proteins. Data were collected via a quantitative online survey (N = 3027) in five European countries: the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Spain, and Italy. First, binary logistic regression showed that a flexitarian diet, general health interest, food neophobia, and environmental concern significantly shaped willingness to try foods with microalgae proteins. Second, factor analysis identified two dimensions of consumers' perceptions about foods with microalgae proteins: credence attributes related and experience attributes related. Third, these perception constructs were used alongside willingness to try in a twostage segmentation analysis to identify consumer segments willing to adopt foods with microalgae proteins. The analysis yielded four segments, "Enthusiast", "Cautiously curious", "Undecided", and "Uninterested". Finally, the segments were profiled in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes and perceptions by means of a multinomial logistic regression (n = 2957). Consumers with a higher general health interest, stronger environmental concern, and greater interest in information about foods with microalgae proteins were more likely to be part of segments with a higher willingness to try and more favorable perceptions. Consumers with higher levels of food (technology) neophobia, were more likely to be part of segments with a lower willingness to try and less favorable perceptions. This study has shown that segmentation proves useful to identify and profile consumers who would be less or more likely to adopt foods with microalgae proteins and enables more effective tailoring of marketing and further research efforts.
- Keywords
- Cross-sectional survey, Marketing, Single-cell proteins, Protein transition, Segmentation, CONSUMPTION, NEOPHOBIA, BEHAVIOR, ATTITUDES, INSECTS, SEAWEED, TASTE
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01HPKTBQNRC4M6FN2RD5E31QZG
- MLA
- Van der Stricht, Hélène, et al. “Consumer Segments Less or More Willing to Adopt Foods with Microalgae Proteins.” FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE, vol. 113, 2024, doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105047.
- APA
- Van der Stricht, H., Hung, C. Y., Fischer, A. R. H., & Verbeke, W. (2024). Consumer segments less or more willing to adopt foods with microalgae proteins. FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE, 113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105047
- Chicago author-date
- Van der Stricht, Hélène, Christine Yung Hung, Arnout R. H. Fischer, and Wim Verbeke. 2024. “Consumer Segments Less or More Willing to Adopt Foods with Microalgae Proteins.” FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE 113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105047.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Van der Stricht, Hélène, Christine Yung Hung, Arnout R. H. Fischer, and Wim Verbeke. 2024. “Consumer Segments Less or More Willing to Adopt Foods with Microalgae Proteins.” FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE 113. doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105047.
- Vancouver
- 1.Van der Stricht H, Hung CY, Fischer ARH, Verbeke W. Consumer segments less or more willing to adopt foods with microalgae proteins. FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE. 2024;113.
- IEEE
- [1]H. Van der Stricht, C. Y. Hung, A. R. H. Fischer, and W. Verbeke, “Consumer segments less or more willing to adopt foods with microalgae proteins,” FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE, vol. 113, 2024.
@article{01HPKTBQNRC4M6FN2RD5E31QZG, abstract = {{The use of microalgae proteins as an alternative protein source in the European food market is becoming increasingly important. Despite their potential, these foods are still relatively unknown to European consumers. Therefore, it is crucial for their successful market introduction to explore consumer awareness, perception and willingness to try them. The objectives of this study were to identify factors shaping willingness to try and consumer segments likely to adopt foods with microalgae proteins. Data were collected via a quantitative online survey (N = 3027) in five European countries: the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Spain, and Italy. First, binary logistic regression showed that a flexitarian diet, general health interest, food neophobia, and environmental concern significantly shaped willingness to try foods with microalgae proteins. Second, factor analysis identified two dimensions of consumers' perceptions about foods with microalgae proteins: credence attributes related and experience attributes related. Third, these perception constructs were used alongside willingness to try in a twostage segmentation analysis to identify consumer segments willing to adopt foods with microalgae proteins. The analysis yielded four segments, "Enthusiast", "Cautiously curious", "Undecided", and "Uninterested". Finally, the segments were profiled in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes and perceptions by means of a multinomial logistic regression (n = 2957). Consumers with a higher general health interest, stronger environmental concern, and greater interest in information about foods with microalgae proteins were more likely to be part of segments with a higher willingness to try and more favorable perceptions. Consumers with higher levels of food (technology) neophobia, were more likely to be part of segments with a lower willingness to try and less favorable perceptions. This study has shown that segmentation proves useful to identify and profile consumers who would be less or more likely to adopt foods with microalgae proteins and enables more effective tailoring of marketing and further research efforts.}}, articleno = {{105047}}, author = {{Van der Stricht, Hélène and Hung, Christine Yung and Fischer, Arnout R. H. and Verbeke, Wim}}, issn = {{0950-3293}}, journal = {{FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE}}, keywords = {{Cross-sectional survey,Marketing,Single-cell proteins,Protein transition,Segmentation,CONSUMPTION,NEOPHOBIA,BEHAVIOR,ATTITUDES,INSECTS,SEAWEED,TASTE}}, language = {{eng}}, pages = {{13}}, title = {{Consumer segments less or more willing to adopt foods with microalgae proteins}}, url = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105047}}, volume = {{113}}, year = {{2024}}, }
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