Consumer analysis of upcycled foods: a survey-based study on Italian consumers

The increase in food waste over recent decades has led to significant environmental, resource, and socioeconomic challenges, exacerbating food insecurity and greenhouse gas emissions. This thesis explores upcycled foods as an innovative solution within the circular economy framework to address these issues. The research aims to understand consumer responses, assess factors affecting acceptability, and investigate attitudes and intentions towards upcycled foods. Through a comprehensive and systematic literature review, meta-analysis, and empirical study, the thesis reveals generally positive consumer perceptions of upcycled foods, albeit with declining enthusiasm from attitudes to actual purchase intentions. The meta-analysis confirms a significant positive combined effect of various factors on consumer acceptability of upcycled foods. An empirical study in Italy, using the Theory of Planned Behavior, identifies key influences on attitudes and intentions, including traditionality, food neophobia, subjective knowledge, and environmental concerns. Notably, the research uncovers an attitude-intention gap among Italian consumers, mirroring findings for other innovative foods. This multifaceted analysis provides valuable insights into consumer behavior towards upcycled foods, contributing to the broader understanding of food waste reduction strategies and sustainable consumption patterns. The findings have important implications for policymakers, food industry stakeholders, and researchers working towards more sustainable food systems.