Consumer segments willing to adopt food products with microalgae-proteins added
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A research was conducted at Ghent University to distinguish different consumer segments and determine the most interesting ones for the adaptation of food products with microalgae proteins added. The study was held in five European countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Spain and Italy (n = 3027). Based on participants’ willingness to try food products with microalgae-proteins added and their perception of these products, consumers were divided into four segments by means of Two-Way clustering. These segments were named based on their characteristics: ‘Enthusiast’, ‘Accepter’, ‘Indecisive’ and ‘Uninterested’.
The segments were characterized by amongst others sociodemographic characteristics, food related behavior and – attitudes. A general trend that could be observed over the segments was that when segments with a lower perception and lower willingness to try, showed a higher level of food (technology) neophobia and they thought that food products with microalgae-proteins added did not provide value for money.
A second trend showed that when perception and willingness to try food products with microalgae-proteins added increased over the segments a number of other factors were increased too: general health interest, environmental concern, interest in related information, willingness to consume products derived from animals fed with feed with microalgae-proteins added and specific food products with those proteins added.
To conclude, differences exist in consumer willingness to try and perception of food products with microalgae-proteins added. Therefore, it is important to focus on those with a generally higher willingness to try these food products and a better perception of these products for increasing adoption of these products.
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ProFuture
Ongoing | 2019-2023
- Main funding source
- Horizon 2020 (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Spain