Consumers’ attitude towards food by-products and novel technologies

Nowadays, the highly competitive market drives companies to develop sustainable foods using novel technologies as a strategy to succeed. In this context, food by-products are of particular interest for the production of novel ingredients, based on the content of functional constituents (dietary fibre and polyphenols). However, there is considerable evidence that consumers are wary of both novel foods and technologies because of the perceived risks and a perceived lack of health benefits. In particular, the manufacture of novel foods often requires modern food technologies since some constituents needs to be added, removed or modified. This means that there is a risk that these products are perceived as being less natural than conventional products. The aim of the present study was to investigate how food technology neophobia level and information about novel food and technologies may affect consumers’ attitude towards uses of food by-products in developing foods with selected functionalities. Moreover, it has been evaluated whether socio-economic variables affect consumers’ food technology neophobia. 273 participants (126 men; age: 43.912.7) responded to socio-demographic questions, to the validated Food Technology Neophobia Scale (FTNS) and to a question about attitude towards positive effects on health and environment of food by-products utilization. 148 subjects among the total of participants were informed about exemplifying uses of by-products in food formulation before answering the questionnaires. In general, food technology neophobia was influenced by socio-demographic variables. Moreover, food technology neophobia affected attitude towards food by-products reutilization. Information increased subject’s confidence about the use of food by-products in developing novel foods. In order to improve the acceptance of products obtained by non-conventional technologies, it is necessary to invest in customer education/information programs to reduce the fears of consumers regarding these products.