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Cited by 45Consumer Attitudes and Food LabelingSensory Analysis and Statistical MethodsFood Industry and Aquatic Biology

Consumer segments less or more willing to adopt foods with microalgae proteins

Open access
Van der Stricht, Hélène, Hung, Yung, Fischer, Arnout R.H., Verbeke, Wim·2024·Food Quality and Preference
DOI 10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105047
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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 two-stage 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 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.

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  • Culinary workshops and collaborations with chefs can be effective ways to reframe consumer expectations and create positive sensory experiences.

    “Therefore, culinary workshops and collaborations with chefs can be effective ways to reframe consumer expectations, while creating positive sensory experiences (Van der Stricht et al., 2024; Li et al., 2025).”

    From Microalgae biotechnology and its role in sustainable and healthy food design (2025) · cites this paper as Van der Stricht et al., 2024

    The Recommendations (p. 11) propose inviting certain consumer segments to taste foods with microalgae proteins at supermarkets to improve perceptions and encourage adoption. That supports the general idea of using tasting experiences, but the paper does not recommend culinary workshops or collaborations with chefs, or establish their effectiveness. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Transparency regarding all nutritional and environmental benefits can help reduce negative perceptions.

    “This approach, combined with transparency regarding all nutritional and environmental benefits, can help reduce negative perceptions (Van der Stricht et al., 2024; Wassmann et al., 2024).”

    From Microalgae biotechnology and its role in sustainable and healthy food design (2025) · cites this paper as Van der Stricht et al., 2024

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2 of the 80 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S., & Kotler, P. (2014). Principles of marketing . Pearson Australia.

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Related

Authors
Van der Stricht, H., Hung, Y., Fischer, A. R. H., & Verbeke, W.
Affiliations
  • Ghent University (BE)
  • Wageningen University & Research (NL)
ORCID
Venue
Food Quality and Preference
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2024-04
Volume
113
Pages
105047
ISSN
0950-3293 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105047
OpenAlex
W4388798187
Cited by
45
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 1
FWCI
11.52
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Food Quality and Preference (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • Horizon 2020 (862980)
  • Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Sensory Analysis and Statistical Methods
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food Industry and Aquatic Biology
Keywords
microalgal proteins, alternative protein sources, customer segmentation, willingness to try, consumer perception, food neophobia, environmental concern, flexitarian diet, health interest, credence attributes, experience attributes

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