Consumer Acceptance of Upcycled Foods: Attitudes, Neophobia, and Nutrition Involvement of Filipino Consumers

With the continuous rise in global food waste, sustainable food innovations such as upcycled foods (UF) are emerging as promising strategies, yet consumer acceptance remains a key challenge. This study examined Filipino consumers’ awareness, attitudes, perceptions, food neophobia and food technology neophobia, nutrition involvement, and willingness to purchase upcycled food (UF) through a structured online survey (QualtricsXM) administered to Filipino respondents (n = 407) from Metro Manila, Philippines. Results indicated that the majority of respondents (55%) had never heard of or were unaware of upcycled foods. Respondents who were aware (45%) of UF reported significantly (p<0.05) more positive attitudes and higher nutrition involvement than those who were unaware. In contrast, unaware respondents had higher food neophobia and food technology neophobia (p>0.05) than those who were aware. Additionally, consumers with greater nutrition involvement were more likely to view UF positively. In general, the willingness to purchase UF was significantly (p<0.05) influenced by favorable perceptions and attitudes, and negatively associated with neophobia. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) identified three underlying dimensions driving consumers’ willingness to purchase: consumer disposition, neophobia, and nutrition involvement. These findings suggest that increasing consumer awareness and targeting key behavioral drivers are essential for advancing the adoption of upcycled food, consequently promoting sustainable food consumption practices.