The acceptability of upcycled food in Vietnam: A potential solution to sustainable consumption

Abstract

With the urgent challenges posed by environmental pollution and climate change, a new sustainable trend has been proposed to turn edible food waste into new, usable products, which is described as the transformative recycling process. Upcycled food plays a significant role in sustainable development and wasted food resources management. However, in the context of Vietnam, there is limited research on consumer attitudes, especially regarding the factors and barriers affecting consumer acceptance towards this type of food. This study investigates Vietnamese consumers' behavior towards upcycled food products. By applying the Value - Attitude - Behaviour (VAB) theoretical framework, this study focuses on "perceived value", "perceived risk", "product knowledge" and "price sensitivity" of the consumers. The survey analysis was conducted online with statistical methods applied to calculate the values associated with consumers’ attitudes and behavioral intentions in Vietnam. With 370 responses collected via Google Forms, the authors used SMARTPLS4 to examine the results. The outcome illustrated that Environmental Awareness (EA) had a strong relationship with consumers’ attitudes toward recycled food, while the remaining variables in the Value section, namely, Food Safety (FS), Food Neophobia (FN) and Food Technology Neophobia (TN), showed different results compared to prior studies conducted in Western regions. This represents a completely new aspect in factors influencing Vietnamese consumers’ acceptance of upcycled food. Furthermore, Price Sensitivity (PS) unexpectedly had a positive impact on consumers’ behavioural intentions, suggesting that they tend to prioritize the environmental value of the product over its price. These insights inform organizations, policymakers, and even governments seeking to promote sustainable consumption practices, reduce food waste and conserve environmental resources.