Open Collections

Unwanted, Not Unlovable : Information Provision’s Impact on Upcycled Food Preference

University of British Columbia. Food Services; University of British Columbia. Campus and Community Planning

Upcycled food has been identified as a formidable strategy to reduce food waste2,4,5; however, the consumption thereof remains stigmatized by the general public3,7,8. This study aims to investigate how providing information about upcycled and conventional meals influence consumer preference. We examine the possible mitigating effects of minimum (n = 77) and maximum (n = 66) amounts of information provision through labels, definitions, and sustainability-oriented framing in comparisons of upcycled and conventional meal options, compared to controls (n = 69). The one-way ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey test establish minimal information provision produces decreased upcycled food choice (p = .03); however, maximal information did not significantly recuperate these effects (p = .06). Chi-squared analyses did not show significant preference for certain meal types to be upcycled. Further Pearson’s correlations demonstrate significant effects (p < .001) of familiarity, perceptions of safety, disgust, and environmental sustainability as additional mitigators of upcycled food choice. From these results, future studies and clients can consider (1) more thoroughly emphasizing the sustainability of upcycled food, (2) increasing public familiarity of upcycled food’s comparable quality, and (3) specifically targeting UBC Dining hall clientele to increase public acceptance of upcycled food consumption and reduce food waste. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”

Report

eng

2023-09-07

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/85858

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/