It is unnatural!–the role of food neophobia and food technology neophobia in shaping consumers' attitudes: a multimethod approach

This paper aims to extend the current knowledge about how food neophobia and food technology neophobia can influence whether consumers choose fish farmed with insect-based flours (FFIF). The authors used an online survey questionnaire and a sample of 567 young Italian adults. The answers were analysed using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and structural equation modelling. Both methodologies highlighted the relevance of food technology neophobia in influencing consumers’ attitudes and intentions, even when foodstuffs were not produced through technology-intensive processes. Despite being focussed on a sample containing people of similar ages and food cultures, this study offers evidence that it is not necessarily the technological level of a food production process that sparks feelings of technology-related neophobia. Thus, this study highlights the importance of consumers’ perceptions of foodstuff choices. The findings provide valuable insights into how informative campaigns should address the problem of increasing the acceptance of novel foods, such as FFIF. The present study provides empirical evidence that food technology neophobia can influence whether consumers choose FFIF. Furthermore, using a mixed-method approach is novel in the field of new foods.