Consumers' perception towards foods submitted to sustainable non-thermal food processing technologies

Silva, A. R. A. d. (2025) Consumers' perception towards foods submitted to sustainable non-thermal food processing technologies. PhD thesis, University of Reading. doi: 10.48683/1926.00127903

Abstract/Summary

There has been an increased interest in foods that are more sustainable, healthier, minimally processed, with higher nutritional and sensory quality, and with extended shelf life. Non-thermal technologies, such as High-Pressure (HPP), Non-thermal Plasma (NTP), Pulsed Electric Field (PEF), and Ultrasound, offer potential solutions to these demands. However, consumers are somewhat sceptical of new technologies, and to guarantee the success of the technology, it is necessary to help consumers understand the benefits of the technology in order to evoke positive attitudes towards it. This study aimed to evaluate risk perception, assess consumers' choices and willingness to pay, and evaluate consumers’ evoked emotional and sensory profiles of products developed using non-thermal technologies. This research investigated consumer risk perception through a survey conducted in Portugal, Germany, and the United Kingdom, involving more than 400 consumers per country, and presented twelve constructs based on an Ecological Framework. It revealed that risk perception varied by technology and country, although food technology neophobia, perceived relative severity, and trust consistently influenced it. Second, choice-based conjoint analysis (CBCA) was conducted with over 240 participants per country (Portugal, UK, and Germany) to test consumer preferences for the type of technology (non-thermal, conventional or technology not defined) and price (low or high), under both purchase and consumption-evoked contexts, using burgers (HPP), liquid egg (Thermossonication - TS), oregano (NTP), and oat drink (PEF) as the food types. Results showed a general preference for conventional processing and lower prices, with notable exceptions: Portuguese and UK consumers preferred HPP burgers, and German consumers favoured TS eggs. Technology Neophobia did not significantly affect choice. Third, sensory studies with 75 German consumers revealed that PEF-treated oat drinks maintained liking levels comparable to those of thermal controls. In contrast, 80 German consumers found that Manothemossonication (MTS) processing of eggs reduced their liking, suggesting that they are not suitable for standalone products, but it would be interesting to test if this perception would be seen if they were used as a ingredient. Finally, evoked emotional and sensory profiling in Portugal demonstrated that NTP had a positive impact on the sensory and evoked emotional attributes of onion flakes and whole black pepper. However, there was no significant effect on these profiles when using NTP for ground black pepper and oregano, nor when using HPP for plant-based burgers. Across studies, sensory and evoked emotional responses were closely linked to overall liking, with positive emotions associated with higher acceptance; however it could also be seen a beyond liking value in which positive emotions were associated with attributes that were not close to liking. Together, these findings highlight the importance of considering consumers from the beginning of novel technology development, evaluating their risk perception, choices, and sensory preferences. It shows that the consumer risk perception and choice are influenced by cultural context and technology, and this should be taken into consideration when communicating about foods produced with non-thermal technologies.

Item Type	Thesis (PhD)
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/127903
Identification Number/DOI	10.48683/1926.00127903
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences
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