Eating quality and the origin of a product are key purchase drivers for consumers
In a study conducted by the WaSeaBi project where the aim was to investigate how consumers feel about eating foods that contain ingredients made from seafood side-streams that companies have traditionally thrown out the conclusion is clear.
It is important for the consumers that the eating quality i.e. taste, odor, texture, etc. of the product is high and that information on the origin of the ingredients and raw material is provided.
Seafood side-streams contain protein and minerals that can be extracted and used as an ingredient in other foods. However, it is important to know what potential barriers and motives the consumers have so that these can be taken into consideration when developing products containing ingredients from side-streams.
In addition to a high eating quality and information about the origin of the ingredients and raw material, the study showed that a clean label is a motive for the consumers to buy a product. Further, the consumers also want to know about the environmental impact of the production of the food product.
“The study gives us an improved understanding of the link between consumer barriers and motives and their actual demands. By developing technologies that can ensure that foods containing ingredients from seafood side-streams are of high eating quality and by providing the requested information the most relevant barriers can be overcome, and consumers will be motivated to buy such products”, says Grethe Hyldig from the Technical University of Denmark, who led the study.
The study is based on a questionnaire survey, which has been completed by almost 400 consumers across Europe.