1 Understanding food neophobia in unconventional seafood consumption - The case of university students in Sweden

Abstract

This thesis tested the interplay between food neophobia (FN) and the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), including attitudes (ATT), subjective norms (SN), perceived behavioral control (PBC), and the intention to consume unconventional seafood (INT) among university students in Sweden. Through 304 students’ answers from an online survey, this study found that subjective norms are the most powerful predictor of intentions, indicating that peer influence and social context can improve students' willingness to eat unconventional seafood. Attitudes towards unconventional seafood with considering it as nutritional, healthy, and safe also significantly predict intentions positively. However, perceived behavioral control was proven as an insignificant predictor, possibly due to the diverse food choices available easily for students. One of the most important findings is that food neophobia which represents the reluctance to try unfamiliar foods, did influence consumers' intentions directly via negative direction. And there was no evidence to show it as a significant moderator, proving its role as an independent factor within the TPB framework. Also, it offers several practical implications, such as social marketing strategies and clear communication regarding environmental concerns and the health benefits of unconventional seafood. Such tactics would be effective to address psychological barriers and induce diets to be more sustainable among young adults.