Food waste is a pressing challenge with nearly 40% of all American food being wasted. The alarming rate of food waste exists while prevalent food insecurity persists. Upcycled food emerges as a pioneering solution to address these intertwined issues. Upcycled food products breathe new life into otherwise discarded ingredients, transforming them into items of higher value or quality. However, there is uncertainty among consumers about whether upcycled foods are safe to eat and nutritious. The Lamm Lab is partnering with Dr. Peng Lu and Dr. Abigail Barron in the ALEC Department at UGA and Dr. James Gratzek, Director of the UGA Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center to explore consumer concerns and how to communicate most effectively about up cycled food and its contributions to reducing food waste while improving food security.
The project, funded by a UGA Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant, will use national surveys of the U.S. public, analysis of social media analytics, and online experiments of consumer acceptance related to messaging tactics to explore consumer responses to upcycled food. Specifically, we will investigate how consumer characteristics influence their attitudes and consumption intentions associated with upcycled foods.
