The potential of edible seaweed within the western diet. A segmentation of Italian consumers

Publication date: Available online 1 February 2020Source: International Journal of Gastronomy and Food ScienceAuthor(s): Nadia Palmieri, Maria Bonaventura ForleoAbstractDespite edible seaweeds being a source of protein, amino acids, minerals and vitamins and being part of some traditional cuisines, they are not widely consumed and are not normally included within western diets. Some studies have reported a growing interest in seaweeds among consumers in some European countries; furthermore, there have recently been initiatives in the field of gastronomy to open up new prospects for the future consumption of edible seaweed. Within this context, this study aims to explore Italian consumer attitudes and perceptions of edible seaweed and to profile them in clusters based on different characteristics. Data were collected from a sample of 257 Italian consumers by using a web-based survey. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to reduce the number of variables and a hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on the PCA scores. The study findings showed that 76% of the sample were willing to eat seaweed. This this may be due to a familiarity with some traditional Italian dishes that use seaweed or to the spread of Asian gastronomy in the country. This willingness to consume seaweed may indicate that consumers are becoming more receptive to novel foods, in particular those that are healthy options or are more sustainable food alternatives. However, only 57% of respondents ha...
Source: International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science - Category: Food Science Source Type: research