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Title of Research:

Integrating Upcycled Ingredients into the Food Value Chain: A Study of Consumer Perception
and Acceptance

Objectives:

The study aims to investigate consumer perception and acceptance of integrating upcycled
ingredients into the food value chain. Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. To investigate consumer perception of upcycled ingredients in the food value chain.

2. To explore which factors are drivers of the acceptance of upcycled ingredients in the food
value chain.
3. To identify and analyse potential barriers for the adoption of upcycled ingredients in the
food value chain.

Please give a brief justification of your proposed research project:

The global food supply chain has been plagued with high levels of food waste, making it an
endemic issue. In the Australian economy, an estimated 7.6 million tonnes of food (70 per cent
of which is edible food) is wasted each year, valued at approximately $36 billion annually (Food
and Agribusiness Growth Centre, 2021). The retail industry generates more than 500,000 tonnes
of the nation's total food waste, according to the 2021 National Food Waste Baseline. Upcycled
foods are a viable option that can, at least in part, reduce the issue of food waste at several points
in the food supply chain. Upcycled foods has been defined by the Upcycled Food Association
(UFA) as - “that use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are
procured and produced using verifiable supply chains, and have a positive impact on the
environment.” Food components that would typically end up in landfills are utilized in producing
upcycled ingredients which are integrated in beverages and food. Examples of upcycled food
include cereal bar produced from grain by-products of beer manufacturing or a soup made from
food waste.
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That food producers have begun introducing recycled foods to the market is not surprising as
consumer acceptability of upcycled foods is suggested by a modest but rising corpus of
literature. Other researchers have discovered that customers may be accepting upcycled meals
(Zhang et. Al., 2021). Foods that have been upcycled are starting to appear in markets around the
world, including Australia, where the Harris Farm Markets brand introduced its Re-purposeful
Picks line in an effort to combat the country's rising food waste issue. This initiative will involve
turning food waste into premium-quality products with a longer shelf life (Aschemann-Witzel &
Stangherlin, 2021).

It's a good thing that companies are starting to make repurposed food products for sale. However,
customer perception and acceptance will be a key factor in determining whether food industry
professionals are more interested in developing a market for such items (Aschemann-Witzel &
Stangherlin, 2021). There are a number of promising elements to upcycled foods, yet some
customers may be reluctant to eat foods derived from items they see as waste (Zhang et. Al.,
2021). To encourage consumer interest in upcycled meals, it is crucial to comprehend customers'
underlying issues and purchasing preferences. This creates a demand forecast that informs the
production pattern of manufacturers (Aschemann-Witzel & Stangherlin, 2021). To join the
worldwide movement to promote sustainable and healthy food consumption, researchers have
recommended for changes to be made in the food retail sector. Therefore, it is critical to assess
consumer perceptions of upcycled food as well as the elements that drive the acceptance of
upcycled ingredients in the food value chain (Zhang et. Al., 2021).

A consumer's perspective on a product's worth and acceptance of the product is crucial as their
perceptions of value influence their attitudes toward the product, choice, willingness to pay,
contentment, and propensity to repurchase (Aschemann-Witzel & Stangherlin, 2021). The
biggest issue with end consumers' perceptions of value concerning the reuse of products as they
can think the product is less valuable (Zhang et. Al., 2021). This might be as a result of the
relationship with waste, which is often perceived as useless as well as repulsive and dangerous.
These effects are especially crucial for food because it is not only used, handled, and consumed,
but also digested (Aschemann-Witzel & Stangherlin, 2021).

As such, in carrying out this study, it is expected that a deeper understanding of customer
perception and acceptance of upcycled food will be gained. The factors that drive the acceptance
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of upcycled ingredients in the food value chain will also be investigated while identifying and
analysing potential barriers for the adoption of upcycled ingredients in the food value chain in
Australia. This will provide clarity and direction for policymakers which will drive the
integration of upcycled food into the food value chain towards eliminating food waste and
attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study will employ electronic web-
based survey’s such as google forms to help gather relevant responses from participants that is
anticipated to significantly and successfully contribute to resolving the subject matter. The
findings and suggestions will be widely distributed and helpful in filling existing gaps in the
literature

Please outline the proposed sample group, including any specific criteria:

Proposed sample will comprise individuals shopping at various supermarkets and malls across
Australia. Shoppers at Foodstuffs stores were encouraged to participate in the study by
completing the survey. Sampling was not intended to be stratified by income or to be
representative of the population. Instead of focusing on the general population, the participant
recruiting strategy was created to elicit information about the attitudes of current Foodstuffs
customers. Participants have to be the primary or joint grocery shopper for their family to be
recruited, must be above the age of 18 years and must own and operate a smartphone or any
internet enabled device.

Describe how the proposed sample group will be formulated:

Proposed sample will consist of either the main or joint household grocery shopper, above the
age of 18 years in Australia. Random sampling will be employed in selecting shoppers across
supermarkets across supermarkets and malls where upcycled foodstuffs are displayed over a
period of 3 weeks. Potential participants must own and operate a smartphone or any internet
enabled device. Participants will be issued a QR code which contains a link to a brief description
of the study and a qualification questions to determine the eligibility of the participant and elicit
consent. Once their eligibility is confirmed, participants will be sent the study survey to be
completed via email adress provided during the qualification round.
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Indicate clearly what the involvement of the sample group will be in the research process:

A structured questionnaire will be used to elicit responses from participants in the survey. The
questionnaire will be issued to participants after completing an intial series of qualification
questions aimed at determing the eligibility of the participant. The questionnaire will be issued
via perticipant’s email adress provided and will be proportioned intofour different sections. The
first part covers demographic questions to get insight on the demographic spread of the
respondents. The remaining three section comprised of questions covering three main themes –
consumer perception of upcycled foods, drivers and concerns contributing towards acceptance of
upcycled foods, and perceived potential barriers for the adoption of upcycled foods by
respondents. Participants will be issued a QR code, which when scanned will open a link to the
online questionnaire to be completed.

Specify how the consent of participants will be obtained. Please include within this a
description of any information with which you intend to provide the subjects:

Participants in the survey will have the choice to opt in or out of the study at any point of the
study. Also, participants consent will be expressly sought at the qualification stage of the survey.
A QR code will be scanned by the potential participants containing a link to the survey which
will also contain a short description of the study. At the eligibility section of the survey, potential
participants will be required to respond to a consent form which will elicit the consent of the
participant and inform the participant of the right to withraw at any point, prior to the respondent
starting to complete the survey. The link to the survey will be sent to participants once they have
read the consent statement and have opted to participate, among other eligibility requirements
earlier stated. The survey will be available to the participant for completion within a timeframe
of six weeks after scanning the QR code and completing the verification stage.

Indicate any potential risks to subjects and how you propose to minimise these:
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Survey participants rarely face more than the modest dangers of daily life as a result of
participating in surveys. This is because surveys are among the types of research that fall under
the Federal laws' exemptions or expedited approval procedures (Labott, et. al., 2013). However,
there are several dangers that study participants could encounter, including:

Confidentiality and Anonymity Risks: In all surveys, it is critical that the researcher remove all
identification data from the survey after it is no longer required, usually right after the survey has
been validated, to ensure the anonymity and confidentiality of participants. This is a quality
control method usually carried out shortly after finishing the primary survey. To ameliorate this
risk, the survey will not collect any personal detail of respondents.

Emotional Risks: Evidence form empirical studies suggest that survey participants who already
have emotional vulnerabilities experience distress when queried about upsetting subjects, which
raises the chance of injury (Labott, et. al., 2013). According to Labott, et. al. (2013), when study
participants were queried about a personally upsetting occurrence, their emotional responses,
stress levels and mood were distorted, indicating a negative inclination. In mitigating this risk,
the survey ensures to discusses no distressing topics, hence, removing this risk from the
suggested study

Describe the procedures you intend to follow in order to maintain the anonymity and
confidentiality of the subjects:

A number of measures will be effected to ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of the survey
participants. During the course of the study, all records and survey results will be kept secure and
protected using file and document passwords. When using the internet to send files, encrypted
files will be utilised to transmit any study data. Physical study results and materials will also be
kept under lock and key in secured drawers and cabinets. In ensuring anonymity, the study
ensures that participants nor their affiliations are named in the final published material.
Participants were also given the assurance of anonymity and given the choice to withdraw from
the study at any given time they may feel their anonymity is being challenged. Additionally,
because participants may not be recognized solely by their names but rather by other identifiers
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or combinations of information about them, the study ensured that the study results were
disclosed at an aggregate level.
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References

Aschemann-Witzel, J., & Stangherlin, I. D. C. (2021). Upcycled by-product use in agri-food

systems from a consumer perspective: A review of what we know, and what is missing.
Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 168, 120749.

Bhatt, S., Ye, H., Deutsch, J., Ayaz, H., & Suri, R. (2020). Consumers’ willingness to pay for
upcycled foods. Food Quality and Preference, 86, pp.

Labott, S.M, Johnson, T.P., Fendrich, M., Feeny, N.C. (2013). Emotional risks to respondents in
survey research. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 8(4), pp. 53-66.

The Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre (2021). National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility
Study - Can we halve Australia’s food waste by 2030? Available online:
https://workdrive.zohopublic.com.au/external/ba011474a921ef40d77287a482fc9b257083a64670
8e3b38b6debeea81cdf81b

The Upcycled Foods Definition Task Force. Defining Upcycled Foods. Available online:
https://www.chlpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Upcycled-Food_Definition.pdf

Zhang, J., Ye, H., Bhatt, S., Jeong, H., Deutsch, J., Ayaz, H., & Suri, R. (2021). Addressing Food
Waste: How to Position Upcycled Foods to Different Generations. Journal of Consumer
Behaviour, 20(2), pp. 242-250
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RESEARCH CONSENT FORM

Title of study

Integrating Upcycled Ingredients into the Food Value Chain: A Study of Consumer Perception
and Acceptance

Please read and complete this form carefully. If you are willing to participate in this study, ring
the appropriate responses and sign and date the declaration at the end. If you do not understand
anything and would like more information, please ask.

1. I have had the research satisfactorily explained to me in written form by the researcher.
YES / NO

I understand that the research will involve:

2. The completion of an electronic survey on the topic of Integrating Upcycled Ingredients into
the Food Value Chain. YES / NO
3. I understand that I may withdraw from this study at any time without having to give an
explanation. YES / NO
4. I understand that all information about me will be treated in strict confidence and that I will
not be named in any written work arising from this study. YES / NO
5. I understand that any data collected will be used solely for research purposes and will be
erased on completion of your research. YES / NO
6. I understand that the data will only be discussed within the research team. YES / NO
7. I understand that survey participants and their respective organisations will not be named in
subsequent write ups and material submitted for publication. YES / NO

I freely give my consent to participate in this research study and have been given a copy of this
form for my own information.

Signature: ………………………………………………………

Date: ……………………………………………………………

Contact details: (include address, email and telephone number)

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Thank you for your interest in the study.