Effects of Consumers’ Environmental Concern and Perceived Risk of Upcycled Food on Purchase Intention: The Moderating Effect of Price Sensitivity

This study empirically examines how consumers’ environmental concern and perceived risk regarding upcycled food influence their purchase intentions, and how price sensitivity moderates these relationships. Data were collected via an online survey of 276 Korean adult dining consumers between February 25 and 28, 2025. Reliability and validity analyses, as well as structural equation modeling, were conducted using SPSS 28.0 and AMOS 20.0. The results show that environmental concern positively affects both attitude and purchase intention, whereas perceived risk negatively affects both outcomes. Additionally, subjective norm, attitude, and perceived behavioral control each exert a positive influence on purchase intention. Price sensitivity was found to moderate only the negative effect of perceived risk on attitude, with no significant moderating effects observed on the other paths. These findings offer foundational insights for upcycled food marketing strategies, suggesting that emphasizing environmental value and clearly communicating product safety and quality are more effective in promoting consumer purchase intentions than relying on price discounts.