Role of trust and hedonism in driving novel food technology acceptance

This study investigates consumer acceptance of novel food technologies, using cultured meat as an illustrative and emerging example. Given the uncertain long-term impacts of these technologies on the environment and society, understanding and fostering consumer acceptance will be crucial. To this end, our research assesses consumers' acceptance of novel food technology, incorporating elements of trust and convenience into the well-established Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. We empirically tested our model through an online experimental design (Study 1) and a laboratory-based experiment (Study 2) to gauge consumers' actual food choices. Results from Study 1 indicate that hedonic motivation is a primary driver of behavioral intentions for novel food technologies. Similarly, Study 2′s findings reinforce this, showing a strong correlation between hedonic motivation and attitude and behavioral intention. Overall, this study reveals that perceptions of cost and benefit, hedonic motivations, and the level of trust in food regulatory organizations are significant factors in consumer novel food technology acceptance. Additionally, it demonstrates that both Food Technology Acceptance and Food Neophobia significantly impact individuals' technology acceptance intentions and actual behavior, underscoring their importance in the broader goal of expanding sustainable food production through novel food technologies.