Anchoring acceptance: Exploring consumer understanding and acceptance of upcycled food

• The order of presentation likely shapes consumers’ evaluation of upcycled food • The stimuli’s order aligns with the inward and outward factors of upcycled food in the food systems • Anchoring familiarity aids consumer’s understanding of the impact of upcycled food Food processing technologies are rapidly evolving to develop ingredients from side streams of food production, known as upcycled food. Besides its technological and supply chain challenges, consumer acceptance is among the main barriers to commercialization. An approach yet to be explored is the order in which side streams and processing technologies are presented to influence consumers’ understanding of upcycled ingredients and ultimately, cue acceptance. This study employed the basic concepts of the social representation theory through an experimental design in focus groups. The sessions were organized into two treatments based on the mechanism of anchoring, where the sequence of presentation prompted participants to anchor the stimuli. In our split-sample design, the anchored group was first presented with familiar ingredients, namely mechanically processed vegetables. In contrast, the unanchored group was presented first with hydrolysates as unfamiliar ingredients processed chemically. The thematic analysis revealed that different themes were discussed in each treatment, thereby the order of presentation of the stimuli influenced consumer’s perception of upcycled food. Further analysis revealed that the themes could be categorized as outward and inward factors of upcycled food, referring respectively to its broader impact on food systems and its specific characteristics, which notably aligned with the order in which the stimuli were presented. The findings introduce a novel lens for examining consumer acceptance through a social psychology framework, highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary perspectives in food consumer science. Methodologically, including the order as a variable in focus groups highlights the strength of qualitative methods in consumer research.