Linking Sustainable Smart Food Packaging to Healthy Eating Behaviors: A TPB–Perceived Value Framework with IPMA Analysis

Driven by the iteration of digital technologies and the upgrading of residents’ health consumption demands, smart food packaging has developed rapidly and is widely applied across various food categories. However, issues such as consumer cognitive biases and insufficient acceptance hinder its market penetration. This paper constructs a chained mediation model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Perceived Value Theory, employing PLS-SEM and IPMA methods to validate multiple research hypotheses. It innovatively integrates multiple theories to establish an interdisciplinary research framework, overcoming the limitations of single theories. The analysis, combined with IPMA, clarifies the priority of each variable, addressing existing research gaps. The results indicate that the four perceptual factors of smart food packaging significantly and positively influence the three core constructs of TPB, with experiential factors exerting the strongest drive on individual needs. The TPB constructs significantly and positively affect perceived value, perceived trust, and self-efficacy, with the drive of individual needs being most prominent. Perceived trust has the strongest influence on healthy eating behavior. IPMA analysis reveals that perceived value (PV) is a key area for improvement, while individual needs (IN) and self-efficacy (SEHB) are key areas of strength. This study elucidates the internal mechanisms through which smart food packaging influences consumers’ healthy eating behaviors, providing theoretical and practical support for enterprises to optimize design and guide healthy consumption.