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. 2025 Oct 15;14(20):3508.
doi: 10.3390/foods14203508.

Upcycled vs. Sustainable: Identifying Consumer Segments and Recognition of Sustainable and Upcycled Foods Within the United States

Karissa Chu  1 , Daniel DeGeorge  1 , Dan Diehn  2 , Alissa Galatz  2 , Jeff Garza  2 , Lucy McGowan  3 , MaryAnne Drake  4 , Samir Amin  1 , Amy Lammert  1
Affiliations

Upcycled vs. Sustainable: Identifying Consumer Segments and Recognition of Sustainable and Upcycled Foods Within the United States

Karissa Chu et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Upcycled foods are a rising trend as the issue of food waste and sustainability becomes an increasing concern. The objective of this research was to evaluate the perception of upcycled foods through the characterization of consumer segments. An online questionnaire was developed to evaluate food neophobia, lifestyle, behavior, beliefs, awareness, and familiarity or recognition of upcycled and sustainable food products using a pre- and post-infographic intervention. The survey was created using Red Jade SaaS and distributed to participants through the Cal Poly Sensory database, North Carolina State University Sensory Service Center database, social media (LinkedIn and Nextdoor), and personal communication. Participants (n = 947) were segmented using a k-means clustering algorithm on lifestyle, neophobia, and beliefs questions. Four clusters were identified: Greenthusiasts (n = 306)-environmentally conscious and open-minded to new products, Balanced Believers (n = 347)-supportive of new products with reasonable doubt, Healthy Hesitants (n = 208)-willing to make health-focused changes but hesitant towards new products and technologies, and Eco-Skeptics (n = 86)-doubtful and resistant to change, most food and technologically neophobic. Based on pre- and post-intervention, Eco-Skeptics had the lowest initial awareness and recognition of sustainable and upcycled food products, while Greenthusiasts had the highest. All four segments trended towards improved recognition of the food products post-intervention.

Keywords: consumer segmentation; survey; sustainable; upcycled.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. J.G., D.D., and A.G. work at the consumer, sensory, and statistical consulting company, Garza Consulting. They contributed to this study by offering suggestions on the survey and data analysis. These three co-authors were not compensated, but they were project collaborators.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of full study methodology.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flowchart of questionnaire design. See Supplementary Materials Document S1 for full survey questions.
Figure 3
Figure 3
What is Sustainable Nutrition? Infographic taken from www.sustainablenutrition-sb.com and developed by the Sustainable Nutrition Scientific Board [64].
Figure 4
Figure 4
What is Upcycled Food? Infographic created by the Upcycled Food Association [65]. The original infographic was split to preserve image quality: (a) Top panel of the infographic, (b) middle panel of the infographic, (c) bottom panel of the infographic.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Principal component analysis (PCA) maps of segmentation, food purchasing factors, diet, and hesitation questions with the four clusters. Questions from (a–d) were jointly used to create one PCA map. These were divided for ease of viewing: (a) a PCA map of food and basic lifestyle assessment with the four clusters, (b) a PCA map of Food and Food Technology Neophobia Scales with the four clusters, (c) a PCA map of self beliefs and belief of others on consumption with the four clusters, (d) a PCA map of purchasing of food factors, diet, and hesitation with the four clusters.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Principal component analysis (PCA) maps of segmentation, food purchasing factors, diet, and hesitation questions with the four clusters. Questions from (a–d) were jointly used to create one PCA map. These were divided for ease of viewing: (a) a PCA map of food and basic lifestyle assessment with the four clusters, (b) a PCA map of Food and Food Technology Neophobia Scales with the four clusters, (c) a PCA map of self beliefs and belief of others on consumption with the four clusters, (d) a PCA map of purchasing of food factors, diet, and hesitation with the four clusters.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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