Factors Influencing the Consumption of Seaweed amongst Young Adults

Mikaela Young; Nicholas Paul; Dawn Birch; Libby Swanepoel

doi:10.3390/foods11193052

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Factors Influencing the Consumption of Seaweed amongst Young Adults

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Factors Influencing the Consumption of Seaweed amongst Young Adults

Mikaela Young, Nicholas Paul, Dawn Birch and Libby Swanepoel

Foods, Vol.11(19), pp.1-18

2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11193052

PMCID: PMC9563983

PMID: 36230128

Appears in UniSC Diversity and Inclusion Research Collection

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Abstract

alginate

barrier

consumer behaviour

motivator

packaging

sustainability

Marketing

diet

snack

UniSC Diversity Area - Life Stages

Seaweed has been traditionally consumed in Asian and Pacific cultures, yet aside from sushi, is still not commonly eaten in Western societies. Edible seaweeds offer distinct nutritional benefits to terrestrial crops, particularly with respect to mineral and fibre content. Understanding the motivations that drive young Australians to eat seaweed is necessary for food product development and consumer marketing strategies, as well as informing future sustainable production through seaweed aquaculture and wild harvest practices. An observational cross sectional online survey with n = 1403 young (19 to 30 years) Australian seaweed consumers was conducted. The 19 item survey included closed ended, open ended, and Likert scale responses. Most respondents were female (89.0%), with tertiary level education or above (57.7%). Seaweed was eaten mostly as a snack (87.7%) and in home prepared meals (30.7%). The key advantages to consumption were flavour (89.1%), nutrient content (49.1%), and health benefits (44.6%), whilst the key barriers were poor accessibility (59.5%), unaffordable pricing (46.5%), and undesirable packaging (19.0%). The consumers reported wanting more promotion to improve their knowledge about seaweed, in addition to environmentally sustainable packaging and sourcing. Pathways to overcome barriers and encourage greater seaweed consumption are discussed. Most critically, improving the promotion and environmental sustainability of seaweed products will improve intake amongst current and future consumers.

Details

Title: Factors Influencing the Consumption of Seaweed amongst Young Adults
Authors: Mikaela Young (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
Nicholas Paul (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Dawn Birch (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
Libby Swanepoel (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research
Publication details: Foods, Vol.11(19), pp.1-18
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date published: 2022
DOI: 10.3390/foods11193052
ISSN: 2304-8158
PMID: 36230128; PMC9563983
Copyright note: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).
Organisation Unit: School of Business and Creative Industries; Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; USC Business School - Legacy; School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99681398002621
Output Type: Journal article