Exploring Italian consumer perceptions and acceptance of innovative foods and food technologies: insights from a national survey

Innovative foods and food technologies face barriers to adoption in Italy, where food plays a central role in identity and social life. This study investigates Italian consumer responses to seven innovative food products and technologies using a consumer survey (N = 2000), stratified by age, gender, and geographical region. The survey included psychometric scales assessing food neophobia, food technology neophobia, disgust sensitivity, trust, sensation seeking, and health interest. It measured perceptions of risk, benefit, familiarity, and emotions associated with each product. Findings indicate that Italian consumers show high levels of food and technological neophobia, coupled with low trust and strong health concerns. Acceptability varied significantly across sociodemographic groups: higher education and income were associated with higher trust and sensation seeking and lower neophobia, whereas female and older respondents exhibited higher disgust sensitivity and greater resistance to innovation. Exploratory clustering identified two broad clusters of aggregated consumer profiles. One cluster was associated with younger age, higher educational attainment and household income, together with greater trust and sensation seeking, whereas the other was associated with older age, lower educational attainment and household income, together with greater food and food technology neophobia and disgust sensitivity. Emotional responses emerged as correlates of acceptability, with curiosity most positively and disgust most negatively. Products most aligned with product ideals were plant-based proteins, algae, and unusual fruits, while insect-based proteins and cultured meat faced the greatest barriers. These findings highlight the importance of reinforcing trust and curiosity while addressing disgust to promote sustainable Italian food innovation.