Consumer Behavior and Food Neophobia
Summary
Food neophobia, the reluctance to eat or avoidance of unfamiliar foods, shapes consumer choices across cultures and age groups. It arises from evolutionary caution yet poses a barrier to dietary diversity and the adoption of sustainable protein sources. Research has shown that neophobic tendencies correlate with lower willingness to try novel foods, influence hedonic evaluations and purchase intentions, and interact with factors such as cultural background, previous exposure and perceived health benefits. Understanding food neophobia is critical for promoting public health through diet diversification, guiding product development in the food industry and supporting the transition towards sustainable food systems. Strategies to mitigate neophobia include increasing familiarity through repeated exposure, framing novel items in familiar formats, employing credible information cues and measuring emotional responses to reduce anxiety associated with tasting new products.
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Consumer Behavior and Food Neophobia publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in consumer behavior and food neophobia across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Food Neophobia: A trait characterised by hesitation or refusal to try unfamiliar foods.
Food Neophobia Scale (FNS): A questionnaire measuring individual levels of reluctance to try new foods.
Hedonic Rating: A measure of liking or pleasure derived from tasting a food.
Emotional Arousal: The intensity of feelings such as anxiety or excitement experienced during food evaluation.
Familiarity: Previous exposure to or knowledge of a food item, which typically enhances acceptance.
References
- Beyond raw: Investigating alternative preparation methods as a tool to increase acceptance of oysters in Sweden. Future Foods (2023).
- The relationship between food neophobia and hedonic ratings of novel foods may be mediated by emotional arousal. Food Quality and Preference (2023).
- Development and validation of Japanese version of alternative food neophobia scale (J-FNS-A): association with willingness to eat alternative protein foods. Frontiers in Nutrition (2024).
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