From Scraps to Sweets: Perceptions of Food Healthfulness and the Acceptance of Upcycled Foods

Kefeng Ou, Ling Jiang and David S. Waller

Business Strategy and the Environment, 2026, vol. 35, issue 1, 264-281

Abstract: Upcycled foods offer a compelling solution to the global food waste crisis, yet a critical paradox hinders their market acceptance: consumers who embrace sustainability often reject these products. This paper challenges the conventional focus on ecological appeals, arguing that a deeper, unaddressed psychological barrier is at play. We identify and empirically validate healthfulness perception as the key mediating mechanism that explains this consumer resistance. Across four experiments, this study concludes that: (1) upcycling disclosure triggers negative healthfulness perceptions, which directly suppress purchase intentions; (2) pro‐environmental concern moderates the negative effect of upcycling disclosure, such that the effect is weaker for consumers with high environmental concern; and (3) targeted health‐related taglines successfully neutralize these negative perceptions, significantly boosting product preference and willingness to buy. These results offer a clear directive: the path to encouraging the purchase of upcycled foods lies not in amplifying their ecological benefits, but in proactively promoting their perceived healthfulness. Policymakers can also leverage these insights to promote upcycled foods as both healthy and environmentally friendly, encouraging sustainable consumption practices and reducing food waste at a broader level.

Date: 2026
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