The demand for sustainable and healthy food is increasing. Therefore, it is necessary to find new sources of functional ingredients for design of novel food products. Microalgae are reliable sources of functional ingredients, ready for exploitation with purpose of production of human food. This work explores consumers’ acceptance of novel foods based on microalgae. To achieve natural and realistic eating location, sensory analysis was conducted in a real restaurant in Universitat Politècnica de València. A check-all-that-apply questionnaire and hedonic scale registered the consumers’ expectations (N = 85), perceptions and acceptance, before and after taste of typical Valencian breadsticks. Food neophobia can affect acceptability of novel foods, thus, participants completed a test designed to measure their attitudes towards new food. Microalgae breadsticks have distinctive characteristics compared to control breadsticks, such as colour, flavour and odour, because of microalgae presence. Still, those breadsticks were as acceptable as the control breadsticks according to the consumer preferences. Consumers expected more differences amongst both breadsticks before tasting, but they lowered the differences in perception after trying them. Consumers consider that the product is healthier, and they would understand if it had greater expense. We believe this information can be useful for selling / marketing this novel product.

中文翻译：

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消费者对微藻面包棒的认知和接受度

对可持续和健康食品的需求正在增加。因此，有必要为新型食品的设计寻找新的功能成分来源。微藻是功能性成分的可靠来源，可用于人类食品生产。这项工作探讨了消费者对基于微藻的新型食品的接受程度。为了实现自然和逼真的就餐位置，我们在瓦伦西亚理工大学的一家真实餐厅中进行了感官分析。全选问卷和享乐量表记录了消费者在品尝典型巴伦西亚面包棒前后的期望（N = 85）、感知和接受度。食物新恐惧症会影响对新食物的接受度，因此，参与者完成了一项旨在衡量他们对新食物态度的测试。由于存在微藻，微藻面包棒与对照面包棒相比具有鲜明的特征，例如颜色、风味和气味。尽管如此，根据消费者的喜好，这些面包棒与对照面包棒一样可以接受。消费者在品尝前预计两种面包棒之间会有更多差异，但在尝试后他们降低了感知差异。消费者认为该产品更健康，他们会理解是否花费更多。我们相信这些信息对于销售/营销这种新颖的产品很有用。消费者在品尝前预计两种面包棒之间会有更多差异，但在尝试后他们降低了感知差异。消费者认为该产品更健康，他们会理解是否花费更多。我们相信这些信息对于销售/营销这种新颖的产品很有用。消费者在品尝前预计两种面包棒之间会有更多差异，但在尝试后他们降低了感知差异。消费者认为该产品更健康，他们会理解是否花费更多。我们相信这些信息对于销售/营销这种新颖的产品很有用。