Understanding purchase intention toward upcycled foods through a consumer education lens: an extended theory of planned behavior approach

Shan Liang, Yunhao Zhang, Y P, Jing Tian, Youyou Li

Background Upcycled foods offer a promising pathway for reducing food waste, improving resource-use efficiency, and promoting sustainable food consumption by transforming food resources that retain edible or nutritional value into new food products. However, the mechanisms through which consumers form purchase intention toward upcycled foods remain insufficiently understood. Methods Drawing on the extended theory of planned behavior, this study developed a research model to examine the effects of health consciousness, environmental awareness, and product knowledge on attitude, as well as the effects of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on purchase intention. The mediating role of attitude was also tested. Data were collected using a three-wave survey design, 406 valid responses were retained for analysis. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and bias-corrected bootstrap analysis were used to test the measurement and structural models. Results Exploratory factor analysis identified seven factors, consistent with the theoretical constructs proposed in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated satisfactory composite reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity for all constructs. The structural equation modeling results showed that health consciousness, environmental awareness, and product knowledge all had significant positive effects on consumers’ attitude toward upcycled foods, with product knowledge showing the strongest effect. Attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were also found to positively influence purchase intention. The mediation analysis further showed that attitude significantly mediated the relationships between health consciousness, environmental awareness, product knowledge, and purchase intention. Conclusion Health consciousness and environmental awareness provide value-based foundations for consumers’ evaluation of upcycled foods, while product knowledge helps reduce conceptual uncertainty and supports the formation of a favorable attitude. Attitude further links these antecedents to purchase intention, while subjective norm and perceived behavioral control also play important roles in shaping purchase intention. This study extends the application of the theory of planned behavior to the context of emerging sustainable food consumption and provides empirical evidence for the promotion of upcycled foods, consumer education, and sustainable food policy design.