Consumer Expectations of Foods Fortified with Microencapsulated Fish Oil from Residual Raw Materials

Despite the increasing awareness on the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, many consumers are not meeting the recommended daily levels. Some derive these benefits through supplements rather than fish consumption due to various reasons (unpleasant fish smell, increasing fish costs etc). Furthermore, there is a huge potential to utilise more omega-3 from the fish processing side streams that today is underutilised. To increase omega-3 intake through food and promote food sustainability through recovery of omega-3 from residual raw materials (RRM), this study sought to gain insights into consumer perceptions of food products fortified with microencapsulated fish oil extracted from RRM. To achieve this, seven focus group discussions consisting of 42 participants (4-7 participants per group) were conducted in Trondheim, Norway. The participants were recruited through advertisements placed within the University’s campuses, network (email, intranet), social media and newspaper adverts. Participants represented different age groups (20-55 years), genders, educational backgrounds, and income levels. The discussion guide consisted of general-to-specific questions. Each group discussion lasted for 1.5 hour and was recorded, transcribed, and translated from Norwegian to English. Consumers expressed an overall positive attitude towards foods fortified with fish oil extracted from RRM (skins, heads etc.). In general, consumers were positive towards fortification of different food product categories with microencapsulated fish oil. However, price, health, sustainability, and sensory properties (taste and texture) were the main factors consumers stated would influence their acceptance and purchase of these products. In the next step of this study, using the insights from the focus group discussions, four products will be fortified with microencapsulated fish oil and consumer acceptance will be evaluated through sensory analysis. The recruited panellists will evaluate the sensory properties and overall acceptance of the products using hedonic scaling and check-all-that-apply tests, and direct statement questionnaires. This study will provide a deeper understanding of consumers’ expectations of foods fortified with microencapsulated fish oil and highlight key factors that could influence consumers’ purchase intentions thus paving the way for successful commercialisation of these food products, and subsequent increase of omega-3 intake through food consumption. Keywords: Consumer expectations, Fish oil, Omega-3, Residual raw materials