Drivers of consumer acceptance of sea fennel food products

Sea fennel ( Crithmum maritimum L .) is a halophyte with notable nutritional and functional properties – including high content of essential oils, polyphenols, and minerals – that make it a promising climate-resilient ingredient for sustainable food product development. Despite this potential, consumer acceptance remains largely unexplored, representing a key barrier to its market integration. This study investigates the factors driving consumers’ intention to purchase sea fennel-based foods, applying an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework enriched with food-related lifestyle variables. An online survey was conducted across five Mediterranean countries — Croatia, France, Italy, Tunisia, and Turkey — involving more than 1000 household food purchasers. .Subjective norm and attitude emerged as the strongest predictors of behavioural intention, with coefficients of comparable magnitude. Attitude was, in turn, mainly influenced by perception. Perceived behavioural control also contributed to shaping behavioural intention, although to a lesser extent. Food-related lifestyle exerted an additional direct influence, reflecting the role of broader dietary habits, personal values, and openness to novel foods. Low awareness and limited prior experience with sea fennel were identified as key constraints to acceptance. These findings carry direct implications for food producers, retailers, and policymakers: fostering familiarity through tasting initiatives, targeted communication, and leveraging social influence are key strategies to support the future market introduction of sea fennel as a sustainable, functional, and innovative food ingredient — contributing to broader goals of dietary diversification and food system resilience, pending confirmation through studies of actual purchase behaviour.