This study evaluates consumers' willingness to pay for pasta with microalgae proteins and the impact of different front-of-pack labels, including Nutri-Score, organic, and vegan labels, on their purchasing decisions. Conducted in November 2021, a quantitative online survey collected data from 3027 respondents across five European countries: the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Spain, and Italy. The discrete choice experiment used in this study, analyzed through a random parameter logit model, revealed that respondents were most willing to pay a premium for pasta with an organic label, followed by the Nutri-Score label, and the vegan label. The findings underscore the importance of FOP labels in enhancing consumer acceptance and market uptake of innovative food products like those with microalgae proteins. These insights provide valuable recommendations for food producers and policymakers aiming to promote healthier and more sustainable dietary choices across Europe.

ProFuture is a European-funded Horizon 2020 research project aiming to scale up microalgae production and prepare the market uptake of microalgae proteins as ingredients for innovative and sustainable food and feed products. The project will last for 4 years (2019-2023) and it is coordinated by the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) in Spain.