Evidence Specificity and Sensory Convergence in Upcycled Food Communication: A Five‐Cue Consumer Experiment in Vietnam

ABSTRACT

Prior research already shows that sustainability information can influence evaluations of upcycled foods; the more discriminating question is whether advantages created by different message configurations persist after tasting. This study compared five finalized cue packages among 300 Gen Z consumers in Vietnam: control, generic upcycled, narrative sustainability, evidence‐rich sustainability, and AI‐disclosed sustainability. Participants evaluated the same upcycled tropical fruit snack before and after tasting. Because wording, evidential specificity, and AI disclosure varied jointly, the experiment is interpreted as a comparison of message packages rather than a causal test of AI versus human authorship. Cue condition affected pre‐tasting overall liking expectation, perceived sustainability, and cue credibility. The narrative and evidence‐rich conditions produced higher expected liking than control, while the evidence‐rich condition showed the strongest credibility and sustainability profile. After all participants tasted the identical product, post‐tasting overall liking and consumer acceptance did not differ by condition. Purchase intention and willingness to pay showed smaller condition effects, concentrated in the contrast between the evidence‐rich and narrative conditions. Open‐ended responses repeatedly emphasized objective evidence and human verification. The main contribution is therefore bounded but practically relevant: message specificity and substantiation can create a pre‐tasting informational advantage, yet that advantage does not automatically translate into superior sensory liking once the product is experienced.