Consumer adoption of banana crackers using the theory of planned behaviour and the sustainability awareness approach
Mohammed Al-Rizeiqia b✉, Al Zahraa Al-Sheidia, Pankaj B. Patharec✉, Deena Al-Kalbania, Adil S. Al-Busaidib d
- aDepartment of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
- bInnovation and Technology Transfer Center, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
- cDepartment of Soils, Water, and Agricultural Engineering, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
- dDepartment of Business Communication, College of Economics and Political Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
Banana ( Musa spp., Musaceae family) is among the most widely consumed fruits worldwide. In Oman, bananas rank second in quantity, after local dates. Banana crackers are a healthy snack available in many lucrative markets globally. Beyond their health benefits, both dried banana peel and dried banana flour are utilized as ingredients in various food industry applications. The current study aims to assess the impact of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) students' attitudes (ATT), subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) on their behavioral intention (BI) toward consuming locally produced banana crackers (ρ ≤ 0.05). The study also aims to evaluate the impact of both past experience and sustainability awareness on SQU students' behavioral intention (BI; ρ ≤ 0.05). The study found that ATT, SN, and PBC significantly influenced students behavioral intentions, with attitude (β 1 = 0.5983) and experience (β 4 = 1.0915) exerting the strongest influence on students' purchasing behavior. The study also found that sustainability awareness (β 5 = 0.4514) influences students' purchasing behavior (p ≤ 0.05). Moreover, the study revealed a significant effect of academic specialization (β 6 = 0.0326) on students' food preferences, among other sociodemographic variables (p ≤ 0.05). The study is helpful for banana processors and policymakers in expanding banana farming, investment, and the manufacturing of banana crackers in Sultanate of Oman.