Blue food doctoral student Elena Costa has defended her thesis

Elena Costa defended her thesis at the University of Gothenburg on November 21, 2025. Her thesis, "Food neophobia: a key barrier to consumer acceptance of seafood in Sweden," deals with the acceptance of new foods, with a focus on seafood, what makes us choose or reject certain foods, and how we can make a difference. Elena Costa thus became the first of Blå mat's doctoral students who had been part of the center from the beginning to defend her thesis and earn the title of doctor.

The thesis is linked to the question of how we can get Swedish consumers to eat more – and more varied – sustainable seafood. In the background is the question of how we can feed a growing and aging population with healthier and more sustainable food.

Elena Costa was a collaborative doctoral student between the Rise research institute and the University of Gothenburg, funded by Blå mat, and her work has contributed to all three organizations. Here are links to Elena Costa's thesis and articles she has been involved in during her doctoral studies:

• Food neophobia: a key barrier to consumer acceptance of seafood in Sweden
• The negative association between food neophobia and sensory expectations revealed through analysis of consumers’ open-ended descriptions of seafood Costa, E., Niimi, J., Collier, E. S., Food Quality and Preference, Volume 123, February 2025
• Still just a matter of taste? Sensory appreciation of seafood is associated with more frequent and diverse consumption, Collier, E. S., Costa, E., Harris, K. L., Bendtsen, M., Niimi, J., Appetite, volume 198, 1 July 2024
• Exploring seafood choices at the point of purchase among a sample of Swedish consumers, Costa, E., Bergman, P., Niimi, J., Collier, E.S, British Food Journal, volume 126 Issue 13
• The relationship between food neophobia and hedonic ratings of novel foods may be mediated by emotional arousal, Costa, E., Niimi, J., Collier, E. S., Food Quality and Preference, Volume 109, 2023, 104931, ISSN 0950-3293
• Beyond raw: Investigating alternative preparation methods as a tool to increase acceptance of oysters in Sweden, Costa, E., Wrange, A-L., Collier, E. S., Niimi, J., Strand Å., Future Foods, Volume 7, 2023, 100217, ISSN 2666-8335
• Methodologies in Sensory and Consumer Sciences for the Evaluation of Seafood Products, Costa, E., Collier, E.S., Niimi, J., Handbook of Seafood and Seafood Products Analysis. ISBN 9781003289401 (chapter)

Read more from the University of Gothenburg and Rise

• Gu.se: Swedes' fish and seafood habits can be broadened with a few simple tricks
• Center for Sea and Society, University of Gothenburg: Small tricks can make a big difference (LinkedIn)
• Jun Niimi, Rise: Congratulations (LinkedIn)