Consumer preferences for meat blended with plant proteins – Empirical findings from Belgium

Abstract

High levels of meat consumption are increasingly being criticised for ethical, environmental, and social reasons. Plant-based meat substitutes have been identified as healthy sources of protein in comparison to meat. This alternative offers several social, environmental, and health benefits and may reduce meat consumption. However, there has been a lack of research on how specific meat substitute attributes can influence consumers to replace or partially replace meat in their diets. Research demonstrates that in many countries, consumers are highly attached to meat. They consider it as an essential and integral element of their daily diet. For these consumers, who are not interested in vegan or vegetarian alternatives to meat, meat blended with plant-based-proteins could be a low-threshold option for a more sustainable food consumption behaviour. In these products only a fraction of the meat product (e.g., 20% to 50%) is replaced with plant-based proteins. In this paper, the results of an online survey with 501 Belgium consumers are presented with a focus on preferences and attitudes relating to meat blended with plant-based proteins. The results show that more than fifty per cent of consumers substitute meat at least occasionally. Thus, about half of the respondents reveal an eligible consumption behaviour regarding sustainability and healthiness to a certain degree. Concerning the determinants of choosing either meat blended with plant-based proteins or the corresponding meat product, it becomes evident that a substantial effect is exerted by the health perception. The healthier meathybrids are perceived, the higher is the choice probability. Thus, this motive seems to outperform altruistic motives like animal welfare or environmental concerns when choosing this new product category.