The role of consumer restraint versus indulgence on purchase intentions of hybrid meat analogues

Abstract

Resulting from escalating environmental issues, hybrid meat analogues have been introduced into the market as an alternative to traditional animal protein. Consumer responses to this relatively new type of food product requires further investigation so that marketers can more effectively encourage consumers to adopt more sustainable eating habits. Research examining the effects of both consumer restraint and indulgence on decision making may assist in better understanding consumer responses to hybrid meat analogues. Two online studies were conducted to examine consumers’ perceptions of sustainability and purchase intentions towards meat products containing different ratios of animal to plant-based protein content. Moreover, we investigate the extent to which these effects are moderated by restraint versus indulgence. Our findings demonstrate that, for consumers with a restraint mindset, perceptions of environmental sustainability increase with higher levels of plant-based protein content in hybrid meat analogues, which in turn leads to higher purchase intentions. On the other hand, these effects are not observed for consumers with an indulgence mindset.