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Ford H, Gould J, Danner L, Bastian SEP, Yang Q. "I guess it's quite trendy": A qualitative insight into young meat-eaters' sustainable food consumption habits and perceptions towards current and future protein alternatives. Appetite 2023; 190:107025. [PMID: 37696470 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
As the market for sustainable food continues to expand, there is a need to understand how consumers' consumption habits and perceptions are changing. Targeting the younger populations is of interest as they arguably will shape the future of food. Therefore, the present study aimed to provide in-depth consumer insights on a range of topics from current consumption habits (i.e., meat reduction, plant-based meat/seafood (PBM/S)), towards future protein alternatives (i.e., cell-based meat/seafood (CBM/S), precision fermented dairy (PFD)). Online focus groups were conducted in the UK with meat-eaters (n = 38) aged 18-34. Codebook thematic analysis was applied using the Framework Matrix as a tool for data analysis. Key themes were presented using the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation), which identified areas of behavioural change. Results found a trend towards meat reduction, partially initiated by moving away from home and limited food budgets. Overall, participants acknowledged the environmental impact of food, but a notable knowledge gap was apparent when quantifying the effect, especially for dairy and seafood. Compared to PBM, few participants had tried PBS products, partially due to lower availability and familiarity. Enablers for PBM/S included convenience, positive sensory experiences and the influence of others, whilst barriers related to negative health connotations and over-processing. For CBM/S and PFD, animal welfare, curiosity and optimised nutrition acted as enablers, whilst barriers related to wider consumer acceptance, affordability and unnaturalness. In general, participants felt changing food consumption habits can have an impact on climate change and were optimistic about novel technologies supporting future protein transitions. Increasing public understanding around the environmental impact of food, especially seafood and dairy, and prioritising the affordability of sustainable food are suggested as intervention strategies to encourage sustainable food consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Ford
- Sensory Science Centre, Division of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, LE12 5RD, United Kingdom; School of Agriculture, Food & Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, South Australia, 5064, Australia
| | - Joanne Gould
- Sensory Science Centre, Division of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
| | - Lukas Danner
- School of Agriculture, Food & Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, South Australia, 5064, Australia; CSIRO, Agriculture and Food, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Susan E P Bastian
- School of Agriculture, Food & Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, South Australia, 5064, Australia
| | - Qian Yang
- Sensory Science Centre, Division of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, LE12 5RD, United Kingdom.
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Collier ES, Harris KL, Bendtsen M, Norman C, Niimi J. Just a matter of taste? Understanding rationalizations for dairy consumption and their associations with sensory expectations of plant-based milk alternatives. Food Qual Prefer 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Takeda KF, Yazawa A, Yamaguchi Y, Koizumi N, Shineha R. Comparison of public attitudes toward five alternative proteins in Japan. Food Qual Prefer 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Broad GM, Zollman Thomas O, Dillard C, Bowman D, Le Roy B. Framing the futures of animal-free dairy: Using focus groups to explore early-adopter perceptions of the precision fermentation process. Front Nutr 2022; 9:997632. [PMID: 36263302 PMCID: PMC9574361 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.997632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reports on the findings from a series of virtual focus groups that explored consumer perceptions of animal-free dairy (AFD), an emerging type of animal product alternative produced using the tools of synthetic biology and precision fermentation. Focus group participants came from an international sample of potential "early adopters." To stimulate conversation, participants were presented with a series of visual "moodboards" that framed key arguments both in favor of and in opposition to AFD. Three primary thematic clusters emerged from the discussion. The first focused on issues of "process, safety, and regulation," centered on the general reaction of participants to the concept of AFD, their primary concerns, key questions, and the assurances they would need in order to support its advancement. The second focused on issues of "consumer preferences and priorities," highlighted by the often complicated, and sometimes outright contradictory, stated consumer interests of the participants. The third focused on issues of "food technology and the future," wherein participants expressed broader views on the role of food technology in society, generally speaking, and the potential futures of AFD, specifically. The general consensus among participants was a cautious openness to the idea of AFD. Outright opposition to the concept was rare, but so too was unabashed enthusiasm. Instead, respondents had a number of questions about the nature of the technological process, its overall safety and regulatory standards, its potential contributions to individual health and climate change mitigation, as well as its organoleptic qualities and price to consumers. Among the positive frames, claims about animal welfare were deemed the most pertinent and convincing. Among the negative frames, concerns about messing with nature and creating potential health risks to individuals were seen as the strongest arguments against AFD. The findings suggest that the key to AFD's future as a viable market option will depend in large part on the extent to which it can clearly demonstrate that it is preferable to conventional dairy or its plant-based competitors, particularly in the arena of taste, but also across considerations of health and safety, nutrition, environmental effects, and animal well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett M. Broad
- Department of Communication Studies, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, United States
| | | | | | - Daniel Bowman
- School of English, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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