Preferences of German Consumers for Meat Products Blended with Plant-Based Proteins

Adriano Profeta, Marie-Christin Baune, Sergiy Smetana, Sabine Bornkessel, Keshia Broucke, Geert Van Royen, Ulrich Enneking, Jochen Weiss, Volker Heinz, Sopie Hieke and Nino Terjung
Additional contact information
Adriano Profeta: DIL e.V.-German Institute of Food Technology, Research Platform Consumer Science, Prof.-von-Klitzing-Straße 7, 49610 D-Quakenbrück, Germany
Marie-Christin Baune: DIL e.V.-German Institute of Food Technology, Research Platform Consumer Science, Prof.-von-Klitzing-Straße 7, 49610 D-Quakenbrück, Germany
Sergiy Smetana: DIL e.V.-German Institute of Food Technology, Research Platform Consumer Science, Prof.-von-Klitzing-Straße 7, 49610 D-Quakenbrück, Germany
Sabine Bornkessel: DIL e.V.-German Institute of Food Technology, Research Platform Consumer Science, Prof.-von-Klitzing-Straße 7, 49610 D-Quakenbrück, Germany
Keshia Broucke: Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Brusselsesteenweg, 370, 9090 Melle, Belgium
Geert Van Royen: Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Brusselsesteenweg, 370, 9090 Melle, Belgium
Ulrich Enneking: Institute of Agricultural Marketing, Applied University of Osnabrück, Albrechtstr. 30, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
Jochen Weiss: Departement of Food Structure and Functionality, Institut of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 21/25, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
Volker Heinz: DIL e.V.-German Institute of Food Technology, Research Platform Consumer Science, Prof.-von-Klitzing-Straße 7, 49610 D-Quakenbrück, Germany
Sopie Hieke: European Food Information Council, Rue des Deux Eglises 14, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Nino Terjung: DIL e.V.-German Institute of Food Technology, Research Platform Consumer Science, Prof.-von-Klitzing-Straße 7, 49610 D-Quakenbrück, Germany

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: High levels of meat consumption are increasingly being criticised for ethical, environmental, and social reasons. Plant-based meat substitutes have been with reservations identified as healthy sources of protein in comparison to meat. This alternative offers several social, environmental, and probably health benefits, and it may play a role in reducing 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 has demonstrated that, in many countries, consumers are highly attached to meat. They consider it to be an essential and integral element of their daily diet. For the consumers that are not interested in vegan or vegetarian alternatives to meat, so-called meathybrids could be a low-threshold option for a more sustainable food consumption behaviour. In meathybrids, 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 500 German consumers are presented with a focus on preferences and attitudes relating to meathyrids. The results show that more than fifty percent of consumers substitute meat at least occasionally. Thus, approximately half of the respondents reveal an eligible consumption behaviour with respect to sustainability and healthiness to a certain degree. Regarding the determinants of choosing either meathybrid or meat, it becomes evident that the highest effect is exerted by the health perception. The healthier meathybrids are perceived, the higher is the choice probability. Thus, this egoistic motive seems to outperform altruistic motives, like animal welfare or environmental concerns, when it comes to choice for this new product category.

Keywords: meat substitute; meathybrid; consumer preference; plant-based proteins (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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