New Publication: A comparison of influencing factors on attitudes towards plant-based, insect-based and cultured meat alternatives in Germany  [12.09.23]

Food Quality and Preference https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.104966
Free Access via https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1hcF5_LcwKA-M0

Abstract

Understanding consumer attitudes towards meat alternatives is critical for reducing conventional meat consumption and associated negative environmental impacts. This study investigates factors influencing consumer attitudes in Germany and directly compares three prominent meat alternatives: plant-based, insect-based, and cultured meat alternatives. Based on a sample of 1,561 participants derived from a nationally representative, single dataset, the influence of several sociodemographic factors, frequency of meat consumption, experience with meat alternatives as well as climate, environmental and animal welfare concerns was analyzed by applying partial-proportional-odds ordered logistic regression models. The main results show that attitudes towards meat alternatives are rather restrained within the German population. Regardless of a certain type of meat alternative, attitudes are more positive among younger people from more urban areas, who are somehow familiar with meat alternatives. This also tends to be true for people with stronger concerns for climate, animal welfare and the environment. For some characteristics effect size as well as direction differ depending on the type of meat alternative:

Males with a more meat-centered diet are more positively disposed towards insect-based meat alternatives and cultured meat, whereas for plant-based meat alternatives people with a less meat-centered diet have a more positive attitude. Implications for (policy) interventions to increase favorable consumer attitudes towards specific meat alternatives are discussed.

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