“If you must, then mimic mincemeat but not steak”: Unpacking consumers’ expectations for plant-based meat analogues

The increasing population globally is predicted to lead to increased meat consumption. This increased meat demand has consequences for land use, natural resource and the environment. Also, animal welfare, ethical, and health reasons justify shifting to sustainable alternatives to meat protein. Plant-based meats (PBM), i.e., prepared entirely from plants but resemble meat, are promoted as one alternative. The appeal of new-generation plant-based meat as a meat alternative is that the appearance, textural, and sensory properties are similar to meat, thus mimicking the experience of consuming meat. However, there is much to be understood about consumers' perceptions and preferences toward plant-based meat. The paper is based on a survey of (N =210) Chinese meat consumers where attributes which Chinese consumers perceive to be the most important in influencing their decision to eat plant-based meat are identified. The results indicate that most consumers preferred plant-based meat in comminuted forms, suggesting that plant-based meat produced to mimic larger meat cuts such as steak may receive lower acceptance. Price was not the most important factor influencing consumers' acceptance of PBM. Consumers expect traceability and sufficient information on PBM processing. There is also a high preference for PBM with little/no additives/preservatives and PBM produced from familiar ingredients. These results suggest that imitating the appearance, textural, and sensory properties of meat would not guarantee acceptance. In fact, in seeking to reduce or replace meat, consumers would be more open to proteins that do not mimic meat at all.