"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

Hannah Ford; Joanne Gould; Lukas Danner; Susan E P Bastian; Qian Yang

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2023.107025

"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 Nov 1:190:107025. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107025. Epub 2023 Sep 9.

Authors

Hannah Ford¹, Joanne Gould², Lukas Danner³, Susan E P Bastian⁴, Qian Yang⁵

Affiliations

¹ 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.
² Sensory Science Centre, Division of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, LE12 5RD, United Kingdom.
³ 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.
⁴ School of Agriculture, Food & Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, South Australia, 5064, Australia.
⁵ Sensory Science Centre, Division of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, LE12 5RD, United Kingdom. Electronic address: qian.yang@nottingham.ac.uk.

PMID: 37696470
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107025

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.

Keywords: Cell-based meat; Focus groups; Precision fermented dairy; Protein alternatives; Sustainable food; Young adults.