The global rise in meat consumption is one of the major concerns among food researchers and policymakers. In this panorama, alternative protein sources like plant-based meat, insect-based flours, and cultured meat emerged as potential solutions. Many contributions have been published on consumers’ perception of meat alternatives, however, only a few of them presented a direct comparison between the three categories and none of them explicitly scrutinized the different attitudes that omnivorous, flexitarians or veg*an consumers show towards them. With the aim to fill this gap, an online questionnaire was conducted to explore the willingness to substitute conventional meats with the alternative options. Surveying 678 Italian consumers representing each dietary group this research sheds light on the complexities of consumer attitudes towards alternative protein sources and offers valuable insights for policymakers and marketers seeking to foster sustainable dietary choices. Applying ANOVA and post-hoc comparison of means test, we found that plant-based meat showed promise to non- omnivorous consumers, while hesitation prevailed towards insect-based flours and Title Page cultured meat among all dietary groups. Vegetarians displayed the least willingness to adopt insect-based flours due to potential dietary disruption. Surprisingly, both omnivores and flexitarians exhibited negative attitudes towards cultured meat, possibly due to taste and production concerns. Understanding diverse dietary group preferences is vital for promoting meat alternatives in the Italian market through targeted interventions and education.

Acceptance of alternative meats among different dietarian styles: An explorative analysis in Italy / E. Demartini, M.E. Marescotti, M. Amato, A. Corradini, F. Verneau, A.A.M. Gaviglio. - In: FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE. - ISSN 0950-3293. - 113:(2023 Dec 01), pp. 105060.1-105060.5. [10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105060]

Acceptance of alternative meats among different dietarian styles: An explorative analysis in Italy

E. Demartini
Primo
;
M.E. Marescotti
Secondo
;
A. Corradini;A.A.M. Gaviglio
Ultimo
2023

Abstract

The global rise in meat consumption is one of the major concerns among food researchers and policymakers. In this panorama, alternative protein sources like plant-based meat, insect-based flours, and cultured meat emerged as potential solutions. Many contributions have been published on consumers’ perception of meat alternatives, however, only a few of them presented a direct comparison between the three categories and none of them explicitly scrutinized the different attitudes that omnivorous, flexitarians or veg*an consumers show towards them. With the aim to fill this gap, an online questionnaire was conducted to explore the willingness to substitute conventional meats with the alternative options. Surveying 678 Italian consumers representing each dietary group this research sheds light on the complexities of consumer attitudes towards alternative protein sources and offers valuable insights for policymakers and marketers seeking to foster sustainable dietary choices. Applying ANOVA and post-hoc comparison of means test, we found that plant-based meat showed promise to non- omnivorous consumers, while hesitation prevailed towards insect-based flours and Title Page cultured meat among all dietary groups. Vegetarians displayed the least willingness to adopt insect-based flours due to potential dietary disruption. Surprisingly, both omnivores and flexitarians exhibited negative attitudes towards cultured meat, possibly due to taste and production concerns. Understanding diverse dietary group preferences is vital for promoting meat alternatives in the Italian market through targeted interventions and education.
Plant-based meat; Insect-based flours; Cultured meat; Flexitarians; Vegetarians; Vegans; Willingness to buy; Food perception
Settore AGR/01 - Economia ed Estimo Rurale
1-dic-2023
apr-2024
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
2023 - Demartini - Acceptance of alternative meats.pdf

embargo fino al 01/12/2024

Tipologia: Post-print, accepted manuscript ecc. (versione accettata dall'editore)
Dimensione 430.47 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
430.47 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia
1-s2.0-S0950329323002549-main.pdf

accesso riservato

Descrizione: Short Communication
Tipologia: Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione 925.43 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
925.43 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/1019374
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 3
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 3
social impact