A new study analysed several plant-based, algae-derived and cultivated protein sources for meat alternatives to find consumers’ favourite ingredients.
Are you more into pea protein burgers or rice protein nuggets? Or perhaps you’re more likely to bite into a cultivated sausage?
As food tech opens up possibilities to make meat alternatives with a wide range of ingredients, it can be hard to get the product mix right. What tastes good, and is it healthy and climate-friendly to boot?
It’s a question that formed the basis of a new survey by ETH Zürich, the public university in the Swiss capital, which asked nearly 2,000 participants from four European countries about their preferred alternative protein sources.
“Certain protein sources for use in meat alternatives have greater potential in terms of consumer acceptance than others,” the researchers wrote in the Appetite journal.
“The findings indicate that familiarity and regional culinary traditions influence consumer preferences and should therefore be considered when developing meat alternatives to make them more attractive to consumers,” they added.
Potatoes emerge as the tastiest source of meat alternatives
Of the countries surveyed in the research, people in Serbia said they eat meat analogues most frequently, with nearly two in five consuming them at least once a week. This is followed by Italy (37%), Germany (24%), and Finland (21%).
Except for Germany, where consumers eat traditional plant proteins just as frequently, participants in each of the other nations are more drawn to meat alternatives than tofu, falafels, and the like.
When asked about the preferred protein sources for the best-tasting meat-free products, it was a two-horse race between eggs (most popular in Serbia and Finland) and potato protein (Italy and Germany)
Rice and pea protein also received high scores in the poll, but the researchers found country-specific differences. For example, almonds were rated highly in Germany and Serbia, lentils in Italy, and oats in Finland. The study ascribed this to “local culinary traditions and exposure, which have been demonstrated to play a crucial role in food acceptance and preferences”.
Cultivated beef was particularly well-rated by Germans, whose taste expectations for this protein were much higher than most other sources.
On the flip side, insect protein from crickets received the lowest rating on the taste scale, followed by algae protein. Soy, one of the most common plant protein sources, received a low score in Germany, sunflower seeds in Finland, and rapeseed protein in Italy and Serbia.
“The fact that these ingredients are widely produced across Europe, and thus well-known to most consumers, suggests that familiarity and exposure do not always lead to high acceptance rates,” the researchers noted.
They added that the unfavourable attitude towards soy, meanwhile, could be due to factors like negative taste perceptions, associations with GMOs, and limited familiarity.
Consumers are unconvinced by the health and sustainability of cultivated meat
The findings around the perceived health and environmental impact of different protein sources were “less clear-cut”, though the scores were generally higher than those for taste.
Some of the proteins with the highest taste expectations—such as potatoes, peas, lentils, and oats—were also those considered to be the healthiest and most eco-friendly. The study highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the sustainability of cultivated beef, which was among the lowest-rated protein sources on this scale.
“Participants in Germany and Finland were more critical of the environmental friendliness of protein sources than participants in Italy and Serbia,” the study stated.
The one area where eggs didn’t do as well as the rest was health. Potatoes stood out as the healthiest meat alternative source for respondents, with peas following closely behind.
Most consumers highlighted rice protein among the healthiest sources, though Germans ranked it on the lower end. Instead, these consumers viewed almonds, oats, lentils and faba beans as healthier. Further highlighting the country-wide differences, oats scored high in Finland and Serbia too, while Italians viewed almonds and lentils more favourably.
Rice and soy are viewed as the least healthy plant-based protein sources in Finland, and the same goes for soy in Germany. Across Europe, the ingredient most consistently perceived as less healthy is cultivated beef, highlighting the work this industry needs to do in communicating the benefits of these products.
“Since cultured meat aims to mimic the sensory properties of meat, this similarity could be perceived as a positive attribute,” the researchers wrote. “However, the acceptance of cultured meat varies across cultures and, in certain countries, the perceived unnaturalness and disgust evoked by cultured meat represent significant barriers.”
Food tech neophobia affects tofu more than vegan meat
ETH Zürich’s research further revealed that young Europeans were more likely to consume both traditional plant proteins and modern meat alternatives. In Finland and Serbia, men tend to eat these products more than women (there was no significant difference in Germany or Italy).
The study also looked at the effect of food tech neophobia, finding that people with low levels of neophobia were more likely to consume tofu, tempeh, and other traditional sources in all countries except Serbia.
In contrast, food neophobia did not significantly affect the consumption of meat alternatives in Finland, Italy, and Serbia, though it was a significant predictor for the consumption of both traditional and modern plant proteins in Germany.
This conflicts with previous research showing that neophobia is a barrier to meat analogues with the study’s authors suggesting its greater effect on tofu and falafels could be due to the prevalence of these foods in non-European cuisines. “In contrast, plant-based mince, burgers, and chunks are designed to mimic familiar meat products, thereby potentially reducing the impact of food neophobia.”
Regardless, the protein source “exerts a significant influence” on consumer acceptance of meat alternatives and must be considered in new product development, the researchers argued.
“Strategic selection and labelling of already accepted protein sources by product developers and marketers has the potential to enhance the appeal of meat alternatives and facilitate their wider acceptance,” they noted.
“To achieve broader acceptance, the taste and texture of plant-based meat alternatives must be improved and aligned with consumer preferences.”
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