A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has shed light on American consumers’ preferences for meat alternatives. Researchers from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Humboldt University Berlin, and Georg August University Göttingen conducted surveys with 2,100 participants across the United States. Respondents were offered a choice among four different types of burgers: the classic beef burger, a plant-based burger that closely mimics meat (referred to as analog), a vegetarian burger that looks like meat but doesn’t really taste or feel like it (semi-analog), and a falafel burger (non-analog).
Study Findings
As expected, the beef burger won the hearts of about 75% of those surveyed, making it the top preference. However, the falafel burger surprisingly emerged as the favorite among meat-free options, while the analog burger attracted the least interest. Additionally, around two-thirds of participants expressed willingness to consider meat alternatives if the beef burger was not available.
These findings challenge the notion that meat substitutes must closely mimic real meat to gain consumer approval. An economist involved in the research highlighted that negative perceptions surrounding highly processed foods could be dissuading consumers from choosing analog options.
Impact of Pricing
The study also examined how pricing impacts consumer behavior. Interestingly, while the presence of price parity didn’t significantly influence choices, halving the prices of plant-based items led to a noticeable increase in their appeal. In fact, when plant-based products were offered for half the cost of conventional meat, the demand doubled. Another notable observation was that men tended to show a greater inclination toward appealingly priced plant-based alternatives, even though they generally preferred to maintain a meat-inclusive diet.
These findings resonate with trends observed at BILLA, a supermarket chain in Austria, which reported a substantial 33% increase in sales of plant-based products after they adjusted prices to match or fall below those of animal-derived foods. However, this upward trend might not apply uniformly across all categories of alternative proteins. Research indicates that consumers are often hesitant to buy fermented plant-based items, even when they are priced lower than their meat counterparts, likely due to doubts about quality.
Recommendations
An economist suggested that restaurants and food producers could potentially enhance their sales of vegetarian and vegan options by offering meat substitutes at more competitive prices than traditional meat. This study indicates that consumers might be more attracted to alternatives that differ in taste and texture rather than those that merely imitate meat, as many appear to harbor skepticism towards highly processed substitutes.
Source: Vegconomist