US consumers' mental associations with meat substitute products

Area of Science:

• Consumer Behavior
• Food Science
• Environmental Studies

Background:

• Growing concerns regarding meat consumption's health and environmental impacts necessitate alternative protein sources.
• Meat substitute products have advanced significantly, presenting a promising avenue for plant-based diets.
• Despite market growth, US meat consumption remains high, indicating a need to understand consumer perceptions of meat substitutes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate US consumers' mental associations with meat substitute products.
• To explore gender-based differences in these associations.
• To identify consumer profiles for targeted marketing and policy interventions.

Main Methods:

• A free word association technique was administered to 175 US citizens.
• Mental associations were analyzed using deductive-inductive content analysis into 20 categories.
• Statistical analyses included frequency analyses, Chi-square difference tests, and multidimensional correspondence analysis.

Main Results:

• Meat substitute products generated more negative than positive mental associations.
• New categories of mental associations were identified, alongside those found in prior research.
• Women tended to hold more negative associations with meat substitutes compared to men.

Conclusions:

• US consumers' perceptions of meat substitutes are predominantly negative, with notable gender differences.
• Four distinct consumer profiles (skeptics, innovators, health-oriented, avoiders) emerged from the analysis.
• Findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and marketers to enhance the promotion of meat substitute products.