Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Plant-based meat alternatives

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    Exploring the association of personal factors with affective responses to plant-based meat alternatives with consideration of their perceived similarity to meat
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2025-12-01) Giezenaar C; Mehta A; Orr RE; Godfrey AJR; Foster M; Hort J
    Plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) have gained popularity as perceived sustainable replacements for meat, yet consumption remains limited. Understanding how personality traits shape PBMA consumption experience is therefore essential. This study surveyed 140 New Zealand consumers, assessing behavioural traits and attitudes related to willingness to reduce meat consumption/increase PBMA consumption. Participants completed tasting sessions evaluating commercially available PBMA products, based on flavour, texture, overall liking and emotions evoked, and sample perceived similarity to meat. Participants reported their demographic information, dietary habits, and frequency of meat and PBMA consumption. Results showed that higher social status derived from PBMA consumption were linked with higher liking ratings and citation proportion of ‘hungry’ for PBMAs. However, high negative attitude towards vegetarianism/veganism was linked to higher citation proportion for ‘unhappy’ for wholefood samples, while lower citation proportion for ‘unhappy’ for somewhat meat-like samples. High meat attachment was associated with lower perceived similarity to meat in both meat-like and somewhat meat-like samples. Additionally, the high meat consumption group reported lower texture and overall liking for meat-like samples. High variety seeking consumers (VARSEEK scores) were positively associated with flavour and overall liking for wholefood samples. Based on dietary groups, meat avoiders, generally driven by environmental and animal welfare concerns, reported more negative emotions such as ‘unhappy’ when tasting wholefood PBMAs compared to omnivores and flexitarians, despite their strong ethical and environmental motivations. The research highlights the impact of consumer behavioural traits and attitudes on their PBMA perception and acceptance, providing valuable insights for improving product development.
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    Effects of intrinsic and extrinsic product characteristics related to protein source, health and environmental sustainability, on product choice and sensory evaluation of meatballs and plant-based alternatives
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2024-04) Giezenaar C; Godfrey AJR; Foster M; Hort J
    Health is cited as a major driver for substituting meat with plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). In contrast, many consumers are reportedly unaware of the difference in environmental impact between meat and PBMAs. This study determined relative effects of internal (protein source) and external (health/origin/sustainability) product attributes on product choice and (expected) liking of meat and PBMAs. Participants (n = 144) ranked ten sets of three product concepts from best to worst in a discrete choice experiment (DCE). Random combinations of four product attributes were presented on hypothetical product packages: i) protein source (beef/chickpea/soy protein); ii) health-star rating (1.5/4.5 stars); iii) ingredient origin (local/imported); iv) sustainability rating (green tick absent/present), and product worth, related to each of the 24 possible attribute combinations, was determined. Secondly, commercially-available beef, soy, and chickpea products were sensorially evaluated for expected/actual liking, both blindly and alongside combinations of internal/external product attributes used in the DCE. The DCE indicated all product attributes affected product worth. However, two consumer segments were established: i) a ‘Protein Cluster’ (47%) comprising consumers who chose ‘beef’ products regardless of the remaining attributes present, and ii) a ‘Health/Sustainability Cluster’ (53%) of consumers whose choices were driven by positive health/sustainability claims. Protein source drove both expected and actual liking of the samples (p < 0.001). Health/origin/sustainability also contributed to expected liking (p < 0.05), but only health consistently affected actual liking ratings (p < 0.05). In conclusion, half of consumers chose products based on health/origin/sustainability claims, whereas the other half selected products based on protein source. Origin/sustainability claims affected product choice, but minimally affected product experience of plant-based samples.
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    Profiling the novel plant-based meat alternative category: Consumer affective and sensory response in the context of perceived similarity to meat
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2024-07) Giezenaar C; Orr R; Godfrey AJR; Maggs R; Meika F; Hort J
    Plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) are increasingly popular and may contribute towards reduction of negative environmental impacts associated with the meat industry. Inferior sensory characteristics of PBMAs, compared to conventional meat products, remain a barrier for uptake of these products. This study aimed to profile a wide range of PBMAs for perceived similarity to meat, consumer liking, emotional response and sensory experience, and to determine consumer drivers of liking for this product category. Twenty-one PBMAs, spanning a broad range of product types (burger patties, sausages, meatball alternatives, chicken/beef pieces, bacon alternative, turkey roast alternative) and main protein ingredients (extruded plant proteins, tofu, or legumes/vegetables) representative of PBMAs available to Aotearoa New Zealand consumers, were tasted and evaluated by 140 Aotearoa New Zealand residents. Samples ranged widely in their perceived similarity to meat (median value range: 1.0–4.0 on a 5-point-scale) and overall liking ratings (mean ± SD, range: 35.1 ± 1.2––77.7 ± 17.4 on a 100-point hedonic scale). Overall liking ratings were driven mostly by liking for flavour, followed by texture, and less so by appearance. Sensorially, sample differentiation was mostly associated with variation in meat-related flavours and textures, or vegetable-related attributes. Notably meat flavour was the main driver of liking, and a very strong relationship (r = 0.92) was observed between perceived similarity to meat and overall sample liking ratings. Meat-like samples were also associated with positive emotional terms, whereas samples made from wholefoods were associated with negative emotional terms. Textural terms (‘gluey/slimy’, ‘pasty/doughy’) associated with wholefood products were also negative drivers for liking, and should be avoided in future PBMA products. In conclusion, the general population maintains a strong preference for PBMAs that are similar to meat, validating ongoing efforts to improve the meat-like properties of new and emerging products. PBMAs made from wholefoods require extensive product development to achieve consumer satisfaction across the category.