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Conventional meat consumption has triggered an environmental burden along with effects on different disease spectrums according to existing research. The dietary patterns adopted by consumers significantly impact both planetary and individual health. Interventions are needed to support the protein transition. However, there is not yet an overview of interventions towards acceptance of novel proteins available. This systemic review highlights different varieties of alternative proteins and interventions adopted to increase the acceptance of alternative protein sources. Educational intervention, persuasion, training, and modeling approaches are summarized in this review. Furthermore, behavioral models triggering the consumer's response towards different alternative proteins are also discussed. The systemic review highlights that consumer acceptance varies among different alternative proteins. Food choice motives, familiarity, food neophobia, disgust, and cultural norms are among the various drivers of consumer acceptance. A comparison of these drivers indicates inconsistencies, presenting the need for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing alternative protein products—based on protein sources other than regular meat—is a possible pathway to counter environmental and health burdens. However, alternative proteins are not always accepted by consumers, and more research is needed to support a shift to more alternative proteins. Prior studies have mainly focused on individual drivers and perceptions; although we expect that social norms—the perceptions of the opinions of relevant others—are highly relevant in accepting alternative proteins. Online surveys were conducted among 2461 respondents in 2015 and 2000 respondents in 2019 (cross-sectional datasets); a subsample (n = 500) responded to both surveys (longitudinal dataset). We add to the literature by (1) demonstrating the added explanatory value of social norms beyond a range of individual drivers; (2) showing that this finding holds over time, and (3) comparing the impact of social norms across different dietary consumer groups. Meat lovers and flexitarians are more prone to follow social norms whereas meat abstainers are more prone to follow their individual attitudes and values. This study highlights the relevance of investigations beyond personal variables such as personal norms and attitudes and underscores the relevance of considering the social aspects of accepting alternative proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A vegetarian default versus a meat default increases vegetarian food choice. • Vegetarian defaults increase vegetarian choice relatively the most for non-reducers. • Indulgent labeling can be supportive but is a weak intervention on its own. • Activating a consumer or a citizen role did not affect our interventions. Reduced meat intake by Western consumers would benefit public health and the environment. However, meat consumption is notoriously difficult to change, among other things because it is often the outcome of automatic and habitual behavior. Interventions that make use of automatic decision-making processes are therefore promising, but these too vary in their success. The effectiveness of interventions may be improved if different types of meat-eaters are separated. Thus, the aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of two kinds of intervention (namely, changing to a vegetarian default on a menu and changing the attractiveness of a food label) on vegetarian food choice for two distinct groups: meat-eaters who are not reducing their meat intake (non-reducers) and meat-reducers. We also explored whether the effect of these interventions could be strengthened by activating different roles (i.e. a consumer role versus a citizen role). The online study included two European countries, Denmark (n = 740) and the Netherlands (n = 749), and involved two experiments. It was found that a vegetarian default significantly increased vegetarian food choice among the non-reducers but did not significantly do so among meat-reducers. Attractive labeling marginally increased vegetarian food choice for non-reducers but had no impact on meat-reducers. The activation of roles did not influence food choice. We conclude that meat-reducing interventions, especially where the menu default is concerned, could benefit from increased focus on a more specific target audience (i.e. non-reducers). More generally, we recommend that future meat-reducing interventions should consider different groups of meat-eaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat consumption is associated with a tension, for example the tension between love of meat and concern about animal welfare or health. Based on the literature we propose four consumer segments that each respond differently to (potential) conflicting thoughts in the context of meat: struggling-, coping-, strategically ignoring-, and indifferent consumers. As proposed we identified the four segments (of which one segment can be divided in two separate segments) in two separate cases ( N = 1842). This study is the first to identify a group of strategically ignorant consumers for a real life issue (i.e., conflicting experiences regarding meat consumption). The findings indicate that previously labelled indifferent consumers consists of 1) consumers who do not care and, therefore, ignore the issue and 2) consumers who do care but strategically choose to ignore the issue. We discuss the theoretical implications of strategic ignorance and the practical implications for reducing meat consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores people’s perceptions (i.e., positive and negative associations, mixed feelings) regarding the concept of ‘bio-based’ in general and specific bio-based products. This exploratory study is one of the first consumer studies in the field of bio-based research. Three focus group discussions were organized in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and The Netherlands (with 89 participants in total) in which projective techniques were applied. Results of these group discussions indicate that participants are unfamiliar with ‘bio-based’ as a concept. ‘Bio-based’ is most often associated with positive environmental issues as “naturalness” and “environmental friendly” but also with negative environmental associations and to a lesser extent with technological and health issues. Associations with ‘bio-based’ as a general concept and with particular bio-based products can be simultaneously positive and negative, which caused uncertainty and mixed feelings by the respondents. This idea highlights both the complexity of and a lack of familiarity with the concept of ‘bio-based’. Consumers have a holistic perception of bio-based products, i.e., they combine their perception of different aspects of the product in an evaluation of the whole product concept (e.g., their perception of the original product, usability, production method, proportion of bio-based materials used, price, packaging material, and appearance). Discussions on ‘bio-based’ as a concept are more general and abstract, while discussions and associations related to bio-based products are more specific. This study’s qualitative approach illustrates in detail the great variety in consumers’ perceptions, which can be both cognitive and affective (including positive, negative and mixed feelings towards ‘bio-based’ as a concept as well as bio-based products). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare the influence of four different marketing claims and price information on consumers’ product choices for novel fruits and novel fruit products, using a choice experiment. In total, 1,652 people in Greece (n= 400), the Netherlands (n= 419), Poland (n= 423), and Spain (n= 410) participated in the study. The marketing claims entailed (1) information about scientific findings concerning health benefits, (2) social norm information, (3) information about the products’ naturalness, and (4) information about the products’ time-until-expiration. The results showed that all four marketing claims and price information influenced consumer choice, but the effect of naturalness depended on the specific novel fruit product being advertised, and the effect of time-until-expiration depended on both country and fruit product. These results suggest that marketing communications should be tailored to different national markets and to specific fruit products. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: the last decade has witnessed an explosion of new consumer behaviour research technology, and new methods are published almost monthly. To what extent are these methods applicable in the specific area of food consumer science, and if they are, are they any good? Methods: in this paper, we attempt to give an overview of the developments in this area. We distinguish between ('input') methods needed to shape the measurement context a consumer is brought in, e.g., by means of 'immersive' methods, and ('output') methods that perform measurements proper. Concerning the latter, we distinguish between methods focusing on neuro-science, on psychology, and on behaviour. In addition, we suggest a way to assess the validity of the methods, based on psychological theory, concerning biases resulting from consumer awareness of a measurement situation. The methods are evaluated on three summarising validity criteria; conclusions: the conclusion is that behavioural measures generally appear more valid than psychological or neuro-scientific methods. The main conclusion is that validity of a method should never be taken for granted, and it should be always be assessed in the context of the research question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although individuals generally value health and sustainability, they do not always behave in a manner that is consistent with their standards. The current study examines whether attitudes and social norms (i.e., descriptive and injunctive norms) can evoke anticipated pride and guilt, which, in turn, guide behavioural intentions. This self-regulatory function of anticipated pride and guilt is examined in the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) extended with descriptive norms. Study 1 (N = 944) was a cross-sectional study in a sustainable (organic) behaviour context, and Study 2 (N = 990) was a study with a delayed outcome measure in a sustainable (fair trade) and a healthy (fruit consumption) behaviour context. We demonstrate that both negative and positive self-conscious emotions guide behaviour because they mediate the effects of both attitudes and social norms on intentions. Furthermore, the results show that the mediating effects of anticipated pride and guilt significantly improve the explanatory power of the extended TPB in all contexts; however, there are differences in the size of the effects, such that the mediating effect of emotions is larger in a sustainable compared to a healthy context. Theoretical implications of our findings are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how social representations and consumers' identification with organic food consumers affects intentions to buy products that make environmental and ethical claims. For the purposes of the study, an online panel study was conducted on a representative sample of consumers ( n = 1006) in the United Kingdom. The results demonstrate that consumers who are adherent to natural foods or technology and do not perceive food as a necessity are more willing to buy environmentally friendly and ethical products. There seems to be no relationship between perceptions of food as a source of enjoyment and intentions to buy sustainable products. Finally, social identification with the organic consumer is positively related with the intentions to buy products that make environmental and ethical claims. The current research demonstrates that both individual perceptions of food and consumers' perceptions of the social environment play an important role in promoting environmentally friendly and ethical behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We explore whether and why consumers become more acceptant of alternative proteins. • Seaweed, pulses, and cultured meat are more accepted in 2019 than in 2015. • Consumption is stable across 2015 and 2019, indicating an intention-behaviour gap. • The intention-behaviour gap is smaller for individuals with higher initial intentions in 2015. • Positive emotions are the most relevant driver of intention to consume alternative proteins. Transitions in consumer diets towards a more 'meat-less' diet are stated to result in various health and environmental benefits. Consumption of alternative proteins provides one of the alternatives towards more meat-less diets. Alternative proteins receive a lot of attention, however it is unclear whether consumer acceptance is changing over time. Moreover, changing consumers' dietary habits is harsh. The current study explores with a longitudinally study whether trends are visible in consumer acceptance of alternative proteins, and which drivers are relevant to understand acceptance of alternative proteins over time. An online survey was conducted in the Netherlands resulting in two types of samples: a longitudinal sample (500 respondents) that answered the same survey in 2015 and 2019, and cross-sectional samples that answered the survey in 2015 (2,461 respondents) or in 2019 (2,000 respondents). The survey addressed a range of possible drivers, including personal norms, food innovation traits (i.e. food neophobia and domain-specific innovativeness), food-choice motives and positive and negative emotions. Respondents were randomly divided into five groups and presented with specific questions on: fish, seaweed, insects, legumes and cultured meat. The results reveal an increase in the intention to consume seaweed, legumes, and cultured meat over time, though self-reported consumption remains stable indicating an intention-behaviour gap. Positive emotions appear to be the most relevant driver for intention (beyond all other included variables), and intentions in turn are the most relevant driver of consumption. Thus indicating the relevance of positive emotions as joy, content and pride. Implicating that interventions, promotions and communications should not only focus on cognitive added values as environmental impact though also include affective communication messages, e.g., consumption of alternative proteins feels good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The original 27-item social representations scale, developed by Bäckström et al. (2004), consists of five dimensions: suspicion, adherence to technology, adherence to natural food, eating as an enjoyment, and eating as a necessity. The aim of the present study is twofold. First, in study 1, we assessed the psychometric properties of the original social representations scale in the United Kingdom (n =1010), the United States (n =1001) and Germany (n =1000) and compared the results with a shortened 15-item scale. Second, in study 2, we tested a shortened 15-item revised version of the social representations scale in the Netherlands (n =494), Poland (n =502) and Spain (n =500). We conducted reliability analyses and first-order confirmatory factor analyses to test the reliability and validity of the scales in both studies. Results from study 1 showed that the original scale had poor fit statistics, and the shortened scale had adequate to good fit statistics in the three countries. However, this shortened scale still showed some limitations in terms of internal reliability. Results from study 2 showed that the revised shortened scale had adequate to good fit statistics and reliabilities in all three countries. Thus, in spite of the substantial reduction of the social representations scale, the short form shows cross-culturally much better psychometric properties than the original version. Implications and directions for future research are described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One of the greatest challenges to developing more successful marketing strategies in the food sector is gaining an understanding of the diversity of consumer needs. The current study aims to identify consumer segments based on consumers’ self-stated general importance ratings of a range of food benefits. It also aims to explore whether these segments are predictive for the importance that these consumers attach to food benefits at different consumption moments and in different consumption situations and whether these segments are predictive for consumers’ perceptions of specific food products in terms of these food benefits. A large survey (N =2083) was administered in four European countries. The present study shows that meaningful cross-national consumer segments can be identified on the basis of the importance that consumers attach to benefits related to health, convenience, satiety, sensory aspects, affect and personal norms. Furthermore, the study shows that the consumer segments identified on general importance ratings differ in the importance they attach to benefits across different moments and situations of consumption and across perceptions of different healthy food products versus unhealthy food products. The findings indicate that consumer segmentation based on general food choices is meaningful for policymakers and marketing managers, as this general segmentation provides information on specific consumer choices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sustainable food consumption is an important aspect of sustainable development. When adopting a sustainable food lifestyle, consumers are confronted with complex choices. Today's food consumption is too complex to be explained by socio-demographic factors exclusively. A broader perspective is needed. In order to explain behaviour across different consumer segments better, relatively homogenous segments of food consumers were identified by segmenting food consumers based on a wide range of variables. The current study aims to provide an overview of published studies that have segmented consumers with regard to sustainable food consumption. The literature review has been conducted by searching SciVerse Scopus for all relevant articles available until November 2010. The main criterion for including a specific study was the inclusion of empirical analyses of primary data, resulting in consumer segments with regard to sustainable food consumption. Sixteen articles were incorporated in the final analysis. First, the variables used for segmentation and profiling in the included articles have been categorized into three levels of abstraction: personality characteristics, food-related lifestyles and behaviour. The three levels of abstraction proved to be helpful in categorizing the segmentation studies. The findings indicate that variables on all three levels were efficient in differentiating consumer segments regarding sustainability. In addition, the importance of price and health differed across the segments, although these variables are only indirectly related to sustainability. Second, the three most frequently identified consumer segments with regard to sustainable food consumption were: 'greens', 'potential greens' and 'non-greens'. These segments differed from one another on all three levels of abstraction. This implies that future segmentation studies should include variables on all levels of abstraction to get a complete picture of existing sustainable consumer segments. Marketers should be aware that targeting specific segments based on socio-demographic variables exclusively is not sufficient. Personality characteristics, lifestyle and behaviour are all important to take into consideration. Attempts at stimulating sustainable consumption might be most effective when differences across consumer segments are taken into account. Future research is needed to explore the characteristics of different sustainable food consumer segments with respect to their potential contributions in promoting sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A trend is visible in the food literature showing an increasing number of publications on studies that incorporate some form of participant engagement, such as citizen science and community-based participatory research. This "participation trend" will inevitably affect the scientific field of food behaviour research. This new trend is however not only associated with advantages, and a critical reflection on both the advantages and disadvantages is needed. The current article is a position paper that contributes to the literature in two main ways. First, participation is still in the developmental stage. Many different forms, methods and definitions are used. By providing a structured overview of a variety of participatory methods derived from a focused search of the literature on food behaviour, we aim to clarify the relationships between the various forms of participation methods. Second, the involvement of citizens in research is increasingly calling for novel research methods (e.g., voluntary recruitment and active involvement), which may be accompanied by both advantages and disadvantages. We add to the literature by developing a framework that indicates the advantages and disadvantages of participatory methods in food behaviour research. Our study highlights the relevance of differentiating the goal of the researcher (efficiency versus engagement) and the role of citizens (collecting versus creating), thus implying a trade-off between cost-effectiveness and involvement, as well as between data richness and data quality. Our work is a first effort to create structure and guidance within a new area. Our efforts could be used in future research aimed at developing more extensive protocols and tools for the application of participation in research, thereby offering a controlled manner to ensure that research stays abreast of our changing society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Sustainable Food Choice Questionnaire (SUS-FCQ) is a reliable instrument. • The SUS-FCQ distinguishes 'general sustainability' & 'local and seasonal' motives. • The SUS-FCQ is a valid instrument and suitable for country comparison. • The SUS-FCQ can be used as an addition to the Food Choice Questionnaire. • The SUS-FCQ can reveal the importance of sustainability motives in food choices. In view of all kinds of sustainability concerns related to our current diet, it is essential to gain a good understanding of the sustainability motives consumers have for selecting their food. A comprehensive and validated scale to measure sustainability motives within the full range of food choice motives could contribute to this understanding, especially as sustainability is a multi-faceted concept in which the different aspects can sometimes be conflicting. The current paper aims to 1) develop the Sustainable Food Choice Questionnaire (SUS-FCQ) that covers the full concept of sustainability, 2) test which dimensions of sustainable food choice motives can be distinguished and 3) validate the scale as part of the Food Choice Questionnaire in multiple countries. An online survey was completed by 5,116 respondents from five European countries (The Netherlands, Denmark, Czech Republic, France and Italy). The scale was developed with a Dutch sub-sample and validated in all included countries. Exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analyses resulted in a two-factor solution. A 'general sustainability' dimension (6 items, covering environmental, ethical and animal welfare aspects) and a 'local & seasonal' dimension (3 items) were identified. The Sustainable Food Choice Questionnaire shows to be reliable and valid in the five included countries and can be used as an addition to the Food Choice Questionnaire developed by Steptoe and colleagues (1995). The scale is suitable to gain a better understanding of the position of sustainability motives against other motives in consumers food choices and can be used for country comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize the potential environmental benefits that recycling and/or composting bio-based plastic packages can deliver, it is important that consumers view bio-based packaging as environmentally-friendly, but also correctly dispose of the packaging. The current experimental lab-in-the-field study was conducted among German consumers (n = 281) and explores whether consumers' perceived environmental benefits of recyclable and compostable bio-based plastic packages match with how consumers dispose of these packages. The results show that consumers only perceive compostable bio-based packages to have more environmental benefits than fossil-based packages. However, consumers dispose of compostable bio-based packages in an incorrect manner (not in line with what is communicated on the packaging label) relatively often. Consumers with a stronger familiarity with bio-based products more often correctly dispose of compostable bio-based packages, but not recyclable bio-based packages, relative to fossil-based packages. Thus, although mainly compostable bio-based plastic packages have strong environmental appeal to consumers, paradoxically this does not translate in the proper disposal actions to fully capitalize on the environmental benefits that bio-based packages can actually deliver. Increasing consumers' bio-based product familiarity might be an avenue to increase the levels of sustainable disposal. Unlabelled Image • Compostable bio-based packages have the most environmental appeal for consumers. • Recyclable bio-based and fossil-based packages have similar correct disposal rates. • Lower correct disposal rates for compostable bio-based packages than fossil-based • Environmental appeal of packaging does not translate in more correct disposal. • Greater bio-based familiarity is positively related to adequate consumer disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]