Plant-Based versus Animal-Based Proteins: Does It Have to Be Either/Or?

This paper investigated consumer preferences for hybrid blends consisting of 50% and 75% plant-based ingredients relative to burgers comprised of 100% beef or plant-based ingredients. Latent class models with four latent classes identified four consumer segments: "Meat Purist," "Meat-Forward Flexitarian," "Plant-Forward Flexitarian," and "Price Sensitive." 100% beef burgers were most preferred, while hybrid meat burgers, particularly 50% beef with 50% soy or pea blends, were preferred over the 100% plant-based burgers. The study findings provide insight into the potential of hybrid blends to bridge between 100% meat and plant-based options and provide information about promoting hybrid meat products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]