A Critical Appraisal of the Evidence Supporting Consumer Motivations for Alternative Proteins
1
Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC), Singapore Institute for Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 117599, Singapore
2
Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117593, Singapore
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Foods 2021, 10(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010024
Received: 27 November 2020
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Revised: 17 December 2020
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Accepted: 18 December 2020
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Published: 23 December 2020
(This article belongs to the Section Sensory and Consumer Sciences)
Alternative proteins are receiving increased global attention. This burgeoning interest in plants (especially plant-based meat alternatives), insects, algae, and cultured meat has been attributed to their reported health benefits, lower environmental impact and improved animal welfare compared to conventional animal-based meat. Food producers and the media are promoting acceptance of these products, claiming superior nutritional, environmental and ethical credentials and a desirable novel sensory experience. However, the evidence supporting these claims remains unclear. In this review, we summarise the main evidence underlying the nutritional, sensorial, economical, ethical, and environmental reasons reported for the rise in consumer demand for alternative proteins. We found many of these reasons to lack a strong evidence base. For instance, evidence is emerging for the nutritional benefits of plant-based meat alternatives, but present claims are largely based on established evidence for plant-based diets. Significant research gaps remain, especially longitudinal evidence on the sustained effects of replacing conventional animal-based proteins with alternative sources. For many alternative proteins, challenges exist in achieving desirable sensory properties akin to animal-based meat to promote their acceptance by consumers. Overall, fundamental shifts in the food system are required to create a culture in which healthful and sustainable food choices are the norm.
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Keywords:
meat; plant-based meat; consumer behaviour; health; sensory; sustainable; animal welfare; food choice; acceptance
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
MDPI and ACS Style
Tso, R.; Lim, A.J.; Forde, C.G. A Critical Appraisal of the Evidence Supporting Consumer Motivations for Alternative Proteins. Foods 2021, 10, 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010024
AMA Style
Tso R, Lim AJ, Forde CG. A Critical Appraisal of the Evidence Supporting Consumer Motivations for Alternative Proteins. Foods. 2021; 10(1):24. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010024
Chicago/Turabian StyleTso, Rachel, Amanda J. Lim, and Ciarán G. Forde. 2021. "A Critical Appraisal of the Evidence Supporting Consumer Motivations for Alternative Proteins" Foods 10, no. 1: 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010024
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