{"title":"Meat-ing expectations? The influence of plate materials on consumer perceptions of novel mycoprotein","authors":"Shanice Wei En Lim, Peter Kay Chai Tay","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2024.105169","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Alternative proteins have gained significant interest as useful adjuncts to facilitate the dietary transition towards more sustainable diets. However, negative consumer perceptions of these products hinder their widespread acceptance and adoption. With emerging research uncovering the role of multisensory factors in consumer perceptions and preferences, manipulating the materials of plates used to serve alternative proteins may help to address these concerns. This within-subject study investigated the influence of a natural material (banana leaf) and a synthetic material (stainless steel) on consumers’ perceptions and preference for mycoprotein. Specifically, perceived product naturalness, healthfulness and tastiness were assessed. Results demonstrated a significant favourable influence of a natural material on consumer perceptions of mycoprotein, compared to a synthetic material (all <em>p</em>s < 0.05). However, differences in preferences were not observed (<em>p</em> =.292). This suggests that other multisensory factors (e.g., product taste and mouthfeel) may play a more important role in consumer preferences for such products. Additionally, having a baseline preference for mycoprotein appeared to moderate the differences in ratings for perceived naturalness of mycoprotein (<em>p</em> <.001). Overall, these findings highlight the role of plate materials in consumer perceptions of mycoprotein and offer valuable insights to potentially develop more effective messaging strategies for these products.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329324000715/pdfft?md5=ea659da9e241720742632485a57ad284&pid=1-s2.0-S0950329324000715-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Food Quality and Preference","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329324000715","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Alternative proteins have gained significant interest as useful adjuncts to facilitate the dietary transition towards more sustainable diets. However, negative consumer perceptions of these products hinder their widespread acceptance and adoption. With emerging research uncovering the role of multisensory factors in consumer perceptions and preferences, manipulating the materials of plates used to serve alternative proteins may help to address these concerns. This within-subject study investigated the influence of a natural material (banana leaf) and a synthetic material (stainless steel) on consumers’ perceptions and preference for mycoprotein. Specifically, perceived product naturalness, healthfulness and tastiness were assessed. Results demonstrated a significant favourable influence of a natural material on consumer perceptions of mycoprotein, compared to a synthetic material (all ps < 0.05). However, differences in preferences were not observed (p =.292). This suggests that other multisensory factors (e.g., product taste and mouthfeel) may play a more important role in consumer preferences for such products. Additionally, having a baseline preference for mycoprotein appeared to moderate the differences in ratings for perceived naturalness of mycoprotein (p <.001). Overall, these findings highlight the role of plate materials in consumer perceptions of mycoprotein and offer valuable insights to potentially develop more effective messaging strategies for these products.
期刊介绍:
Food Quality and Preference is a journal devoted to sensory, consumer and behavioural research in food and non-food products. It publishes original research, critical reviews, and short communications in sensory and consumer science, and sensometrics. In addition, the journal publishes special invited issues on important timely topics and from relevant conferences. These are aimed at bridging the gap between research and application, bringing together authors and readers in consumer and market research, sensory science, sensometrics and sensory evaluation, nutrition and food choice, as well as food research, product development and sensory quality assurance. Submissions to Food Quality and Preference are limited to papers that include some form of human measurement; papers that are limited to physical/chemical measures or the routine application of sensory, consumer or econometric analysis will not be considered unless they specifically make a novel scientific contribution in line with the journal''s coverage as outlined below.