The eyes eat first: Improving consumer acceptance of plant-based meat alternatives by adjusting front-of-pack labeling

Abstract

The substitution of meat products with plant-based meat (PBM) alternatives is seen to foster sustainable consumption. It can play an important role in helping reach greenhouse gas emission targets. While consumers generally perceive PBM alternatives as more environmentally friendly and healthier than meat, they often find them less hedonically appealing and too expensive, which hinders their widespread adoption. One effective strategy to encourage consumers toward more sustainable choices is the use of front-of-pack information, such as claims and labels. This study identifies the most effective labeling strategy to increase consumers' preference for PBM burger patties through a three-fold research approach, namely, a supermarket audit in the UK, a best-worst scaling study (i.e., Maximum Difference Scaling), and a discrete choice experiment (i.e., choice-based conjoint analysis). In the UK market, front-of-pack labels and claims presented on PBM products can be categorized into those primarily related to nutrition, ecological welfare, and taste. These categories correspond to three distinct consumer segments extracted from a best-worst scaling study. A subsequent discrete choice experiment, which compared labeled PBM patties vis-à-vis meat patties, revealed that a third-party accredited taste label has the potential to gain the highest market share and willingness-to-pay among all types of labels/claims. Our findings underscore the importance of adopting an appropriate labeling strategy to foster sustainable food consumption.