Abstract:
With concerns for the environment, animal welfare, and personal health growing, meat substitutes have been gaining attention from both companies and academics. Due to this, it has become vital to expand the literature on meat substitutes, especially within consumer research. Various studies around meat substitutes have been conducted within European countries, leaving a gap in the literature for research within New Zealand (NZ). Moreover, many studies have explored a single dietary group, neglecting the diverse range of potential target markets for meat substitutes. In response to this gap, this qualitative study explored the attitudes, perceptions and expectations that three key dietary groups have towards meat substitutes. These dietary groups include: vegans, vegetarians and meat consumers. Six focus groups were conducted, two per dietary group, that were then transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The Food Choice Process model was utilised as the theoretical framework. Three key categories of themes emerged; motivators to adopting meat substitutes, facilitators of trialling meat substitutes, and tensions around meat substitutes. Findings suggest that the dietary groups hold similar opinions in some areas relating to meat substitutes, however they disagree in others. These discrepancies signal that there is a need to segment the market and approach each target market in tailored ways in order to increase trial and purchase intent.
