by Berner Fachhochschule
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by Berner Fachhochschule
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Current farming and food production systems cause significant environmental damage. It has been reported that the animal-based food industry is responsible for the majority of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted during food production. Compared to traditional animal-based foods, plant-based foods significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as land and water usage.
In the Sustain-a-bite project, the team from the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) is committed together with partners from the University of Vaasa (UVA), the National Institute of Research and Development for Food Bioresources (IBA) and the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (UPORTO), to exploring consumers’ perceptions, attitudes, expectations and acceptance of plant-based ingredients, minimal processing technologies and innovative minimally processed plant-based foods. The goal is to support food system actors in targeting consumers with more sustainable, minimally processed plant-based foods.
Worldwide, a growing number of consumers intend to reduce their consumption of animal-based foods and eat more plant-based foods. However, some segments still face barriers and conflicts hindering their consumption. Some consumers are reluctant to adopt processed plant-based foods due to a number of factors, including their classification as highly processed foods and the complexity of their ingredient lists. Many consumers view them as unhealthy and therefore avoid them. On the contrary, minimally processed foods are not as processed as highly processed foods and are not expected to be very different from unprocessed foods. Therefore, we expect consumers to be more open to these products.
How consumers perceive minimally processed plant-based foods – a large-scale survey conducted in eight countries
A cross-cultural quantitative study led by BFH was conducted in Europe (Switzerland, Finland, Portugal, Romania, France, Spain, Germany and Turkey) to reveal consumers’ attitudes towards, and perceptions of, minimally processed plant-based food products. The results are based on responses from 7,767 consumers. Initial findings are being widely communicated and disseminated to the food system actors
Most consumers in all countries except Turkey said that they rarely (three times per month or less) or never eat plant-based foods such as meat and dairy alternatives (e.g. milk, yoghurt and cheese). The most common reasons for this were:
High prices,
Not knowing about the products,
Preferring animal-based products,
Poor sensory qualities and
Thinking that it was too processed.
The consumers who consume processed PBF’s more often mentioned the main reasons:
Health and environmental benefits,
The pleasant taste,
Nutritional content and
Naturalness of the product.
On average, in all countries, participants had a positive attitude towards processed plant-based foods currently available. However, the results were more positive when it comes to the attitudes towards minimally processed plant-based products, probably due to these products being perceived as less processed and more natural. We also observed:
The participants had, in general, high scepticism and negative attitudes towards highly processed foods;
A more positive attitude towards natural bioprocessing technologies compared to non-thermal technologies (high-pressure processing, pulsed electric field and ultrasound).
The positive attitude toward minimal processing technologies acted as a driver for the positive attitude towards minimally processed plant-based foods. Thus, promoting a positive consumer attitude toward such technologies should foster greater acceptance of minimally processed plant-based foods.
The results from the survey also revealed the types of minimally processed plant-based foods consumers would be more prone to consume. These findings were used to guide novel foods development within Sustain-a-Bite that meets consumer needs. In general:
Prototypes may need to be adapted to meet the expectations and culture of the country.
Sociodemographic differences were observed when it comes to the choice of prototypes. Females and younger respondents tend to be more open to choosing the greatest range of minimally processed PBF prototypes presented.
Home and Lab-based intervention study: the role of BFH
BFH also participates actively by conducting a laboratory and home-based intervention study with 41 Swiss couples, as part of the task ‘Determinants of a Successful Market Launch’, led by UPorto. The study involves a home-based intervention as well as sensory analysis in the laboratory, in which Swiss consumers are repeatedly exposed to familiar and unfamiliar plant-based foods. BFH researchers explore how Swiss consumers adopt new plant-based foods and drinks, similar to the food models to be developed in the Sustain-a-bite project. This will allow us to investigate the drivers of success of such food products.
