Track I: Consumer & Market Insights

• Boosting Consumers to Choose More Plant-Based Proteins: Learnings from a Multi-Component Regional Pilot Program  - Dr. Muriel Verain, Wageningen University & Research

The municipality of Altena has become the first Dutch town to launch a pilot program aiming to increase the consumption of plant-based proteins among residents. The pilot included multiple real-life interventions to cover different locations in the food environment: supermarkets, schools, restaurants and private homes. In this presentation, learnings on how to effectively change behavior to foster the protein transition will be discussed.

• Consumers’ Perceptions and Behaviours in Relation to Plant-Based Meat - Prof. Liesbeth Zandstra, Unilever Foods Innovation Centre Wageningen & Wageningen University and Research

Despite a rapid market growth in plant-based meat alternatives, most consumers still prefer animal meat and acceptance of alternative proteins is low. Alternative healthy and sustainable proteins such as soy, pea, seaweed, etc., can serve well to substitute meat in traditional everyday meat-based diets. However, alternative proteins will only become part of consumer’s habitual everyday diet when they are of high sensory quality, provide a superior satisfying product experience and are emotionally rewarding and liked over time. This presentation will focus on the direct interaction between the consumer and plant-based meat products along the holistic product experience with a specific focus on taste perception, food preference and key determinants that influence choice behaviour of plant-based meat.