The role of macronutrient composition at the ingredient and meal level in determining the sustained acceptance of plant-based foods

Other investigators

To be announced.

Description

The importance of consuming a healthy and sustainable diet is widely recognised. One strategy is to encourage people to replace animal meat with a plant-based counterpart. In response, the food industry has innovated in this space, however, consumer demand for these plant-based products has declined, and the reason remains unclear. Separately, our recent research indicates that macronutrient composition influences food preference. Building on this insight, we will adapt our methods to explore whether consumers are rejecting plant-based products because they change the ratio of macronutrients in a meal. Ultimately, this project will deliver the evidence and methods needed to inform the reformulation of plant-based alternatives, thereby enabling the food industry to deliver products that consumers want to consume regularly. In future, we envision building on this proof-of-concept work with a study in which the macronutrient composition of a plant-based product is manipulated and consumer preference is monitored over time.

Project keywords

(1) Preference (2) Plant-based products (3) Macronutrient composition (4) Meals

Outputs

We have developed a successful academic-industry collaboration (including two in-person events and multiple online meetings). Through these meetings, we co-created a novel online tool to explore how individuals combine meal components and whether the blend of fat and carbohydrate influences meal preference. We plan to disseminate the results of this project where appropriate (academic conference - annual meeting of The British Feeding and Drinking Group) and submit findings for academic publication (Appetite). Lastly, as follow-up, we have co-developed and submitted an application for a second, more substantial Consumer Lab BIV project. We are continuing to meet regularly to discuss the results of our pilot studies and prepare the findings for dissemination. The impact of this work includes increased understanding of how consumers combine meal components when selecting a meal. It exposes potential opportunities to understand how plant-forward products or recipes might impact meal composition and subsequently preference.

Email contact

annika.flynn@bristol.ac.uk