Americans’s picky of meat alternatives is not as expected before-they just want their costs to be reduced. A new study shows that although most consumers choose beef when the price is equal, it is unexpected that when the price is significantly lower than the price of meat, they are willing to turn to plant -based choices.
The research was published in the “National Academy of Sciences” and investigated 2,100 US consumers to understand its hamburger preferences. When all the options are the same, about 75 % of the respondents chose beef burgers. However, when the price of plant alternatives is half the cost of beef, the number of people who choose without meat has doubled.
Steffen Jahn, an economist who led this research, explained: “Only a few people fundamentally oppose the meat alternative of eating plants.” These discoveries challenged the common industry assumptions about consumer preferences.
“We didn’t expect to find that Salad Sandamin Burger is the most popular meat alternative, and simulation burger is the last place. This is contradictory with the general assumption, that is, meat substitutes are only as close as possible to the original meat as much as the original meat. “Competitiveness” Jahn said.
This research has become particularly important because the United States maintains one of the highest meat consumption in the world in 2023, and Americans consume about 25 kg of beef in 2023.
Price sensitivity is different between different groups and groups. Men who do not have a college degree show the biggest change-when the price of plant alternatives is half of the meat, nearly 50 % of them will choose them instead of beef. The study also found that even consumers who have never tried meat substitutes before, if the price is appropriate, they will consider them.
At present, meat substitutes are usually about 20 % higher than beef in the US market. However, the study shows that it is not enough to promote the major changes of consumer behavior-the price needs to be greatly reduced to promote the transfer of diet habits.
“If restaurants and food manufacturers provide meat substitutes at lower meat prices, they can actually increase their sale of vegetarian or vegan alternatives. Our research shows that truly loyal imitation is not the goal here. Maybe maybe the goal. Perhaps the goal. It is because many people associate them with super -processing food and their reputation is not good. “Jahn pointed out.
Researchers suggest that restaurants and manufacturers provide various plant -based options, rather than focusing on alternatives similar to meat. Studies have found that when there are many plants -based choices, consumers who start to consider one type are more likely to consider other types of consumers.
These findings may have a significant impact on the environmental sustainability. Although there are few signs of decline in global meat consumption, research shows that making plants-based alternatives more affordable may be a key strategy for reducing meat consumption in wealthy countries-scientists believe that this is essential for sustainable resources.
If you find this work useful, consider supporting our work through one -time or monthly donations. Your contribution allows us to continue to bring you the accuracy that you can trust, and to be deeply scientific and medical news. Independent reports take time, energy and resources, and your support makes us likely to continue to explore stories important to you. Together, we can ensure that important discovery and development attracts them the most.
