Consumer responses to protein alternatives: the impact of information sharing and sensory experience on liking, emotion and choice
Publication Date
July 30, 2026
Creator
Yuchen Zhang
Sensory Science Centre, Division of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
Abstract
Shifting to more sustainable protein sources is widely regarded as a key strategy to improve the environmental sustainability of current food systems. However, this transition depends on consumer acceptance, which is shaped by consumer expectations, information cues, and consumer experiences. Given the complexity of food choice behaviour, a more integrated understanding of how consumers respond to protein alternatives across different decision-making contexts is needed.
This thesis investigates UK consumers’ responses to a range of protein alternatives, including plant-based, hybrid, edible insect, and lab-grown products. It examines how different types of protein alternatives, sharing information, and tasting exposure influence consumer liking, emotional response, and consumer choices. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining online surveys to study consumer responses to protein alternatives using a written supermarket shopping scenario (Chapter 2), trade-offs between different information using conjoint analysis with a written restaurant scenario (Chapter 3), and a real-world choice experiment in a university cafeteria (Chapter 4).
Across studies, conventional beef consistently elicited the highest expected liking and positive emotions, suggesting that beef functions as a strong hedonic and emotional association in consumers’ minds. This highlights a fundamental challenge for meat reduction strategies. Among protein alternatives, hybrid and plant-based products were generally liked more than edible insects and lab-grown beef. Liking for plant-based burgers remained relatively stable at neutral levels with emotional responses mainly associated with neutral and bored in Chapters 2 and 3, but more negative emotions in Chapter 4. Hybrid burgers showed high expected liking and ordering intention, with emotional responses more strongly associated with positive emotions in Chapters 3 and 4. Lab-grown beef evoked mixed emotional responses, indicating a cognitive conflict where benefits are recognised but emotions remain uncertain. The edible insect reminder evoked negative emotions, indicating strong consumer rejection driven by a disgust barrier.
Across information conditions, sensory information emerged as the most influential factor in shaping consumer responses, followed by environmental and nutritional information. This suggests that expectations of taste and eating experience play a central role in the acceptance of protein alternatives. In the real-world food-choice study, sensory experience combined with environmental information significantly impacts plant-based and hybrid burger choices, as well as liking and emotional responses. Therefore, it suggests that consumer choices are dynamic and can extend beyond initial sensory expectations, highlighting the importance of positive repeated sensory experiences in shaping food choices over time.
Overall, this research demonstrates that consumer acceptance of protein alternatives is driven not only by environmental or nutritional information, but more strongly by sensory expectations and emotional responses. The findings suggest that information-based intervention alone is insufficient to overcome the strong emotional attachment to conventional meat. Instead, strategies to support protein transition should prioritise developing products that meet or exceed consumers’ sensory expectations, alongside repeated positive consumption experiences to build familiarity and a positive emotional attachment over time. Collectively, these findings highlight the importance of integrating sensory optimisation and targeted information strategies to facilitate meaningful and sustained shifts towards more protein alternative consumptions.
Item Type
ethesis
Thesis Type
PhD
Supervisors
Sensory Science Centre, Division of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
Thibodeau, Margaret
Sensory Science Centre, Division of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
Sensory Science Centre, Division of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
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