Meat substitute products: Flexitarians do not feel addressed by advertising
More and more people are reducing meat consumption in favor of plant-based alternatives. However, current marketing does not sufficiently reach the large target group of flexitarians. Around 75 million people in Europe are vegetarian or vegan, and the trend is rising. Far greater is the number of flexitarians, i.e. those people who are increasingly concerned about the sustainability of their food consumption and would like to limit their meat consumption. However, finding the right information, including how to avoid nutritional deficiencies, is a challenge for many consumers looking to partially or fully replace animal-derived products. The EIT food communication project "The V-Place" for the acceptance and dissemination of plant-based food products, coordinated by the Research Center for Bioeconomy at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, deals with the question of how these information gaps can best be closed.
The demand for vegan and vegetarian food, including alternatives to meat, milk or eggs, has increased significantly in Europe in recent years: the market for these 'plant-based foods' is booming and there is no end in sight to this growth trend.
"Here, 'plant-based' means all products that are of purely plant origin but are similar in texture, taste or appearance to animal foods such as meat, milk, eggs or other products and are intended to replace them," explains Dr. Beate Gebhardt from the Department of Agricultural Markets at the University of Hohenheim, head of the qualitative sub-study.
This includes milk alternatives such as oat drinks and other plant-based drinks or meat alternatives such as soy strips and burger patties. “However, unprocessed or only slightly processed foods such as bananas, apples or vegetables are not included. Unfortunately, a clear distinction is often not made here," emphasizes Dr. Gebhardt.
Consumers, on the other hand, understand 'plant-based' to include stand-alone plant-based foods, as well as fruit and vegetables. “Plant-based” often bypasses the term “vegan”, which consumers often associate negatively with. The consumer researcher also emphasizes that it is very important to differentiate between plant-based nutrition and plant-based foods: "Because the motives for choosing one or the other can be very different."
Different understanding in the individual EU countries
“There are also different starting points. In most of the EU countries examined – Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain and Poland – there are no official definitions of vegan-vegetarian foods,” summarizes Dr. Gebhardt summarizes the results of a survey of around 70 people - consumers and experts from industry, science and research.
This qualitative survey forms the first part of a two-stage consumer study: In the project "The V-Place", an international consortium of industry and research institutions is dealing, among other things, with the attitudes and information needs of consumers in six European countries regarding plant-based foods.
"The different requirements in the individual countries lead to a mixture of terms and a different understanding," continues Dr. Gebhardt with a view to the interviews. "In Germany, for example, flexitarians who have largely restricted their meat consumption tend to describe themselves as 'vegetarians', while in Italy they mostly classify themselves as 'omnivores', i.e. omnivores."
"Even within a country there are differences," says Dr. Gebhardt. “In Germany, for example, flexitarians are often defined as 'people who actively reduce their meat consumption' or 'rarely eat meat', but sometimes also as 'part-time vegetarians'. These different definitions can then also lead to very different figures: Depending on the definition, market research institute and research method, the proportion of flexitarians in Germany is between 9 and 55 percent.”
Flexitarians are difficult to pin down as a target group and often do not feel addressed
Likewise, the motives for this poorly defined group vary significantly as to why someone chooses this type of diet. The same applies to the decision on the type and amount of consumption of animal or plant-based products. dr Gebhardt explains this using the example of health: “Those who do without animal foods or reduce them often want to be less harmful to their health. This motive cannot simply be reversed: no health benefits are therefore expected from the more frequent consumption of plant-based substitutes. This is especially true for vegans or vegetarians, but less so for flexitarians," says Dr. Gebhardt.
The flexitarians are a highly interesting target group for plant-based foods because they are expected to have high growth potential. However, according to the findings from the expert interviews, they have been addressed too little or not adequately in terms of communication. One reason may be that this group is particularly elusive and communication has so far been geared primarily towards vegetarians and vegans.
In order to be able to describe them in a more differentiated way, the subsequent quantitative survey by “The V-Place” will take a closer look at the flexitarians in the six European countries.
Various reasons for deciding for or against plant-based foods
But what are the reasons for consumers to decide for or against plant-based foods? "General health, animal and environmental or climate protection are important in all countries considered, but not the only motives for consuming plant-based foods," summarizes Dr. Gebhardt together.
Other motives also play a role, such as food intolerance or the desire for weight loss, slower aging or a better complexion. "The desire for 'well-being', i.e. for individual well-being, is also interesting," says Dr. Gebhardt. "People are increasingly trying to maintain a sustainable lifestyle, follow recommendations from friends, influencers and brand messages or simply want to try new things in nutrition - maybe also to be able to have a say in the vegan diet trend."
An unappealing taste, a lack of goods on offer or too little variety of products and a price that is too expensive are often cited as reasons for not buying plant-based foods. Sometimes there is also a lack of knowledge as to how certain, sometimes very special products should be prepared.
The concern that plant-based foods are too processed and have too many additives is striking. Especially in the case of meat alternatives that try to imitate the original, experts from the companies surveyed confirm this as justified. Misleading or unbelievable communication is also cited as a barrier - according to the result of the previous consumer survey.
Future of plant-based foods: More, better, more diverse and consumer-oriented
In the meantime, plant-based foods can be found in all countries, especially in supermarkets and discounters, sometimes also in organic supermarkets or in specialized online trade. Dairy and meat products, both animal and plant-based, form the largest market segments.
Experts describe the range of plant-based milk alternatives in all countries as particularly diverse. Milk drinks are usually offered in several, sometimes many varieties. Soy and oat milk are mentioned particularly frequently. Above all, there is a lack of cheese alternatives that are tasty and have the desired variety, from feta to fondue cheese, which are offered in the familiar supermarket.
The variety of plant-based meat alternatives, on the other hand, is classified by experts as medium to low. The range of products is particularly characterized by burger patties, sliced meat and sausages. However, there is a lack of greater variety overall, including sausages, fresh "meat", ham or country-specific recipes for alternative products. Fish and egg alternatives are also missed.
In all countries, consumers want more culinary variety and greater availability of plant-based foods. The experts surveyed also expect many improvements and changes for the future. In addition to a stronger focus on organic and regional products, this also includes a strong improvement in sensory and taste quality as well as a greater variety - both of ingredients and finished products. In addition to more imitations, more independent new plant-based foods are also to come onto the market, with much greater consideration being given to sustainability and health aspects.
Plant-based foods in Europe need targeted communication
Overall, the results of the qualitative survey illustrate a high and diverse need for basic and practical information about plant-based foods. “We need more; more credible and 'correct' - in the sense of target group-specific - information from the right places," said Dr. Gebhardt found out.
Consumers are increasingly questioning the health benefits of plant-based foods and there is a debate as to whether and to what extent a vegan diet is health-promoting or harmful. In addition to scientifically based information, there is also a demand for information about the sensory properties of the products, preparation and availability, and environmental aspects.
This is where 'The V-Place' comes in: "We want to bring this type of nutrition closer to the population in Europe - with solid information that is understandable for everyone," explains the head of the project, Klaus Hadwiger from the Research Center for Bioeconomy of the University of Hohenheim. “There are still many misunderstandings about plant-based nutrition. We want to change that.”
The survey showed that government or scientific institutions are considered credible sources of information. Only vegan or vegetarian organizations are suitable broadcasters for an objective presentation to a limited extent. And consumers want information to be picked up where they are already: on the internet, in social media, in apps or at the point of sale, i.e. in the local supermarket or discounter they are familiar with.
