Meat, plant-based or in-vitro salami: Explaining food product choice of Generation Y and Z in Germany through carnism and the core dimensions of the food-related lifestyle scale

Abstract

The food industry contributes to negative consequences for the environment through animal husbandry. To provide more transparency to consumers, husbandry labels were introduced. In addition, many vegetarian/vegan meat alternatives are available on the market to reduce meat consumption. A new type of meat substitute is in vitro-meat, which is grown in the laboratory using stem cells. There is a gap in knowledge regarding social attitudes that influence customers to eat meat or meat substitutes. Carnism and the core dimensions of the food-related lifestyle scale were used to explain the perception of meat, plant-based meat, and in-vitro meat. The research gap was explored using a survey on salami. The results can be used in marketing and to understand the factors that contribute to Generation Y and Z ´ s choice to eat meat. Attendants could choose between products with different attributes, such as salami type, environment label, animal welfare label, origin label, and price. The survey shows that type of salami is the most important characteristic for consumer´s choice immediately before animal welfare label. Three segments were formed through latent class analysis that differed in their attitudes and the importance of attributes for their choices. The majority of Generation Y and Z in Germany prefer vegan meat over real meat, and in-vitro meat is more popular than beef or pork meat, although this is still unknown and not yet on the German market. Carnism and core dimensions of food-related lifestyle scale partly explain choice behavior, and are also guiding people choosing in-vitro meat.