The sustainable food sector risks miscommunicating the value of meat alternatives and alienating consumers unless it shifts its messaging from being preachy to inviting, new research from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory has warned.
The caution comes after the organisation published two studies that explored the actions that need to be taken by the food industry to position sustainable meat alternatives, including cultivated meat, for success.
The first study – ‘More than Meat: Unpacking Cultural Perceptions of Meat and Sustainable Alternatives in Europe’ – showed that consumers considered meat as far more than food. Instead, it represented tradition, identity and community.
It is based on semiotic analysis, anthropology and qualitative research spanning 17 European countries and it explored how to position sustainable meat alternatives within the wider cultural landscape.
Plant-based and cultivated meat were also still perceived as artificial and disconnected from ‘natural’ processes.
Brands could counter these perceptions through careful marketing that emphasised wholesomeness, healthiness and transparency and appealed to emotional resonance, the report recommended.
They were also advised against using an activist tone-of-voice, and encouraged to favour welcoming and inclusive, non-preachy language, as well as suggesting positioning meat alternatives as indulgent rather than a compromise.
Cultivated meat is not yet available on the market in Europe, but many brands are working towards launching such products in the next few years.
According to Klaus G Grunert, professor of marketing at Aarhus University and lead of the Consumer Observatory, understanding the role of culture in the perception of meat across Europe is not just insightful but “essential”.
“Dietary choices are deeply embedded in tradition, identity, and social norms, which vary widely between regions,” he said. “If we want sustainable meat alternatives to resonate with diverse European consumers, we must first grasp what meat means to them.
“Effective positioning and communication around alternatives requires more than environmental arguments. It must speak to values, habits, and emotions tied to food. By grounding innovation in a cultural context, we can support a shift that is not only sustainable but accepted and embraced by consumers across Europe.”
The second report, ’Reimagining Protein: Consumer Perceptions of Cultivated Meat’, identified a need to build consumer trust in the “safety, healthiness and environmental benefits” around this product.
Many consumers, it suggested, were not yet aware of the health and environmental impacts associated with conventional meat, making cultivated meat seem unnecessary or even “too artificial”.
Brands were advised to steer clear of focusing solely on technology and to use storytelling that blends transparency, trust and human warmth.
“To successfully introduce cultivated meat into European markets, manufacturers must first understand how consumers perceive it – what excites them, what concerns them, and what values guide their food choices,” said Sofia Kuhn, director of public insights and engagement at EIT Food. “Cultivated meat challenges traditional ideas of food and nature, and reactions can vary widely across cultures and demographics.
“Without this insight, even the most sustainable or innovative products risk rejection.”
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