A new paper titled “Characteristics of built food environments associated with alternative protein food choices: a systematic review” was recently published, based on research from Work Package 1 (WP1) of the LIKE-A-PRO project. The paper explores the factors within built food environments that influence consumers’ choices of alternative protein foods (APF).
WP1 generally focuses on understanding the determinants used by consumers for their choices of alternative proteins. The WP1 team, comprising partners from SWPS (Poland), ACG-RC (Greece), CSCP (Germany), MOREFORSKING (Norway), and UNIBO (Italy), is responsible for tasks such as mapping entry points and barriers in the built environment that affect APF choices. The resulting systematic review is an extension of this task, and it examined various environmental structures, such as supermarkets, farmers’ markets, and restaurants, identifying facilitators and barriers to APF consumer choices. Key findings underscore the significance of perceived and actual availability of APFs in facilitating consumer choices. Several barriers and facilitators were linked to specific types of built food environments, whereas their effect may be dependent on the type of APF.
In more detail, availability is a core facilitator of APF choices, as limited availability is a common barrier across supermarkets, grocery stores, restaurants, and schools. There is also a notable mismatch between the supply of APFs and consumer demand, which likely negatively affects sales and consumption. Retailers’ preference of e-commerce over physical stores contributes to this issue, creating a vicious cycle due to consumers’ distrust towards products available only online. Moreover, different built environments present unique barriers and facilitators for AFP adoption. Restaurants are favored by consumers when it comes to their first gustatory experiences with novel foods. This is due to the perceived expertise in food preparation and the positive narrative around sustainable dining. On the other hand, social norms, especially among young men that consumer meat, can act as barriers. Food festivals or gastronomic events are characterized by their adventurous and novelty-seeking nature, leading to higher consumer intentions and willingness to try and greater attractiveness of APF. Facilitators and barriers that apply to restaurants and food festivals/gastronomic events, which are connected to first-try food experiences, do not seem to apply to supermarkets and grocery stores, which are essential for regular APF consumption, leading to decreased preference for retail-sold APF like insect-based food products. In addition, social norms, especially around masculinity, affect the acceptance of plant-based APF in certain social settings. In contrast, these norms might facilitate consumption of insect-based APF among sensation-seeking young men.
This publication is the second output of WP1 out of a series of literature reviews on alternative proteins. The first review appears in the journal Food Quality and Preference (FQP) and combines empirical data on how geographical factors influence choices of APFs. Both outputs are part of the LIKE-A-PRO project, an EU-funded initiative that seeks to transform Europe’s food systems through the promotion of sustainable alternative protein sources and understanding consumer behavior. The project’s goal involves the development of new products and governance and market mechanisms that support the shift from animal-based proteins to sustainable alternatives.
The Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism & Leisure (CoEFTL) is one of the partners involved in WP1 via the American College of Greece Research Center (ACG-RC). CoEFTL’s participation in the LIKE-A-PRO project aligns with our goal to advance research and innovation, engaging various stakeholders to promote sustainable practices in the food sector.
Researchers, industry professionals, policymakers, as well as consumers are welcome to engage with this study, which offers novel insights into making alternative proteins a mainstream choice for consumers.
The full study is available online in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity and on .
For more information about CoEFTL’s involvement in the LIKE-A-PRO project and its ongoing initiatives, please browse our Funded Research section.
For more information about the LIKE-A-PRO project, please visit the .
