Understanding Adolescent Acceptance of Meat Substitute Products: A Sensory Evaluation Study Accounting for Food Aversion and Neophobia

Adolescents are currently experiencing the greatest growth in flexitarianism, which refers to reducing the consumption of animal products for animal ethics, environmental protection, or health reasons. This group represents a critical target audience for manufacturers of alternative, substitute, and hybrid meat products. However, it remains unclear how to describe these products in sensory terms, the role of product-specific basic ingredients, and the properties required for them to be accepted by the target group. Additionally, it is unknown to what extent food aversions and neophobia of this group influence the acceptance of meat alternatives.
To address these gaps, a large-scale study was conducted with 250 adolescents to investigate whether they could distinguish between chicken nuggets and substitute products based on sensory characteristics. The study employed a CATA analysis and a Napping procedure to evaluate how the participants described and evaluated the products. The participants were also categorized into five groups based on their food aversions.
The results indicated that adolescents found the substitute products to be inferior in taste and texture compared to chicken nuggets, although they did not detect significant differences in appearance. Surprisingly, the study found that food aversions did not significantly influence the participants' ratings or descriptions of the products.
Overall, this study highlights the discerning palates of adolescents and their ability to distinguish between chicken nuggets and alternative products based on sensory characteristics. Moreover, the results suggest that food aversions do not play a significant role in how adolescents evaluate and describe meat alternatives. These findings have important implications for the food industry, as they emphasize the need for alternative products to meet the sensory expectations of young consumers.