General Article Appearance matters more than taste for meat substitutes

Topic Selected: Dietary Choices
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If it’s true that you eat with your eyes, then meat substitutes may be in for a rough time, according to a new study. Researchers in the Netherlands found that the appearance of meat substitutes in a meal may have more of an effect on consumer acceptance than flavour and texture.

Researchers set out to investigate the role of meal context on the acceptance of meat substitutes. They focused on Quorn pieces and mince (mycoprotein and egg white), tofu strips (soy bean curd and olive oil), Tivall stir fry pieces (soy, egg and pea proteins, vegetable oil), Goodbite chicken style (soy, egg and wheat proteins), and Vivera vega stir fry pieces (soy protein and olive oil).

A total of 93 participants were recruited in the Wageningen area of the Netherlands. Vegetarians and people with allergies to any of the replacements were excluded, while participants had varying levels of meat consumption. In general, the use of meat substitutes amongst this group was low.

On ten days within a two- wee...

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