Seed Grantee - Megan Arden

Unveiling the Palate: How Flavour Messaging Influences the Perception of Cultivated Meat in Australia

By Megan Arden

Australia, known for its quality and excellence in meat production, plays a vital role in the international meat market, and it is on the brink of transforming its protein production landscape with the rise of cell-cultivated meat (CCM). In 2022 alone, Australia exported a staggering 1.45 million tonnes of red meat to over 57 countries (Australian Red Meat Export Statistics - DAFF, 2022), showcasing its pivotal role in the industry. Now, amidst the growing concerns for animal welfare and environmental impact, CCM emerges as a sustainable alternative for conscious consumers to reduce their meat consumption. 

Our study, the first of its kind in Australia, sets out to unravel the complex interplay of consumer perception surrounding CCM, particularly examining how the communication of short-term flavour benefits influences acceptance. In a world where global meat consumption is soaring, and environmental pressures from traditional agriculture are escalating, CCM offers a potential solution. By cultivating animal stem cells in a controlled environment, CCM addresses the demand for meat without the ethical and environmental drawbacks associated with conventional methods.

As a nascent technology, CCM faces challenges, including consumer perception shaped by factors such as sustainability, flavour, animal welfare, and price. Additionally, the way these benefits are communicated to consumers, whether emphasising immediate or long-term advantages, plays a crucial role in shaping acceptance. This study sheds light on this complex interplay within the unique context of Australia.

Unlike traditional meat, CCM is not yet available for sale in Australia. For our study, we utilised commonly available chicken mince. A total of 110 Australian adults, recruited through social media and sensory databases, participated in three tasting sessions held at the CASS Lab within Deakin University’s Burwood campus. Participants, aged 18 and above, were regular meat consumers, forming a diverse group for our investigation.

The study comprised two key parts: Part One focused on taste perception, while Part Two delved into the communication of short-term flavour benefits.

Taste Perception - Unravelling the Salted Story

Participants engaged in an online validated questionnaire covering demographics, consumption patterns, and perceptions before undertaking sensory tests. In the first test, participants sampled both high and low salt concentrations, rating them using a visual analogue scale (VAS) for liking, desire, prospective consumption, and willingness to pay. Varied salt concentrations were employed to gauge flavour preferences.

Communicating Benefits - Shaping Perception with Messaging

In the second sensory test, participants were introduced to the definition of CCM before sampling high and low salt concentrations. The third test involved presenting a low-salt sample along with either a short-term personal benefit message or a long-term societal benefit message. This aimed to explore the impact of benefit communication.

Australian Context: Navigating Consumer Perceptions & Unmasking Perceptions through Data

Our findings from Part One confirmed the hypothesis that a higher salt concentration led to greater desirability, particularly for liking and willingness to pay. Intriguingly, over half of the consumers (54.6%) believed the high salt sample to be CCM.

In Part Two, our investigation into messaging revealed a significant positive effect on desire and willingness to pay for the sample with a lower salt profile when CCM was defined. However, framing messages in terms of short-term (e.g., flavour) or long-term (e.g., environmental impacts) benefits did not yield significant results.

Upon analysing our results and factoring in initial perceptions through factor analysis, two distinct factors emerged: Factor 1 highlighted the positive attributes of CCM, while Factor 2 encompassed moral and ethical concerns. Factor 1 questions correlated with participants liking the sample, but only when they were presented with the short-term message, rather than messaging about the long-term benefits, such as better environmental impacts.

Crafting the Narrative for CCM Acceptance

In summary, our research underscores that effective communication positively influences consumer acceptance, particularly regarding desire and willingness to pay, even in the presence of a less-favourable flavour profile. Furthermore, a high pre-sensory testing acceptance proves to be a reliable indicator of future acceptance. As Australia continues to navigate the evolving landscape of meat production, understanding these nuances becomes paramount for shaping the trajectory of CCM in the market.

‍

References:

Australian red meat export statistics - DAFF. (2022). Agriculture.gov.au. https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/export/controlled-goods/meat/statistics‌