Drivers and Barriers for Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives Adoption: Insights from Diverse Consumer Clusters
The transition to plant-based diets is advocated as a consumption measure to mitigate the environmental impacts of animal-based food production. Understanding the drivers and barriers to consumption can guide the formulation of tailored strategies for advancing plant-based alternatives in markets. T...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Foods |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/7/1162 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850184617626173440 |
|---|---|
| author | Marloes D. Schimmel Jonas Yde Junge Niki Alexi Glenn Birksø Hjorth Andersen Marianne Hammershøj Mette Hadberg Løbner Ulla Kidmose |
| author_facet | Marloes D. Schimmel Jonas Yde Junge Niki Alexi Glenn Birksø Hjorth Andersen Marianne Hammershøj Mette Hadberg Løbner Ulla Kidmose |
| author_sort | Marloes D. Schimmel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The transition to plant-based diets is advocated as a consumption measure to mitigate the environmental impacts of animal-based food production. Understanding the drivers and barriers to consumption can guide the formulation of tailored strategies for advancing plant-based alternatives in markets. This study investigated the principal drivers and barriers influencing the adoption of plant-based cheese alternatives among Danish consumers (<i>n</i> = 550) through an online survey. Participants were clustered based on the sensory (flavor and texture) cues using Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering, resulting in four consumer groups: (C1) consumers who prefer plant-based cheese alternatives to closely mimic both the flavor and texture of dairy cheese (<i>n</i> = 172); (C2) Consumers who prefer dairy-like flavor but are open to plant-based textures (<i>n</i> = 141); (C3) Consumers who prefer dairy-like texture but are open to novel flavor (<i>n</i> = 146); and (C4) Consumers who seek variety and novelty in both flavor and texture (<i>n</i> = 91). The results showed that consumer preferences for flavor and texture cues are important factors in shaping their motivations and barriers toward plant-based cheese. Specifically, product availability emerged as a significant barrier for those preferring dairy-like alternatives, while sensory perception and convenience were less influential for consumers who favor novelty. Notably, the consumer clusters did not show significant statistical differences in dietary pattern types, such as omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians, or vegans. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing effective strategies to promote plant-based cheese alternatives and cater to varying consumer needs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f6d10c8f0a6d494bbf30a3e23e2e2021 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-f6d10c8f0a6d494bbf30a3e23e2e20212025-08-20T02:17:00ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-03-01147116210.3390/foods14071162Drivers and Barriers for Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives Adoption: Insights from Diverse Consumer ClustersMarloes D. Schimmel0Jonas Yde Junge1Niki Alexi2Glenn Birksø Hjorth Andersen3Marianne Hammershøj4Mette Hadberg Løbner5Ulla Kidmose6Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus N, DenmarkDepartment of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus N, DenmarkDepartment of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus N, DenmarkDepartment of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus N, DenmarkDepartment of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus N, DenmarkDepartment of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus N, DenmarkDepartment of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus N, DenmarkThe transition to plant-based diets is advocated as a consumption measure to mitigate the environmental impacts of animal-based food production. Understanding the drivers and barriers to consumption can guide the formulation of tailored strategies for advancing plant-based alternatives in markets. This study investigated the principal drivers and barriers influencing the adoption of plant-based cheese alternatives among Danish consumers (<i>n</i> = 550) through an online survey. Participants were clustered based on the sensory (flavor and texture) cues using Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering, resulting in four consumer groups: (C1) consumers who prefer plant-based cheese alternatives to closely mimic both the flavor and texture of dairy cheese (<i>n</i> = 172); (C2) Consumers who prefer dairy-like flavor but are open to plant-based textures (<i>n</i> = 141); (C3) Consumers who prefer dairy-like texture but are open to novel flavor (<i>n</i> = 146); and (C4) Consumers who seek variety and novelty in both flavor and texture (<i>n</i> = 91). The results showed that consumer preferences for flavor and texture cues are important factors in shaping their motivations and barriers toward plant-based cheese. Specifically, product availability emerged as a significant barrier for those preferring dairy-like alternatives, while sensory perception and convenience were less influential for consumers who favor novelty. Notably, the consumer clusters did not show significant statistical differences in dietary pattern types, such as omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians, or vegans. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing effective strategies to promote plant-based cheese alternatives and cater to varying consumer needs.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/7/1162surveyconsumerdrivers and barriersplant-based alternativescheesedairy |
| spellingShingle | Marloes D. Schimmel Jonas Yde Junge Niki Alexi Glenn Birksø Hjorth Andersen Marianne Hammershøj Mette Hadberg Løbner Ulla Kidmose Drivers and Barriers for Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives Adoption: Insights from Diverse Consumer Clusters Foods survey consumer drivers and barriers plant-based alternatives cheese dairy |
| title | Drivers and Barriers for Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives Adoption: Insights from Diverse Consumer Clusters |
| title_full | Drivers and Barriers for Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives Adoption: Insights from Diverse Consumer Clusters |
| title_fullStr | Drivers and Barriers for Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives Adoption: Insights from Diverse Consumer Clusters |
| title_full_unstemmed | Drivers and Barriers for Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives Adoption: Insights from Diverse Consumer Clusters |
| title_short | Drivers and Barriers for Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives Adoption: Insights from Diverse Consumer Clusters |
| title_sort | drivers and barriers for plant based cheese alternatives adoption insights from diverse consumer clusters |
| topic | survey consumer drivers and barriers plant-based alternatives cheese dairy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/7/1162 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marloesdschimmel driversandbarriersforplantbasedcheesealternativesadoptioninsightsfromdiverseconsumerclusters AT jonasydejunge driversandbarriersforplantbasedcheesealternativesadoptioninsightsfromdiverseconsumerclusters AT nikialexi driversandbarriersforplantbasedcheesealternativesadoptioninsightsfromdiverseconsumerclusters AT glennbirksøhjorthandersen driversandbarriersforplantbasedcheesealternativesadoptioninsightsfromdiverseconsumerclusters AT mariannehammershøj driversandbarriersforplantbasedcheesealternativesadoptioninsightsfromdiverseconsumerclusters AT mettehadbergløbner driversandbarriersforplantbasedcheesealternativesadoptioninsightsfromdiverseconsumerclusters AT ullakidmose driversandbarriersforplantbasedcheesealternativesadoptioninsightsfromdiverseconsumerclusters |