General Information: About the FFC Research Programme
Find here information about the purpose and funding of this Future Foods Catalyst programme, as well as a list of our intended deliverables and our 3-year plan.
Project Purpose: Understanding motivations and barriers to consumer engagement with future foods
Te Rangahau Taha Wheako mō ngā Kai o Āpōpō: The Consumer Dimension of Future Foods focuses on consumer and sensory research around alternative proteins. In short, we will look for answers to this perplexing dilemma:
We are advised to eat less animal protein and instead consume a (predominantly) plant-based diet. This leads to
Yet, why do consumers express the desire to change their diets but don’t make this transition in a meaningful way?
Willet, M.D. et al (2019) Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The Lancet, 393, 447-492.
Understanding consumers and their sensory needs is critical to tackling this issue. Once we understand why consumers hesitate to adopt plant-based foods (PBFs), we can invest effectively in alternative proteins. Then we can offer products that delight consumers and that they will, going forward, routinely include as part of their diet.
Our 5 Project Deliveries:
- the most comprehensive understanding to-date of barriers and motivators affecting consumer engagement with PBFs
- consumers’ sensory criteria for PBFs
- an in-depth portrait of the meat-alternative consumer of the future
- a comparison of perceived satiety and satisfaction between traditional proteins and PBFs
- an understanding of how consumers evaluate sustainability vs animal welfare vs health outcomes vs emotions around PBFs
These outcomes will help New Zealand’s and Singapore’s primary industries respond to global environmental trends.
Our 4-Year Research Plan:
Funding: Aotearoa-New Zealand MBIE’s Catalyst Fund
This project is a New Zealand-Singapore co-funded collaboration. Te Rangahau Taha Wheako mō ngā Kai o Āpōpō: The Consumer Dimension of Future Foods is
- supported by the Catalyst: Strategic Fund from Government Funding, administered by the Aotearoa New Zealand Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
- funded till the end of 2024.
