Feeding the future: A comparison of drivers and barriers towards consumers' acceptance of plant-based protein, mycoprotein, cultured meat, and insect-based protein in Singapore

This study examined the acceptance levels as well as drivers of acceptance for four recently introduced alternative protein types, i.e., plant-based protein (PB), mycoprotein (MY), cultured meat (CM), and insect-based protein (IB), among a nationally representative sample in multicultural Singapore, using the acceptance of novel foods framework and socioecological model to ground the examination of the factors driving the acceptance of each alternative protein. Findings from the online survey (n = 2000) revealed that acceptance levels of all alternative proteins were highly varied, with PB being most accepted while IB was less accepted. Common drivers were found to be associated with acceptance of all four alternative protein types, namely green consumption value, familiarity, positive taste expectation, and the product's healthfulness belief. However, we found clear nuances in the influence of psychosocial drivers for each alternative protein source. The similarities and differences in drivers and barriers suggest that while certain policy considerations could be enacted for all alternative protein types (e.g., consumer education), other intervention efforts may need to customize, such as encouraging acceptance for food security reasons for PB only.