1 Table f Cntents 1. Backgrund... 2 1.1. Purpse f the study... 2 1.2. Recruitment and implementatin... 2 1.3. The flw f the discussin... 3 2. Discussins... 3 2.1. Prtein surces... 3 2.2. Plant-based prtein surces... 4 2.3. Dmestic plant-based prtein surces... 4 2.4. Barriers... 6 2.5. Drivers... 6 2.6. Cmmunicatin... 7 2.7. Future f plant-based prtein surces... 9 2.8. Insects... 9 2.9. Cultured meat... 9 3. Summary and cnclusins... 10 3.1. Familiarity f prtein surces... 10 3.2. Drivers and barriers... 10 3.3. Cmmunicating... 11
2 1. Backgrund 1.1. Purpse f the study The purpse f the study was t investigate the cnsumer s perceptins f current and alternative prtein surces. At these early stages f the ScenPrt prject, Makery decided it was best t start the investigatin by arranging fcus grups, which give qualitative infrmatin abut the current views f cnsumers. In later stages the infrmatin gathered in this qualitative study will be used in planning the quantitative studies. 1.2. Recruitment and implementatin Three fcus grups were held in March, fur grups in June. Three grups f vegetarians, fur grups f mnivrus peple. Eight participants were recruited fr each grup. On average 7 participants shwed up fr each grup. The fcus grup discussins were arranged in Pasila, Helsinki. Each discussin lasted between 75 and 90 minutes. Grup 1, March 8, mnivrus, 7 participants, 4 female, 3 male, ages 27-63 Grup 2, March 8, mnivrus, 7 participants, 4 female, 3 male, ages 23-60 Grup 3, March 15, vegetarians, 7 participants, 4 female, 3 male, ages 21-56 Grup 4, June 15, mnivrus, 8 participants, 4 female, 4 male, ages 28-57 Grup 5, June 15, vegetarians, 6 participants, 4 female, 2 male, ages 26-33 Grup 6, June 16, vegetarians, 8 participants, 5 female, 3 male, ages 23-42 Grup 7, June 16, mnivrus, 7 participants, 4 female, 3 male, ages 25-61 The gal f the recruitment was t get grups f even gender and age distributin. Participants were required t have sme interest in nutritin and that they d at least part f the grcery shpping and cking in their husehld. Recruitment was dne by a cmbinatin f recruiting frm Makery s cnsumer panel and street recruitment. A few participants were als recruited thrugh snwball sampling. The greatest challenge in recruitment was finding lder vegetarians and male vegetarians. As a result the age distributin f the vegetarians is smaller than the age distributin f the mnivrus respndents.
3 1.3. The flw f the discussin The discussin in the grups started with intrductry runds where participants tld abut themselves and described their diet. General discussin abut prtein fllwed with participants identifying prtein surces in their diets and in general. They were asked abut plant-based prtein surces spntaneusly and then guided. They discussed Finnish plant-based prtein surces. The discussin then mved t the barriers and drivers fr buying and using plant-based prteins. Each fcus grup discussin then finished with shrt discussins abut insects as nutritin and cultured meat. 2. Discussins A part f the recruitment criteria was that the respndents shuld be t sme extent interested in nutritin and that they shp fr fd and ck at least ccasinally. As a result mst participants were perhaps slightly better infrmed, and mre pen t experimenting with fd than the average persn. That said, the participants had very different backgrunds and cking habits. There were thse wh rarely ck frm scratch, merely heating ready-made fds, and there were thse wh say cking is their hbby and that they ck nearly every day. Sme say they fllw the nutritinal values f the meals clsely, thers culdn t care less. In the vegetarian grups participants represented different levels f vegetarism. There were participants wh were vegans, but there were als participants wh use dairy prducts and eggs. Sme even eat fish. One said he never buys meat prducts but will eat meat that wuld therwise be wasted, such as meat prducts frm dumpsters. Ethical and envirnmental cncerns are the main reasn fr being vegetarian. 2.1. Prtein surces When asked t give examples f prtein surces mst grups started with the bvius meat, fish, eggs, and dairy prducts. Beans, peas and lentils usually fllwed. Sy prducts were als mentined withut assisting in all grups. In vegetarian grups the plant-based surces f prtein were usually mentined first. Prtein surces that were mentined spntaneusly in sme grups include spinach, brccli, seitan, qurn, nuts, seeds, mushrm, chickpeas, hemp, and seaweed. Many grups als mentined Gld & Green pulled ats, even thugh nly ne participant has s far had the chance t taste it. Everyne had heard f it thugh, and almst everyne was interested in trying it.
4 The cmbined knwledge abut prtein surces in the grups is very gd and in general participants seem t be quite familiar with all the prtein surces available. 2.2. Plant-based prtein surces When asked abut plant-based prtein surces the first nes that came t mind were sy and ther beans. They were mentined in every grup. Als peas were amng the mst familiar prtein plants. Mst grups als mentined nuts and lentils. Seaweed didn t generally cme t mind fr the respndents. Fr mst participants seaweed was familiar nly thrugh sushi. When prmpted, spirulina was a familiar name fr mst participants, but nt ne that peple spntaneusly assciate with plant-based prtein. In the vegetarian grups chickpeas were ften mentined as a prtein surce, as were mushrms, Qurn and seitan. Hemp seeds were als familiar t many vegetarians. 2.3. Dmestic plant-based prtein surces Spntaneusly naming dmestic surces f plant-based prtein was difficult fr sme grups, while thers were able t name at least a few withut truble. Vegetarians were better at recgnizing prtein plants and which nes are grwn in Finland. The mst ften mentined dmestic plant-based prtein surces were beans, peas, and brad beans. Other surces that were mentined included wheat, sunflwer seeds, pumpkin seeds, nettle, and mushrms. Als pulled ats were mentined again in this cntext. Assisted recgnitin f dmestic plant-based prtein surces was much better than the spntaneus recgnitin. Brad beans. The name is familiar t everyne. Practically all the vegetarians have tried brad beans r use them regularly. Vegetarians use them crushed in cking, grund in pastes r in vegetarian patties. Sme have used brad beans instead f chickpeas fr example in falafel. The nn-vegetarians are familiar with the name and many have tried it. Sme even grw their wn brad beans. Many have tried it in lunch restaurants, while sme nn-vegetarians have nt tried brad beans at all. Quina Quina as a name is slightly less knwn than brad beans, but it is nevertheless familiar fr mst participants. Als, sme participants thught quina t be quite expensive. Often quina was familiar t the participants, but they did nt think that it culd als be grwn in Finland.
5 Mst vegetarians are quite regular users f quina. It is familiar as a rice substitute, in salads, r as part f vegetarian patties. Nn-vegetarians have tried quina in lunch restaurants and sme at hme instead f rice but in general they are much less frequent users r quina than vegetarians. Blue lupin Blue lupin is practically unknwn amng all the participants. Only a few vegetarians remembered seeing blue lupin as an ingredient in sme vegetarian prtein prducts. One participant remembered seeing lupin milk in Germany. Peas Peas are f curse familiar t everyne. They are used fresh, dried, and frzen. Especially pea sup is ppular. Peas are by far the best knwn dmestic plant-based prtein surce. Buckwheat Everyne is familiar with the name, but nt everyne has tried buckwheat in their wn cking. Few nn-vegetarians have tried buckwheat. It is knwn best as an imprtant ingredient in blinis. Sme eat buckwheat in prridge t. Vegetarians eat buckwheat mre than nn-vegetarians. It is used in prridge, but als as a substitute fr rice in sme dishes. One participant even mentined making sushi with buckwheat instead f rice. Buckwheat is nt s much assciated with prtein as it is with a gluten-free diet. Canla Hemp Flax Everyne is familiar with canla as il, but n-ne has heard that it culd be a surce f prtein. Many were als cnfused abut what part f the plant r in what frm it shuld be cnsumed t get prtein. Everyne knws hemp by name. Hwever, very few nn-vegetarians have used it cking r were even aware that it cntains prtein. Vegetarians were a bit divided in their knwledge f hemp. There were vegetarians hw knew n mre abut hemp than the meat-eaters, but there were sme wh cnsume quite a lt f hemp. It is ften used crushed in cking r fr example as a part f smthies. Vegetarian restaurants and fast-fd places use a lt f hemp Everyne is familiar with flax seeds. Quite many use them regularly. Mst participants, hwever, were nt aware that flax is a surce f prtein. Flax is much mre knwn fr its fiber cntent and used mstly because f fiber. There s n difference between vegetarians and nn-vegetarians in this sense.
6 2.4. Barriers The participants were asked t think abut the barriers that stp them frm using mre plant-based prtein prducts. Especially nn-vegetarians have the perceptin that vegetarian fd is very difficult, labrius r time-cnsuming t prepare. They ften think that beans and sy prducts need hurs f saking r that the prducts need germinating. Even sme vegetarians were frustrated with the lng time that sme vegetarian fds take t prepare. Unfamiliarity f the prducts is a prblem fr vegetarians and nn-vegetarians alike. There are peple wh active seek new unfamiliar prducts t try, but mst peple are reluctant t try prducts that they knw nthing r little abut. Peple will try new fd prducts nly after they have tried them in a restaurant r elsewhere. Nn-vegetarians think f vegetables as side dishes. They wuld have t change their thinking t cnsider plants the main cmpnent f a meal. Lack f knwledge n hw t prepare sme fds is stpping many peple frm trying them. It is much easier t prepare familiar fds than t try smething new. Many claim that lack f recipes is stpping them frm trying new prducts, but thers say that recipes are readily available nline fr thse wh truly are interested. Sme nn-vegetarians wuld like t eat mre vegetarian fd, but their family members are ppsed t the idea. Sme say their wn cultural backgrund is stpping them frm decreasing the amunt f meat in their diet. Price is mentined as a barrier especially by vegetarians. While vegetables are nt cnsidered expensive, prcessed plant-based prtein prducts are ften seen as very expensive, especially in cmparisn with similar nn-vegetarian prducts. Availability is a prblem. Gegraphically peple think that plant-based prtein prducts are nly available in the largest city areas. Even in the cities the prducts are nt always available in the basic grcery stres. Admittedly, there are specialty stres where everything is available but even fr vegetarians the barrier f ging t a specialty stre fr grcery shpping instead f their clsest basic stre is high. Anther availability prblem is that even when the prducts are available in the crner stre, they might be hidden in the aisles s that they are difficult t find. At least they are placed s that ne desn t pay attentin t them. Package sizes ften frm a barrier. Mst peple wuld like t try new prducts in a small package when they are nt sure abut hw much they like it. Singles and cuples withut children prefer small packages at all times. On the ther hand peple with children wuld buy larger packages if they were available. 2.5. Drivers The participants were asked t think abut the drivers that draw them t buy and use plant-based prtein prducts, r drivers that culd draw them t buy mre.
7 Taste must be gd. This is the mst imprtant driver fr any fd prduct. Eclgical cncerns. Plant-based prtein is thught t be better than meat. Tastings wuld be essential in making prducts knwn and lwering the threshld f buying new prducts. Everyne wuld welcme the chance t try the prducts befre making the decisin t buy it. Recipes and usage ideas are imprtant t inspire experimentatin. Cking shws and fd blgs are surces f cking ideas fr many participants. Lwer prices wuld f curse encurage mre experimentatin with new prducts. Advertising is needed t make the prducts knwn and t give cnsumers ideas. Better presentatin in stres wuld increase sales. Opinins are slightly divided n what is better presentatin. Everyne agrees that prducts need t be easier t find, but what is the best way t accmplish that is nt s clear. Sme like the idea f a separate plant prtein department in a stre, with everything in ne place. Others think it wuld be better t scatter the prducts int the same places as their meat-based cunterparts, and then smehw mark the plant-based prducts clearly n the edge f the shelf r the n the prduct package itself. Packages shuld have basic usage instructins and recipes. Eclgical packaging is imprtant especially fr vegetarians. Small packages are gd fr first time experimentatin. Otherwise package size can depend n hw lng the prduct stays gd. A lng lasting prduct can be sld in a larger package. Ready-made meals based n plant prteins wuld certainly increase interest in plant-based prtein prducts. Ready meals wuld lwer the threshld f experimenting fr nnvegetarians, but als mst f the vegetarians say they smetimes wish there were mre ready-made ptins fr vegetarians. Semi-prepared prducts such as cut and seasned tfu ready fr wkking, wuld be very interesting fr many participants. There is a relatively gd selectin f vegetarian frzen meals and cmpnents available, but mre ptins wuld nt hurt. The vegans said the ptins were mstly vegetarian but rarely vegan, meaning they ften cntain cheese r ther milk prducts. Prducts that are ready t eat withut preparatin and that dn t require refridgeratin wuld be interesting. 2.6. Cmmunicatin The participants discussed what they thught shuld be emphasized and what shuld avided when plant-based prtein prducts are advertised r therwise publicly discussed.
8 As with all fd, taste is the mst imprtant thing that shuld be discussed. Quality is almst equally imprtant. Nn-vegetarians ften have a perceptin that vegetarian fd tastes bad r bland, s taste is definitely imprtant t emphasize. Usage f the prduct, hw it is used and what fr. These are issues that are imprtant especially when the prduct is nt very familiar already. Ease f use is imprtant t many participants, and when a prduct is easy t use, it shuld be made very clear. Substituting meat shuld nt be emphasized in cmmunicatin. Cmmunicatin shuld fcus n the prduct itself, nt n what it substitutes. Saying that a prduct substitutes smething makes it feel like the secnd best ptin. An exceptin is when a prduct is specifically designed t lk and taste like meat and is used t replace the meat cmpnent in a meal, fr example a vegetarian hamburger patty. Origin is imprtant t mentin. Origin becmes extra imprtant when the prduct is dmestic. Finns really have a tendency t favr Finnish prducts. Eclgy and envirnmental friendliness. A large majrity feels that these are imprtant issues and shuld be cmmunicated. Hwever, there are sme wh fear that these issues have been veremphasized fr t lng, and rubbing it in peple s faces culd be cunterprductive. The carbn ftprint f the prduct is very imprtant t sme participants and they feel strngly that it shuld be discussed n the package. Others are indifferent. Genetic mdificatin wrries sme peple and they wuld like prducts t be marked t shw if they cntain GMO cmpnents r nt. Animal rights are imprtant t vegetarians, but even they think it s nt necessary t speak abut animal rights in relatin t individual prducts. Nn-vegetarians als feel that discussing animal rights culd feel like assigning guilt n meat-eaters. Healthiness is gd t mentin in cmmunicatin. Plant-based prtein prducts are seen as healthy and this perceptin shuld be strengthened. Nn-vegetarians ften think that vegetarian fd is nt filling. Cmmunicatin shuld emphasize the sturdiness and heartiness f vegetarian fd and avid the cliché f just picturing salad when talking abut vegetarian fd. Celebrity chefs and sprts stars wuld be gd spkespeple fr plant-based prtein prducts. Chefs culd make and design vegetarian fds that are better than the steretypical salads and cream sups and are mre suitable fr families with children. Athletes culd shw by example that meat is nt necessary fr strength and perfrmance. Discussing that peple shuld stp eating meat and becme vegetarians is nt gd apprach. It will make meat-eaters feel guilty and is likely t be cunter-prductive. One shuld prmte plant-based prtein as any ther fd emphasizing its strengths such as taste, prtein cntent, and healthiness. When peple try plant-based prtein ut f genuine interest with high expectatins, the result will be much better than making peple feel guilty abut eating meat and pressuring them t mve t plant-based prteins. If the price is reasnable it shuld be cmmunicated clearly. The general perceptin is that as speciality prducts plant-based prteins are expensive.
9 2.7. Future f plant-based prtein surces Everyne agrees that the use f plant-based prtein surces will increase in the future, and that the plant prtin f all prtein cnsumed will increase. Sme even expect plant-based prtein t frm the majrity f prtein cnsumed smetime in the future. The change is expected t start with yunger generatins and residents f larger cities. Eclgy is strng trend and plant-based prtein fits that trend very well. Vegetarian fd is seen as the next level. The amunt f vegetarians is nt necessarily expected t grw, but nn-vegetarians are expected t eat mre vegetarian fd and less meat in the future. The selectin f available plant-based prteins is expected t grw and diversify, nt just sy anymre. Pulled ats is mentined again. Meat eaters might replace sme meat with it, if it is as gd as expected. 2.8. Insects Insect prtein divides pinins strngly. Only a few participants had tasted insects befre. Many felt very strngly that they wuld never even cnsider eating insects. There was slightly less resistance when asked if they wuld eat insect prtein if it was served in way that the surce was nt recgnizable as insects. Many remained reluctant even in that case. Peple als have very little knwledge f insects as nutritin and abut hw t use them fr fd. Much mre infrmatin is needed t cnvince them abut eating insects. The ethics f insect eating was prblematic fr vegetarians. Sme felt that nt eating animals autmatically cvered insects t, and wuld nt even cnsider eating them fr that reasn. Others saw n prblem with insect eating. Almst all vegetarians agreed that ethically eating insects is a better ptin than eating farmed animals. 2.9. Cultured meat T many even the idea f cultured meat was unfamiliar. Reactins t it were very skeptical. Cultured meat was thught f as sci-fi and being t far frm nature. Develping it seemed unnecessary and expensive. Vegetarians saw n need fr it as they dn t miss meat and claim that meat makes them feel unwell. Ethically mst participant saw n prblem with cultured meat, thugh sme were wrried abut energy cnsumptin in the prductin. Mst agreed thugh, that if the prductin smeday were develped t a level where cultured meat was at the same price as real meat, they wuld cnsider using it instead f meat frm animals.
10 3. Summary and cnclusins 3.1. Familiarity f prtein surces Cnsumers seem t be fairly well aware where prtein cmes frm in their diets and in general. Knwledge f plant-based prtein surces is nt great but very bad either. The mst cmmn surces f plant-based prtein, such as sy, ther beans, peas, nuts, and lentils, are well recgnized. The unassisted recgnitin f dmestic plant-based prtein surces is nt that great. Mre educatin n what plant-based prtein surces can be grwn in Finland is needed. Sme surces such as canla, flax seeds, and buckwheat were very familiar t everyne, but nt many knw that they are surces f prtein. Educatin is needed if these are t be used as prtein cmpnents in a prduct. Hwever, awareness f the plant-based prtein surces des nt necessarily mean that peple are very familiar with them in terms f cking and using them. Fr example while everyne is aware that tfu is a surce f prtein, nt everyne has cked it at hme. Awareness is als nt a guarantee f liking a prduct. Especially many nn-vegetarians might have had a single bad experience with ne r mre f the discussed prtein surces and they have nt tried it again after the ne experience. Generally thugh, peple d have quite a psitive perceptin f the dmestic plant-based prtein surces they d knw. 3.2. Drivers and barriers As with any fd the mst imprtant barrier is unfamiliarity. When a prduct is unfamiliar in the sense that a persn has nt bught r cked the prduct befre, the threshld fr buying it is quite high. First f all the prduct desn t even cme t mind when the cnsumer thinks f what t eat. If it cmes t mind, r is encuntered in the stre, the cnsumer might nt dare buy the prduct because he is uncertain if he will like it r abut hw t ck it. Furthermre, nn-vegetarians have a strng perceptin that vegetarian fds are difficult and labrius t prepare. Packaging and ther cmmunicatin is imprtant in cnvincing that the prduct is easy t use. Package sizes shuld als encurage trial, meaning that there shuld be a package size big enugh t allw trying the prduct, but small enugh t avid waste if the persn des nt want t ck it again. Anther way t encurage cnsumers t try new prducts is t ffer recipes and ideas fr using. These ideas shuld be available n the package, but als in advertising and ther cmmunicatin. Als related t the unfamiliarity f a prduct is the taste. Gd taste is ne f the strngest drivers fr any fd prduct. Nn-vegetarians ften hld the perceptin that vegetarian fd tastes bad r at least bland. Tastings, ffering a chance t get familiar with the prduct and its taste, are very imprtant. Anther way f letting peple get familiar with a new prduct is have it ffered in restaurants and wrking place lunch cantines.
11 Price can be a significant barrier r a driver fr a prduct. Peple feel that current plant-based prtein prducts are relative expensive which limits the usage. Limited availability and lack f visibility in stres are significant barriers which, when fixed, culd be turned int great drivers. Cnsumers feel that current prducts are smetimes difficult t find. Either they are sld nly in specialty stres r, if they are present at nrmal stres, they are placed s they are difficult t find. Cnsumers will nt g ut f their way t find prducts, they have t be sld where they shp anyway and have t be clearly visible in the stres. Whether visibility is achieved by a plant-based prtein shelf r by marking the prducts with, fr example, stickers is nt s imprtant. What makes the difference is that the cnsumer can easily find the prducts and knws where t lk fr them. Being eclgical is a significant driver fr a prduct. Eclgy in the prductin f a prduct must be mirrred in the packaging. Excessive wrapping in plastic must be avided. Mre ptins in ready-made meals and semi-finished prducts wuld be a huge driver. Bth vegetarians and nn-vegetarians agree that they wuld eat mre plant-based prtein prducts if there were mre easy-t-prepare ptins available. Als snack prducts that dn t require cking wuld increase plant-based prtein cnsumptin. Taste is the majr driver fr all fd prducts. The taste shuld be s gd that peple d nt buy the prduct nly because the ethical reasns, but because it is gd. 3.3. Cmmunicating When speaking generally abut plant-based prtein prducts the mst imprtant things t talk abut are taste and quality. Envirnmental friendliness, eclgy, ethics, and healthiness are ther issues that shuld be emphasized. The general perceptin f plant-based prtein prducts is that they are expensive, s cmmunicatin shuld als address price. Climate change and animal rights are issues that peple are cncerned abut, but many feel that these have already been discussed t much and it is nt necessary t speak f them anymre. Substitutin fr meat shuld nt be brught up, as being a substitute fr smething makes the prduct seem like the secnd-best ptin. All cmmunicatin related t a specific prduct shuld emphasize the drivers such as taste, quality and rigin f the prduct. Ideas n hw t use the prduct and recipes are extremely imprtant in cmmunicatin abut a new prduct.