EIT Food urges rethink on alt-meat messaging across Europe to drive consumer acceptance

There is a disconnect between what consumers seek and what they experience when considering meat alternatives like plant-based or cultivated products, which spurs a sense of detachment and affects wider uptake, reveal two new studies by the EIT Food Consumer Observatory.

Food manufacturers should take into account the cultural associations with meat in Europe to deliver successful promotional strategies for alt-meat products.

Food Ingredients First sits down with Klaus G. Grunert, professor of marketing at Aarhus University, Denmark, and lead of the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, to understand the broader implications of the reports for the alt-meat sector.

“Meat carries strong cultural associations tied to tradition, religion, family, and cultural identity. For many consumers, it symbolizes home-cooked meals, celebrations, and a sense of national pride, even as they become more critical of meat — ‘commoditized’ meat, especially. One of the barriers both cultivated and plant-based meat substitutes face is that consumers see them as artificial — either highly processed or not real at all,” says Grunert.

He emphasizes that product positioning should score high on all these parameters, making conventional meat inviting to consumers.

“Brands must respect and align with the deep-rooted meanings of meat within European culture. While consumers recognize sustainability as important, it’s not the primary driver of their food choices, so alternatives in the first instance need to be inviting, indulgent, natural, and suitable for celebration to be culturally resonant.”

“Successfully embedding alternatives into these cultural narratives can make them feel more familiar and acceptable.”

Grounding alt-meat in culture

While the first study, More than Meat: Unpacking Cultural Perceptions of Meat and Sustainable Alternatives in Europe, unpacks the cultural connotations of meat, the second paper, Reimagining Protein: Consumer Perceptions of Cultivated Meat, explores how the industry can use cultivated meat as an ethical and sustainable alternative to its conventional counterparts.

The findings reveal that emotional resonance with conventional meat products varies across European markets. Therefore, Grunert warns that a “one-size-fits-all” approach won’t bring success to alternative meat products.

“Our research identified differences in how fast attitudes are shifting across Europe. Change is moving quicker in Northern and Western countries, while Southern and Eastern regions remain more tied to traditional meat culture.”

“That means one-size-fits-all messaging won’t yield success. Instead, brands need to ground their stories in local values, while being mindful of how price and quality expectations vary between markets.”

EIT experts stress that cultured meat should not be advertised as an overhaul of current eating habits.More than Meat uses semiotic analysis, anthropology, and qualitative research across 17 European countries. It highlights that while cultural associations are shifting, consumers still perceive plant-based and cultivated meat as disconnected from “natural” processes.

“Consumers often feel that plant-based meats come across as artificial or over-processed, undermining trust. To change this, brands need to be transparent, using minimal, recognizable ingredients and highlighting them on packaging,” says Grunert.

Packaging imagery and wording are critical to consumer perception of such products.

“Visually, moving away from glossy, high-tech aesthetics toward natural textures, soft color palettes, and imagery of whole plants can make products feel more wholesome. Finally, many consumers still see plant-based options as a sacrifice in taste or indulgence. To reclaim the idea of indulgence, brands can show that plant-based options are delicious, satisfying, and worthy of celebratory meals.”

The observatory notes that presenting sustainable alternatives as indulgent rather than a compromise means avoiding an “activist tone of voice” and focusing on inclusive and “non-preachy” language.

“Purpose ahead of technology”

Academic research indicates that public awareness, perceived naturalness, and food-related risk perceptions are major factors influencing consumer acceptance of cultivated meat. 

According to EIT Food’s findings, the key lies in storytelling that combines transparency, trust, and human warmth.

“Brands should focus on telling the story of what our More than Meat report calls ‘mindful science’, putting people and purpose ahead of technology,” says Grunert.

“That means showing the real people behind the innovation, using warm, approachable design cues, and explaining the production process in simple, non-technical language. It’s about reclaiming the idea of what ‘real’ meat is — making it clear that cultivated meat is real, just made differently.”

Key players in the cell-based meat industry are doubling down on messaging that positions them as a “vendor” to the conventional meat industry rather than a competitor. 

Meatable CEO Jeff Tripician recently told us that the company aims to be a supplier to the meat industry to mitigate increasingly challenging supply and price dynamics.

Grunert reiterates that cultured meat should not be advertised as an overhaul of current eating habits.

“The Reimagining Meat report recommends framing cultivated meat as a modern advancement that respects and builds on the tradition of meat in the diet, making it a continuation rather than a replacement of current eating habits.”

“Communicating animal welfare and environmental benefits and highlighting the hidden costs of traditional meat production — often perceived as ‘natural’ — could also be an effective strategy. Together, these steps help move cultivated meat away from perceptions of ‘lab food’ and toward something emotionally satisfying and culturally grounded.”

“Lead with appetite”

Overall, the reports emphasize that focusing solely on environmental or health arguments when promoting meat alternatives is risky, as these arguments aren’t sufficient to sway long-established food choices.

“Framing cultivated meat and plant-based meat substitutes as ‘healthy’ can result in skepticism from health-conscious consumers who see these products as ultra-processed,” explains Grunert. “And when plant-based products lean too hard on virtue, they often miss the mark with meat lovers, who associate them with being over-processed and joyless.”

“People still want flavor, familiarity, and pleasure. If those are missing, even the best intentions fall flat. The key is to lead with appetite — then let the health and environmental benefits follow,” he concludes.