ProVeg report highlights need to frame cultivated meat as “human food first”

02 Feb 2023 --- ProVeg International has released a report outlining how framing cultivated meat as a pet food may discourage consumers from seeing it as a viable human food. The report flags that consumers are less likely to buy cultivated meat for their own consumption if they have seen it framed as pet food first. As such, ProVeg is recommending that cultivated meat be framed as human food above pet food to avoid it becoming mitigated as an alt-protein option for human consumption.

The report “Cultivated Pet Food for Cats and Dogs” is based on a survey of 1,000 UK respondents, who were asked about their perception of cultivated meat as pet food, compared to cultivated meat as human food. 

Of those who saw cultivated meat framed as human food first, 47% said they would eat it, whereas of those who saw cultivated meat framed as pet food first, only 37% said they would eat it. 

Similarly, of those who saw cultivated meat framed as human food first, 46% said they would buy it, but of those who saw cultivated meat framed as pet food first, only 37% said they would buy it. 

“As an industry, we need to first focus on framing cultivated meat as human food to gain wider acceptance,” ProVeg International senior project manager Mathilde Alexandre tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Mathilde Alexandre sees the potential for cultivated meats to feed humans and pets efficiently.“From our report, we have found that framing cultivated meat as human food before pet food increases consumers’ willingness to eat and buy cultivated meat, as well as increases positive perceptions of the product as tasty, enjoyable and nutritious.” 

“It is important to note that the willingness to feed cultivated meat to pets is not reduced when cultivated meat is framed as human food first. About half of the respondents would feed their cats and dogs with cultivated meat,” she continues.

Alexandre notes that this trend is not surprising, as human-food trends positively influence pet food trends and not the other way around. 

“ProVeg recommends framing cultivated meat as human food before framing it as pet food to increase positive perceptions of the products.” 

Cultivating trust
The issue here is framing and establishing cultivated meat as a viable, healthy and sustainable protein source for humans and pets. Alexandre explains the benefits inherent to the process.

“The belief that meat is essential for pets remains strong. Cultivated meat offers the potential to provide high-quality proteins to cats and dogs. As for human food, cultivated meat has the potential to be safer and healthier than conventional meat,” she says.

“With no animal husbandry involved, there would be a vastly reduced risk of pathogens contamination. Cultivated meat also has the potential to reduce the use of antibiotics.”

“Similarly, our survey reveals that more than a majority of cat and dog owners (55%) think it’s sad that animals are killed to feed their pets. With cultivated meat, there is no need to slaughter billions of animals yearly to feed our companion animals and us. Cultivated meat holds tremendous potential in making pet food more sustainable.” 

Trends in alternative protein marketing 
The issue of effective marketing is a headwind the alt-protein market is continuously battling against, although Alexandre is keen to point out successes in the space. 

“Alternative protein products continue to be highly innovative. According to Innova Market Insights, food and beverages launched with a plant-based and indulgent claim saw year-on-year growth of 44%. Cadbury, for example, has launched a plant-based bar,” she notes.

“Plant-based meat alternatives have taken the world by storm and are loved by flexitarians, vegetarians and vegans alike,” notes AlexThe ProVeg report warns that if marketed as pet food first, cultivated meats may fail to gain traction as a viable food for human consumption.andre. 

“The products have been so successful that the giants of the traditional meat and dairy industries have either bought alternative protein companies or have invested heavily in putting their own alternative protein products on supermarket shelves.” 

Furthermore, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still having a ripple effect on consumers’ diets.

“A ProVeg survey recently found that the pandemic led many people to switch to plant-based diets and stick with them once the pandemic subsided.”

“Innova’s Nutrition & Health Survey 2020 shows that the top reasons driving consumers to switch to more plant-based foods include health, sustainability, and taste – all things dog parents are increasingly demanding for their pets, too.”

Various trends are synchronizing and building momentum for the plant-based space. 

“Mix this with the increasing trend of pet humanization and the various effects that COVID-19 has had on consumer psyches and business trends, and it’s understandable why the industry is skyrocketing.”

Flexitarian diets in consumers are influencing the way they feed their pets, the report flags.

“The study participants also indicated a high interest in hybrid diets which balance animal and plant-based protein sources, lending further credence to the notion that flexitarianism is leading pet carers to try similar ways of feeding their pets,” she says. 

“As we see more people sharing their lives with furry friends and more people adopting plant-based eating habits (40% of European consumers identify as flexitarian, pescatarian, vegetarian, or vegan), the alternative protein market is set to boom.”

Cultivated meat is gaining popularity with both consumers and producers but still needs to gain wider regulatory support.Challenges ahead
As with all food innovations, Alexandre points out that the main challenges are gaining regulatory approval, attracting government support and overcoming labeling issues.

“The cultivated protein space is still in its infancy, with many technical challenges to overcome. Governments have a critical role to play in developing cellular agriculture by funding open-access cellular agriculture research to address critical knowledge gaps and ensure that the results benefit the whole sector and not just individual companies,” she explains. 

Another expected challenge will be around labeling, one of the main hurdles faced by plant-based NPD.

“We have seen massive pushback around the labeling of plant-based products with meaty terms across the world, and even if cultivated meat is real meat, we can expect similar pushback,” concludes Alexandre. 

By James Davies