In the field of consumer acceptance, the demand for and supply of meat substitutes in Europe and North America are visibly rising, but meat substitutes are still on the expensive side in comparison with some meat products, such as chicken and pork. Acceptance varies according to the type of product (e.g. cultured meat, insects and vegetarian hamburgers) and the target group (e.g. elderly versus young people). Consumers are particularly averse to new and unknown products, such as hybrid products (part plant-based, part meat), cultured meat and insects.
The study also assessed the ecological potential of new protein ingredients. Most plant-based proteins have a lower environmental impact than animal proteins, although there are big differences between plant-based protein ingredients: the larger the number of process stages, the bigger the environmental impact. The legislation and regulations on food is a complex field and businesses experience constraints in this area too. The new EU Novel Food legislation applies to many new protein ingredients.