A growing global population, combined with factors such as changing socio-demographics, will place increased pressure on the world’s resources to provide not only more but also different types of food. Increased demand for animal-based protein in particular is expected to have a negative environmental impact, generating greenhouse gas emissions, requiring more water and more land. Addressing this “perfect storm” will necessitate more sustainable production of existing sources of protein as well as alternative sources for direct human consumption. This paper outlines some potential demand scenarios and provides an overview of selected existing and novel protein sources in terms of their potential to sustainably deliver protein for the future, considering drivers and challenges relating to nutritional, environmental, and technological and market/consumer domains. It concludes that different factors influence the potential of existing and novel sources. Existing protein sources are primarily hindered by their negative environmental impacts with some concerns around health. However, they offer social and economic benefits, and have a high level of consumer acceptance. Furthermore, recent research emphasizes the role of livestock as part of the solution to greenhouse gas emissions, and indicates that animal-based protein has an important role as part of a sustainable diet and as a contributor to food security. Novel proteins require the development of new value chains, and attention to issues such as production costs, food safety, scalability and consumer acceptance. Furthermore, positive environmental impacts cannot be assumed with novel protein sources and care must be taken to ensure that comparisons between novel and existing protein sources are valid. Greater alignment of political forces, and the involvement of wider stakeholders in a governance role, as well as development/commercialization role, is required to address both sources of protein and ensure food security.
Informed by quality theory, this systematic literature review seeks to determine the relative importance of beef quality attributes from a consumer perspective, considering search, experience and credence quality attributes. While little change is anticipated in consumer ranking of search and experience attributes in the future, movement is expected in terms of ranking within the credence category and also in terms of the ranking of credence attributes overall. This highlights an opportunity for quality assurance schemes (QAS) to become more consumer focused through including a wider range of credence attributes. To capitalise on this opportunity, the meat industry should actively anticipate new relevant credence attributes and researchers need to develop new or better methods to measure them. This review attempts to identify the most relevant quality attributes in beef that may be considered in future iterations of QAS, to increase consumer satisfaction and, potentially, to increase returns to industry.
1Recent innovations in processed meats focus on healthier reformulations through reducing 2 negative constituents and/or adding health beneficial ingredients. This study explored the 3 influence of base meat product (ham, sausages, beef burger), salt and/or fat content (reduced or 4 not), healthy ingredients (omega 3, vitamin E, none), and price (average or higher than average) 5 on consumers' purchase intention and quality judgement of processed meats. A survey (n=481) 6 using conjoint methodology and cluster analysis was conducted. Price and base meat product 7 were most important for consumers' purchase intention, followed by healthy ingredient and salt 8 and/or fat content. In reformulation, consumers had a preference for ham and sausages over beef 9 burgers, and for reduced salt and/or fat over non reduction. In relation to healthy ingredients, 10 omega 3 was preferred over none, and vitamin E was least preferred. Healthier reformulations 11 improved the perceived healthiness of processed meats. Cluster analyses identified three 12 consumer segments with different product preferences.
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