Evaluation of Consumers' Perceptions and Purchase Decisions Regarding Plant-Based Milk Alternatives in Turkey

Abstract

In the global world, plant-based milk alternatives have taken an important place in the food industry and have attracted great interest from consumers. This study was conducted to determine the main reasons why individuals prefer plant-based milk alternatives and the driving factors affecting their purchasing behavior towards plant-based milk alternatives. For this purpose, the sociodemographic characteristics, and general nutritional habits of 895 participants were questioned. In addition, the status of consuming plant-based milk alternatives of the participants in the last year was questioned and the purchasing decisions of the participants who reported that they consume these products and the factors that drive them to buy these products were evaluated. 796 women (88.9%) and 99 men (11.1%) participated in the study. The mean age of the participants is 31.17±9.62. Most of the participants (36.4% of women and 72.7% of men) reported that they never consumed plant-based milk alternatives. The most consumed plant-based milk alternatives were determined as almond milk (80.9%), coconut milk (60.2%), and soy milk (51.2%). The most frequent reason why consumers choose plant-based milk alternatives is determined as "Non-dairy milk contains good fat". The participants reported that dieticians have the most influence on their choices (x̄=3.35±1.27) and these products were mostly purchased from supermarkets and online channels. In addition, considering that drinking plant-based milk is beneficial for health (OR=1.978) and exercising regularly (OR=1.337) increases the odds of being a regular consumer. In conclusion, it is determined that consumer acceptance of plant-based milk alternatives is affected by the consumer's perception of healthy food, marketing strategies, and consumer expectations.

Driving Factors Influencing the Decision to Purchase Plant-Based Beverages: A Sample from Türkiye

“…Furthermore, price, brand, and whether there was a promotion or not affected the decision to purchase plant-based beverages ( Table 2 ). Studies in the literature have also shown that several factors including nutrient content, diet, socioeconomic status, health effects, environmental protection, and sustainability influenced the preference and purchasing behavior for plant-based beverages [ 10 , 17 , 57 , 58 , 66 ].…”

“…Investigating the literature revealed that plant-based beverages will be an alternative in nutrition in health conditions, such as lactose intolerance and cow’s milk protein allergy [ 76 , 77 ]. Conversely, studies showing that lactose intolerance is ineffective in the preference for plant-based beverages are noted [ 10 ]. Our results are also consistent with the literature.…”

“…In this regard, previous studies have reported that health consequences are effective in selecting these products. That is, individuals may be more likely to buy these products if they have a cow's milk allergy or lactose intolerance, or if they think plant-based drinks are good for their health [10,18,28]. Therefore, we hypothesized the following: H1: Consumers' health consciousness affects their attitudes toward buying plant-based beverages.…”

“…In a study conducted in Türkiye with 796 female and 99 male participants, 36.4% of females and 72.7% of males did not consume plant-based dairy alternatives at all. Believing that plant-based dairy alternatives are beneficial to health increases the likelihood of consuming these products regularly [ 10 ]. Similarly, in the literature, health problems including lactose intolerance and cow’s milk allergy are effective in the trend toward plant-based dairy alternatives [ 11 , 12 ].…”

“…A study with 896 participants conducted to evaluate the factors affecting the purchase of plant-based beverages in Türkiye stated that sociodemographic factors including age, monthly income, and education level affected the purchasing decision. However, consumers’ preferences for plant-based beverages were not affected by the presence of lactose intolerance [ 10 ]. Accordingly, we hypothesized the following:…”