Europe’s plant-based meat companies must appeal to consumers’ emotions and not just rely on ethical concerns to win over more shoppers, a EU-linked research body has said.
EU-funded organisation EIT Food has put forward recommendations for plant-based meat businesses to better market their products in the face of waning demand.
Go deeper with GlobalData
In markets in North America and Europe, the plant-based meat category has not grown to the size its proponents had hoped amid consumer pushback about the quality and price of products.
“Brands need to counter perceptions of plant-based alternatives as overly processed products through careful marketing that emphasises wholesomeness, healthiness and transparency,” EIT Food said.
“Alternatives can be positioned as indulgent rather than a compromise, by showing that plant-based options are delicious, satisfying and worthy of celebratory meals. Brands must be wary of leaning into an activist tone-of-voice, instead favouring welcoming and inclusive, non-’preachy’ language.”
EIT Food has issued research that analysed cultural perceptions in Europe of meat and its alternatives, including cell-cultivated meat. The organisation noted cell-based meat is not yet available on the market in Europe but said brands are working towards launching products in the next few years.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataAccording to EIT Food, consumers experience a “disconnect” between what they seek and what they experience from suppliers of meat alternatives, which “leads to a sense of detachment” that stops more consumers buying the products available.
“Food manufacturers must therefore consider the wider cultural landscape of meat in Europe if promotion strategies are to be successful,” EIT Food said.
“Meat is far more than food – it represents tradition, identity and community. While cultural perceptions of meat in general are shifting, plant-based and cultivated meat are still perceived as artificial and disconnected from ‘natural’ processes. To succeed, sustainable alternatives must do more than appeal to logic or science and require emotional resonance.”
Klaus Grunert, Professor of Marketing at Aarhus University and the lead of the Consumer Observatory at EIT Food, said: “Understanding the role of culture in the perception of meat across Europe is not just insightful – it’s essential. Dietary choices are deeply embedded in tradition, identity, and social norms, which vary widely between regions.
“If we want sustainable meat alternatives to resonate with diverse European consumers, we must first grasp what meat means to them. Effective positioning and communication around alternatives requires more than environmental arguments. It must speak to values, habits, and emotions tied to food. By grounding innovation in a cultural context, we can support a shift that is not only sustainable but accepted and embraced by consumers across Europe.”
EIT Food surveyed consumers across 17 European countries – including non-EU states Switzerland and the UK – to find out the “deeper cultural meaning of meat consumption and production”.
The organisation said “many consumers” believe meat as a food source is “here to stay – it has too much given the cultural meaning, traditions, hedonistic value and health benefits related to it”.
However, EIT Food added: “Many consumers do not plan to stop eating meat; rather, they will reduce their consumption and hope for better production practices in terms of sustainability and animal welfare.
“Consumers believe that in the near future – circa 15 years from now – their culture will be moving increasingly towards replacing meat with plant-based
alternatives.
“There will also be more and more movement towards ‘mindful meat’ – sustainably produced meat is on the rise and industrial farming is expected to
decrease in scale.
“In the near future, consumers see cultivated meat entering the meat market. However, they believe that there will be widespread scepticism towards it, as towards any new technology when it first becomes available to the public.”
Cell-based meat still viewed as “not real meat”
Interest in cell-cultivated meat has grown recent years, with the emerging industry attracting significant backing from investors.
However, only a small number of markets have granted approval for the commercial sale of cell-based meat. Others – Italy and Austria, for example – have ruled against it. Most jurisdictions – including the EU – have yet to make a ruling.
EIT Food said its research showed cell-cultivated meat “holds potential as a more ethical, sustainable and innovative alternative” to conventional meat but the organisation underlined the products needed to be “carefully positioned within the cultural context”.
The fledgling industry needs to build consumer trust in the “safety, healthiness, and environmental benefits” of cell-based meat, while also fostering greater awareness of the “hidden costs of traditional meat production”, EIT Food said.
At present, cell-cultivated meat can “seem unnecessary or even ‘too artificial’”, it added.
The researchers at EIT Food argue cell-based meat companies should “reclaim ‘real meat’ authentically”.
“Many consumers question whether cultivated meat is ‘real’ or ‘natural’,” they wrote. “To counter this, clearly state: This is real meat – just made differently.”
According to the report, there are more than 100 companies worldwide working to produce cultivated meat of different animals or cuts, including chicken, duck, oysters, foie gras and kangaroo. Some of these companies are producing hybrid meat, a combination of plant-based and cultivated cells.
However, EIT Food contends that a “tech-heavy narrative around cultivated meat alienates mainstream consumers who value emotional connection”.
The report read: “Start with ‘soft science’ and grow into humane innovation. In
the short-term, use the ‘soft science’ approach to build trust. Long-term, pivot to emotional and ethical narratives without needing to focus on the tech at all.”
Sofia Kuhn, director of public insights and engagement at EIT Food, added: “To successfully introduce cultivated meat into European markets, manufacturers must first understand how consumers perceive it – what excites them, what concerns them, and what values guide their food choices.
“Cultivated meat challenges traditional ideas of food and nature, and reactions can vary widely across cultures and demographics. Without this insight, even the most sustainable or innovative products risk rejection. Effective positioning must be rooted in empathy and evidence, responding to consumer beliefs, not just scientific facts.”
