Perceptions of Vegan Food among Organic Food Consumers Following Different Diets

Abstract

This article identifies consumer segments for vegan food by analysing perceptions of vegan food among food organic consumers following different diets: vegans, vegetarians, former vegetarians, flexitarians, and omnivores. The analysis is based on responses to a quantitative consumer survey for which 503 participants were recruited from customers at German grocery stores by quota sampling according to diet and region. From the responses to an open-ended question eliciting the participants’ associations with vegan food, the analysis finds that vegans and vegetarians perceive vegan foods primarily as being beneficial for animal welfare, healthy, and environmentally friendly, while those who ate meat perceive vegan food primarily as containing no animal ingredients and as being healthy. The respondents’ varying assessments of the taste, diversity, and environmental benefits of vegan food were found to differ in relation to the various diets they followed, as did their assessments of how long the vegan trend is likely to last. A cluster analysis based on the consumers’ perceptions and attitudes revealed three consumer groups: “vegan fans”, “enjoyment sceptics”, and “originality-sceptics”. Scepticism about the originality of vegan food was found in all diet groups. These findings can help inform more effective targeting of consumer needs for vegan organic food.

Seafood alternatives: assessing the nutritional profile of products sold in the global market

“…Furthermore, product labels were the most common source of sustainability information [34]. Thus, organic claim (used in 4% of the products included in this study) is a way to contribute in vegan and vegetarian consumers' perception of the foods as environmentally friendly and sustainable [35]. Several studies have shown that consumers, not only vegan/vegetarian, who have a strong preference for organic food tend to reduce meat consumption and increase plant-based foods [36][37][38].…”

Understanding Key Factors Influencing Consumers’ Willingness to Try, Buy, and Pay a Price Premium for Mycoproteins

“…Diets devoid of meat, such as vegetarianism and veganism, are increasing in popularity [10][11][12]. A vegetarian diet requires the non-consumption of meat, seafood, or any form of animal flesh, while a vegan diet requires abstaining from eating not only meat but also any animal-based product, for instance, milk, yogurt, eggs, or honey [13][14][15]. The occurrence of meat-reduced or meat-free dietary changes is reflected in the increased availability of plant-based meat, dairy, and egg alternatives in food retail, as well as in the occurrence of vegetarian and vegan options in restaurants [16][17][18].…”

Veganism during the COVID-19 pandemic: Vegans' and nonvegans' perspectives

“…According to Cole and Morgan (2011), veganism is sometimes viewed as a deviant practice, and this unfavorable perception is promoted through veganism's misrepresentation. Vegan food is generally considered healthy and natural, but remarkably, certain consumers (e.g., nonvegans) have negative attitudes toward vegan food and perceive it as unhealthy or artificial ( Kilian & Hamm, 2021 ). Among antivegans, prejudices against veganism and pro-meat attitudes are explicitly expressed ( Earle & Hodson, 2017 ).…”

“… Cooper et al (2022) identified consumer perceptions among vegans and nonvegans on Twitter using text analytics. However, most relevant studies have involved traditional techniques, such as quantitative consumer surveys and interviews, to analyze perceptions of vegan food (e.g., Kilian & Hamm, 2021 ).…”