To Örebro University

Literature suggests that umami, Maillard reaction, and flavor complexity could contribute to sensorial acceptability of plant-based alternatives, but that was yet to be tested. Two field studies with 612 paying customers evaluating a complete meal were conducted in an operating restaurant in Sweden. In the first study, a gray pea burger (Control) was compared to burgers with added monosodium glutamate (MSG) (Umami), grilled (Maillard), or both grilled and added MSG (Complex). In the second study, a simplified gray pea burger (Control 2) was compared to a grilled burger with MSG and aromatics (Complex 2). Check-all-that-apply (CATA) tests show that participants perceived sensory differences between the samples, but their effects in hedonic ratings were inconclusive; only the Maillard sample was significantly more liked than Control and Complex burgers in Study 1. Although limited to their variables and context, these two experiments indicate that umami, Maillard reaction, and complexity, per se, are not key factors to improve liking and willingness to buy (WTB) of plant-based dishes. These results suggest that rather than trying to emulate sensory characteristics considered associated with meat, future research could prioritize addressing cultural barriers to vegetarian food.

Alcohol consumption is a burden to public health but little is known about the sensory performance of non-alcoholic drinks in the context of food and beverage pairings. This study investigated consumer liking and perception of taste balance of three beers (a pilsner, a wheat beer, and an IPA) in their alcoholic (AL) and non-alcoholic (NA) versions. All six beers were evaluated both alone and paired with skagenröra, a traditional Swedish shrimp salad. The results show that while the NA versions of the three beers were less liked when tasted alone, there was no significant difference in how they performed when paired with food, highlighting the potential of NA beers to promote healthier and more inclusive dining experiences. They also revealed a significant effect of gender in the liking of the pairing, with female participants liking the combinations less than male participants, although there was no gender difference in liking when the beers tasted alone. These findings contribute to the scientific literature on food pairing and have practical implications for the gastronomic and brewing industries, particularly for sommeliers interested in healthier pairing experiences.

This field experiment explored whether and to what extent claims about expert recommendations (i.e., those of the chef) and recommendations from other restaurant guests influenced customers' food choices in a restaurant. The menu in the study consisted entirely of vegetarian dishes, two of which were selected to be emphasised either as “Chef's choice” or as “Guests' choice” on the menu, thereby providing expert-based and social-based cues suggesting one of the dishes at different study time points. The selected dishes were a vegetarian version of a conventional Swedish meat dish (a plant-based patty) and a nonconventional dish (lentils with “zero-waste” pesto). Over four weeks, the restaurant's sales data were collected, and customers were invited to participate in a voluntary survey. This survey gathered information regarding sociodemographic characteristics and more details about the dish selection, including subjective ratings of dish liking and overall meal satisfaction. A total of 1540 dishes were sold, and 524 customers participated in the survey. The plant-based patty was the most popular choice across all weeks, and the “Chef's choice” had no additive effect, suggesting its high stability in popularity. Labelling a less popular dish (lentils with “zero-waste” pesto) with “Chef's choice” had a positive impact on its selection, while labelling it with “Guests' choice” made no difference. These results suggest that in the absence of meat options, some customers appear to transfer the concept of a meat-centric dish to a similar vegetarian dish (in this case, a plant-based patty), whereas a less popular dish with no resemblance to a conventional meat dish can become more popular when recommended by a presumable expert on the matter. However, further research is necessary to ascertain the efficacy of this effect in diverse restaurant contexts, based on designs with better possibilities to establish causality.

Among the obstacles to substituting animal-based food products with more sustainable plant-based alternatives at home and in food service is the lack of familiarity and creativity among consumers and culinary professionals. This case study describes and discusses the designing of a two-day hands-on workshop for eighteen cooks from Örebro Municipality, Sweden. In a collaborative design process, participants experimented with eight vegetable ingredients (legumes, grains and plant-based meat alternatives) and different cooking techniques (e.g. baking, grilling and frying) to create thirteen novel or adapted vegetarian dishes. The workshop incorporated sensory assessments of the plain ingredients, the cooked ingredients and the final dishes, empowering cooks as both creators and evaluators and generating valuable data for future recipe development. The resulting dishes, ranging from light to hearty and simple to complex, indicated no correlation between the number of components and overall liking, challenging the common perception that vegetarian dishes require more effort, ingredients or complexity. A follow-up questionnaire and group interview provided insights into the workshop’s impact and potential improvements. The case of this workshop sparks broader discussions about how to create dishes by taking ingredients as a starting point, and how methods from sensory science can be used to improve the flavour of vegetarian meals. It also raises questions about how researchers can design more horizontal and collaborative interactions with other actors of society – such as, in this case, cooks working in public meal services.

In the pursuit of more sustainable and healthier diets, it is important to understand how the presentation and description of vegetarian meals can affect consumers' preferences and perceptions. This study investigated the influence of two tablewares (bowl and plate) and two labels ("vegan" and "plant-based") on liking, willingness to pay, and perceptions of healthiness and sustainability of a vegetarian meal in a restaurant located in the headquarters of a retail company in Stockholm, Sweden. It was found that participants perceived the meal as healthier when it was served in a bowl or labeled "vegan" than when it was served on a plate or labeled "plantbased", and no other significant association between tableware or label and other measured variables was found. These results can help researchers, restaurants, cafeterias, pastry shops, and industries understand and communicate better with consumers about healthier and more sustainable vegetarian meals. Further studies should include other food products and participants from other cultural backgrounds, as well as measure choice and intake.

In the pursuit of more sustainable diets, researchers have been studying ways to promote a transition from animal- to plant-based meals in foodservice contexts by influencing participants' conscious choices through names, labels, claims, and information. This critical review found that these interventions usually mobilize only those already engaged in reducing the consumption of animal products and often only during the intervention period, failing to influence those who eat most meat or to create long-lasting effects. Analyzing the choice for vegetarian meals against meals with meat in recently published studies conducted in foodservice contexts, we argue that the transition to more sustainable diets should rely less on consumers' willpower and more on public policies and institutional measures that change the availability, price, and visibility of plant-based meals. Inspired by behavioral sciences, this paper discusses interventions that challenge meals with meat as the default option and suggests hybrids as a path to increase the availability, convenience, and sensory familiarity of vegetarian meals. The paper ends with proposals for questions, interventions, metrics, and issues to be researched by consumer science, including questions on the degree of freedom of consumers' choice and what would be the ethical limits to telling half the truth about hybrids.

This study explored the perceptions of plant-based meat among different socio and demographic segments of Brazilian consumers. The research included 763 participants, predominantly women, living in urban areas and with a high level of education. The analysis revealed that income, education, and age significantly affect perceptions of these products. Lower-income consumers often view plant-based meat as expensive and inaccessible, while those with higher purchasing power value its quality and convenience, indicating a greater propensity for adoption, particularly when aligned with ethical and health concerns. Education emerged as a key factor, with more educated individuals demonstrating greater awareness of the benefits. The word association task highlighted diverse perceptions: positive terms such as 'sustainable' and 'healthy' reflect appreciation, while negative terms like 'fake' and 'industrialized' expose skepticism. The study concluded that the acceptance of plant-based meat in Brazil is influenced by multiple factors and calls for tailored strategies to enhance accessibility, address consumer concerns, and promote culturally relevant solutions for more sustainable diets.

Dairy products are the second greatest contributor to the environmental burden of food in Europe, surpassed only by meat. The objective of this field study was to explore availability and positioning as strategies to promote the substitution of milk for a plant-based alternative on the coffee counter of a weekday self-service restaurant. Data on consumption of milk and oat drink of 6147 meals were collected in four different conditions: only milk (control), only oat drink, both beverages on both sides, both beverages on different sides of the coffee counter. Results show a 38 % decrease in milk consumption per paying customer on days when both beverages were available compared to control, leading to an estimated 32 % decrease in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). Contrary to hypothesized, the total volume of beverages was 12 % lower on days when both milk and oat drink were served compared to control days, causing a 9 % decrease in total costs. The ratio of milk by oat drink was also 21 % lower when each beverage was served on different sides of the counter compared to when both were served on both sides. Our study suggests that serving a plant-based alternative and creating small barriers to milk are promising strategies to reduce GHGE in day-to-day gastronomic venues.

Environmental sounds influence taste perception and liking of food because eating is a multisensory experience that integrates all senses. The present study investigated how a dark chocolate ganache with two different levels of added sugar was perceived when sounds corresponding to sweet and bitter tastes were played, as well as no sound. A total of 515 participants rated the balance of sweet and bitter tastes using just-about-right (JAR) and the overall liking using a hedonic scale. Results show that the bitter sound increased the perception of bitterness of both ganache and the sweet sound increased the perception of sweetness of the higher-sugar ganache. Although not always significant, both sounds had positive effects on liking, even when they exacerbated tastes already in excess and pushed them further from the ideal. These results indicate that the sounds were effective in influencing sensory perceptions of ganache, but their effects on liking did not come from taste improvement, most likely from sensory-emotional stimulation. Together with previous studies that found significant effects of sound in perception of taste, aroma, and texture, but not in liking, this study adds evidence on the importance of environmental sounds in eating contexts and propose that crossmodal effects of sound and liking are independent processes.