Translation of consumers' sensory preferences of NPFs into product characteristics.

The importance of a transition from meat consumption to a more plant-based diet was recognized increasingly over the past years by researchers, policymakers, and food companies. The need for such a transition was the central problem statement of the multidisciplinary research program Profetas (Protein Foods Environment Technology and Society) that took place in the first years of the millennium (Aiking et al., 2006). The first studies described in this thesis were conducted as part of this study program, in which the substitution of meat for ‘novel protein foods’ was studied from different perspectives. The term ‘Novel Protein Foods’ was used for new plant-based products that were to be developed to replace meat in the diet. This thesis aimed to investigate the roles of the product, the context and consumer characteristics in the acceptance of meat substitutes. The research questions addressed in this thesis are: - What factors play a role in the acceptance of meat substitutes? - How does meal context influence the acceptance of meat substitutes? - Do meat and meat substitutes differ in situational appropriateness? - What (sensory) properties are preferred for meat substitutes? - What are the underlying motives for the (in)appropriateness of meat substitutes in different usage situations?