Do consumers accept processed animal proteins in feed of food producing animals? A quantitative exploration in five European countries

In this study, we focus on the consumer acceptance of processed animal proteins (PAPs) in feed for pigs and poultry. The use of PAPs can be seen as a more sustainable alternative than other feed ingredients with benefit for a more sustainable eco-system. Critical for the eventual market success of PAPs is the response of consumers who buy and eat the animal products. Consumers may vary in the way they trade off the perceived positive and negative consequences of PAPs in feed. In an empirical study in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the UK, we studied consumer acceptance of animal products when it is communicated, in the form of two media messages, that the animals were raised with PAPs-based feed. The empirical models included drivers of consumer decision making, such as food choice motives, and perceived personal knowledge, to determine whether these can further help to understand variation in consumer acceptance. In our empirical analysis, we found that among the consumers in the five countries, there was substantial variation in the acceptance of PAPs in feed, with a peak at the neutral opinion. In addition, empirical evidence was found that, in four of the five countries, consumers who were more ecology conscious and were more health oriented (partly enhanced by the COVID pandemic), showed higher levels of fear, in comparison to other respondents, after reading the messages. In all five countries, consumers found, on average, that the two media messages were persuasive. Consumer acceptance was higher among consumers who had more knowledge about PAPs in feed. It was concluded that it may be of strategic relevance to consider communication campaigns about the use of PAPs in animal feed that target specific consumer groups within each country of interest.