Bruno Etter


Last Name

Etter

First Name

Bruno

ORCID

0009-0005-8152-1995

Organisational unit

03780 - Siegrist, Michael / Siegrist, Michael

Filters

2024 - 20253
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Publications1 - 3 of 3
  • Consumer acceptance of different protein sources for meat alternatives: A multinational study
    Item type: Journal Article
    Pronk, Kirsten; Etter, Bruno; Michel, Fabienne; et al. (2025)
    Appetite
    A wide variety of alternative proteins have been proposed for use in meat alternatives; however, it is not known how their acceptance by consumers compares. In this study, the most promising protein sources for meat alternatives in terms of consumer acceptance were identified across four European countries. An online survey was conducted among meat-eating participants in Germany (n = 472), Finland (n = 495), Italy (n = 498), and Serbia (n = 488). The participants evaluated 14 different protein sources for meat alternatives, including a wide variety of plant-based proteins, algae, insects, and cultured meat, based on three dimensions: expected taste, expected healthiness, and expected environmental friendliness. In addition, the effect of food neophobia, meat commitment, and meat alternative rejection levels on the consumption of different types of meat alternatives was assessed. Potato, rice, and peas were identified as the most accepted protein sources across the four countries. The results also showed that consumers had low expectations for algae and cultured meat, and that insects were the least accepted. Furthermore, country-specific preferences for certain protein sources were observed.
  • A cross-cultural comparison to find the most promising protein sources for milk and cheese alternatives among four European countries
    Item type: Journal Article
    Pronk, Kirsten; Etter, Bruno; Michel, Fabienne; et al. (2025)
    Future Foods
    The transition to more sustainable diets can be facilitated by substituting milk and cheese with plant-based alternatives. To increase the consumption of milk and cheese alternatives, it is important to understand which protein sources are most accepted by consumers. An online survey was conducted in Finland, Germany, Italy, and Serbia (N = 2036) to assess consumer expectations regarding the taste, healthiness, and environmental friendliness of various protein sources for milk and cheese alternatives. The study also explored the influence of consumption contexts and consumer characteristics on the willingness to substitute milk and cheese. Nuts, including almond, hazelnut, and cashew, were identified as the most promising protein sources across all countries. The study further showed that participants were more willing to substitute milk than cheese and that they were particularly open to substituting milk in coffee. Additionally, individuals with lower food neophobia levels and those who considered health and ecological welfare as important attributes were more likely to substitute. It is recommended that producers and marketers of milk and cheese alternatives focus on preferred protein sources and promote these alternatives for consumption contexts in which substitution is more likely to occur. Through these strategies, familiarity with milk and cheese alternatives is increased and greater acceptance is fostered.
  • Consumers’ categorizations of dairy products and plant-based milk, yogurt, and cheese alternatives
    Item type: Journal Article
    Etter, Bruno; Michel, Fabienne; Siegrist, Michael (2024)
    Appetite
    Plant-based dairy alternatives have many benefits in terms of sustainability, animal welfare, and health, but they can only be successful in the market if consumers perceive them as suitable substitutes for conventional dairy. Consumers' expectations for new products are strongly influenced by the food categories into which they place these products. The present study aims to reveal consumers' categorizations of plant-based dairy products to gain insights into their potential as dairy substitutes. In a free sorting task, 100 participants from the German-speaking part of Switzerland sorted a variety of plant-based and conventional animal-based dairy products into groups, indicating their spontaneous similarity perceptions. Additionally, we assessed the participants' characteristics and attitudes toward plant-based dairy products to test potential differences in categorization strategies among consumer groups. Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis showed that consumers' mental representations of plant-based dairy and conventional animal-based dairy were clearly separated across a wide range of product types. This pattern was even observed among consumers who ate less meat, had higher exposure to vegan dietary styles, and had less negative attitudes toward dairy alternatives. The results suggest that taxonomic distinctions based on plant or animal origin dominate consumers' perceptions and are likely to hinder the substitution of dairy with plant-based dairy. Nevertheless, they also imply that plant-based products that manage to emphasize shared goals and functional properties akin to conventional dairy products are more likely to form a common goal–derived category in consumers’ minds and thus have better prospects as substitutes.
Publications1 - 3 of 3