Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
Written by Mihaela GEICU-CRISTEA, Elisabeta Elena POPA, Paula Gabriela MANEA, Mihaela Cristina DRĂGHICI, Amalia Carmen MITELUŢ, Paul Alexandru POPESCU, Mona Elena POPA
By 2050, the global population is set to reach 9.8 billion, which means high food demands. Therefore, the necessity of using alternative protein sources for food development, instead of meat, is of great interest. Meat alternatives which are generally based on proteins that are not of animal source present chemical characteristics very similar to animal protein and they intend to present same flavour, texture and appearance. These types of proteins are gaining more attention due to their health benefits, sustainability from an environmental point of view and ethics. Their sources are of plant origin (edible seeds, cereals, pseudo-cereals, tubers, legumes), microorganisms (bacteria and fungi), unconventional alternative sources (by-products of agro-industrial processes), algae, microalgae and insects. This study aimed at presenting consumer attitudes and perceptions related to alternative protein sources, and in this respect, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to be completed on-line. The results of our study showed that consumers are not totally informed about alternative protein sources and the majority are reluctant to some of these sources, but a small percent would be willing to pay more and consume alternative protein-based products.
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