Product Expectations and the Importance Associated With Various Reasons to Eat Plant‐Based Food Alternatives: A Consumer Study With Cream Cheese

Consumers differ in their reasons for substituting animal products with plant‐based (PB) alternatives, and these motivations may influence expectations of product performance. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the importance of various motives and their expectations of cream cheese alternatives. Participants ( n = 985) rated the expected liking for 13 cream cheese products (both PB and dairy), and responded to questions about seven different reasons for consuming PB foods, including taste, health, environmental benefit, and animal welfare. Consumers who placed a higher value on good quality/taste as a reason for consumption expected PB alternatives to be superior to dairy cream cheese variations. In contrast, fewer differences were observed when consumers were segmented by motives relating to environmental, animal welfare, and impacts on future generations. These findings highlight the role of expected taste in driving consumer motivations to consume PB foods and beverages.