Categorization of explicitly labeled cell-, plant-, and animal-based food concepts by German-speaking omnivores in Switzerland

Cell-based meat and fish are emerging as potential alternatives to conventional animal-based proteins, but their consumer acceptance remains uncertain. Prior research has suggested that plant-based alternatives may be more likely to be adopted when they are perceived as belonging to the same category as their animal-based counterparts. Building on this insight, in the present study we explored how consumers categorize written cell-based meat and fish product concepts in comparison to labeled animal- and plant-based versions. German-speaking omnivorous participants in Switzerland ( N = 154) completed a free sorting task, in which they grouped 24 explicitly labeled product concepts with text designations indicating animal- (e.g., sausage), plant- (e.g., plant-based sausage), and cell-based (e.g., cell-based sausage) items, according to their own criteria without visual cues or physical products. The data were analyzed using multidimensional scaling, individual differences scaling, and hierarchical cluster analysis to identify the underlying categorization patterns. Overall, the results revealed that the participants' categorization of the presented written product concepts was primarily influenced by the production method labels and biological source descriptors along three dimensions. The corresponding dimensional weights were similar across genders. These findings offer insights into how the concepts of cell-based products are mentally grouped by consumers, providing directions for future research on how product labeling and presentation format might influence consumer perceptions and market integration.