Determinants of cultured meat acceptance: a stimulus–organism–response perspective

Alternative meat technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way humans consume meat, and provide a healthier, safer, and environment‑friendly option. However, acceptance of cultured meat has been dismal across the globe and largely unexplored in most developing nations such as India. This study identifies the critical factors for acceptance of cultured meat and suggests a model based upon the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework. Survey data from 350 Indian consumers were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed through partial least‑squares structural equation modeling . The findings indicate that higher‑order constructs such as health benefit, food neophobia, and meat attachment significantly influence attitude toward cultured meat, whereas environmental concern did not show any significant influence. The paper offers a detailed discussion of all relationships among the identified variables and presents practical implications for companies and food outlets planning to introduce cultured meat in emerging markets.