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This study presents a systematic literature review to examine how the axiological values associated with cultured meat influence consumer perception, using the phenomenology of perception as an analytical framework. Fifty-four peer-reviewed qualitative and quantitative studies, identified through the Libraries Worldwide database, were analyzed using NVivo 12 software, based on predefined keywords and a rigorous selection grid. The results highlight several groups of axiological values that shape consumer attitudes, including the previously unexplored “axiological value of co-production” of cultured meat. Specifically, “dogmatic co-production” (e.g., religious or cultural co-production) appears to significantly enhance consumer perception and acceptance of cultured meat. The main limitation of this study lies in the absence of primary phenomenological field data, which may introduce researcher subjectivity inherent in qualitative paradigms. Nevertheless, the use of existing empirical studies ensures the relevance and reliability of this review. This research offers practical implications for communication strategies, suggesting that aligning messages with key axiological values and their amplifiers, particularly those related to co-production, can strengthen trust in and acceptance of cultured meat. For industry stakeholders, these findings provide guidance for value-driven positioning aimed at increasing consumer confidence. Academically, the study offers a novel perspective by integrating axiological analysis with phenomenology in the context of food technology adoption. Socially, it helps identify consumer concerns and expectations regarding the axiological values perceived as essential for the acceptance of cultured meat. The study’s originality lies in its application of phenomenological analysis to axiological frameworks and in highlighting the central role of co-production, particularly dogmatic co-production, in shaping consumer perception.

The holistic sensory experience creates a unified perception that influences consumer memory. Consumer interest in clean label products underlines an accelerated trend towards products without artificial additives. From a sensory point of view, food appeal is significantly influenced by how additives actively participate in the organoleptic properties of the final product. This research aims to shed light on the impact of artificial and natural additives in meat products on neurocognitive food perception, which is essential for understanding how they influence the consumer’s final decision and direct food trends. Different neural mechanisms involved in multimodal sensory integration confirm differences in perception of meat products containing artificial and natural additives. Analysis confirms that neurocognitive perception integrates organoleptic sensations to form a complete sensory experience. The encephalon simultaneously processes multimodally integrated stimuli from organoleptic properties, reaching the orbitofrontal cortex and other regions involved in the neuroprocessing of the final product. The reformulation and development of meat products need a detailed analysis of the impact of additives on sensory properties contributing to the shaping of consumption trends.

The texture of meat is one of the most important features to mimic when developing meat analogs. Both protein source and processing method impact the texture of the final product. We can distinguish three types of mechanical tests to quantify the textural differences between meat and meat analogs: puncture type, rheological torsion tests, and classical mechanical tests of tension, compression, and bending. Here, we compile the shear force and stiffness values of whole and comminuted meats and meat analogs from the two most popular tests for meat, the Warner–Bratzler shear test and the double-compression texture profile analysis. Our results suggest that, with the right fine-tuning, today’s meat analogs are well capable of mimicking the mechanics of real meat. While Warner–Bratzler shear tests and texture profile analysis provide valuable information about the tenderness and sensory perception of meat, both tests suffer from a lack of standardization, which limits cross-study comparisons. Here, we provide guidelines to standardize meat testing and report meat stiffness as the single most informative mechanical parameter. Collecting big standardized data and sharing them with the community at large could empower researchers to harness the power of generative artificial intelligence to inform the systematic development of meat analogs with desired mechanical properties and functions, taste, and sensory perception.

The interest for artificial meat has recently expanded. However, from the literature, perception of artificial meat in China is not well known. A survey was thus carried out to investigate Chinese attitudes toward artificial meat. The answers of 4666 respondents concluded that 19.9% and 9.6% of them were definitely willing and unwilling to try artificial meat respectively, whereas 47.2% were not willing to eat it regularly, and 87.2% were willing to pay less for it compared to conventional meat. Finally, 52.9% of them will accept artificial meat as an alternative to conventional meat. Emotional resistance such as the perception of “absurdity or disgusting” would lead to no willingness to eat artificial meat regularly. The main concerns were related to safety and unnaturalness, but less to ethical and environmental issues as in Western countries. Nearly half of the respondents would like artificial meat to be safe, tasty, and nutritional. Whereas these expectations have low effects on willingness to try, they may induce consumers’ rejection to eat artificial meat regularly, underlying the weak relationship between wishes to try and to eat regularly. Thus, potential acceptance of artificial meat in China depends on Chinese catering culture, perception of food and traditional philosophy.

Meat characterized by a high marbling value is typically anticipated to display enhanced sensory attributes. This study aimed to predict the marbling scores of rib-eye, steaks sourced from the Longissimus dorsi muscle of different cattle types, namely Boran, Senga, and Sheko, by employing digital image processing and machine-learning algorithms. Marbling was analyzed using digital image processing coupled with an extreme gradient boosting (GBoost) machine learning algorithm. Meat texture was assessed using a universal texture analyzer. Sensory characteristics of beef were evaluated through quantitative descriptive analysis with a trained panel of twenty. Using selected image features from digital image processing, the marbling score was predicted with R2 (prediction) = 0.83. Boran cattle had the highest fat content in sirloin and chuck cuts (12.68% and 12.40%, respectively), followed by Senga (11.59% and 11.56%) and Sheko (11.40% and 11.17%). Tenderness scores for sirloin and chuck cuts differed among the three breeds: Boran (7.06 ± 2.75 and 3.81 ± 2.24, respectively), Senga (5.54 ± 1.90 and 5.25 ± 2.47), and Sheko (5.43 ± 2.76 and 6.33 ± 2.28 Nmm). Sheko and Senga had similar sensory attributes. Marbling scores were higher in Boran (4.28 ± 1.43 and 3.68 ± 1.21) and Senga (2.88 ± 0.69 and 2.83 ± 0.98) compared to Sheko (2.73 ± 1.28 and 2.90 ± 1.52). The study achieved a remarkable milestone in developing a digital tool for predicting marbling scores of Ethiopian beef breeds. Furthermore, the relationship between quality attributes and beef marbling score has been verified. After further validation, the output of this research can be utilized in the meat industry and quality control authorities.

The sustained growth of global meat consumption incentivized the development of the meat substitute industry. However, long-term global commercialization of meat substitutes faces challenges that arise from technological innovation, limited consumer awareness, and an imperfect regulatory environment. Many important questions require urgent answers. This paper presents a review of issues affecting meat substitute manufacturing and marketing, and helps to bridge important gaps which appear in the literature. To date, global research on meat substitutes focuses mainly on technology enhancement, cost reduction, and commercialization with a few studies focused on a regulatory perspective. Furthermore, the studies on meat substitute effects on environmental pollution reduction, safety, and ethical risk perception are particularly important. A review of these trends leads to conclusions which anticipate the development of a much broader market for the meat substitute industry over the long term, the gradual discovery of solutions to technical obstacles, upgraded manufacturing, the persistent perception of ethical risk and its influence on consumer willingness to accept meat substitutes, and the urgent need for constructing an effective meat substitute regulatory system.

While production and consumption of meat cast a shadow over the prospects for sustainable development, artificial meat may be the solution. However, consumer acceptability of artificial meat is a major impediment to its use as a suitable alternative. This study analyzed the relationship between regulatory focus and consumer acceptance of artificial meat using randomized controlled trial data. Results showed that promotion focus results in a higher acceptance of artificial meat products due to a higher perceived benefit and lower perceived risk, whereas prevention focus results in a lower acceptance of artificial meat products due to perceived benefit being lower and perceived risk being higher. The moderating effect of the message framing was investigated employing structural equation modeling (SEM). It was discovered that a gain-oriented message framing could greatly strengthen the association between promotion focus and perceived benefit, whereas an avoidance-oriented message framing could significantly diminish the relationship between prevention focus and perceived risk. This study has crucial implications for how policymakers and industries communicate with consumers about artificial meat.

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of individuals’ climate change risk perceptions on artificial meat and edible insect diffusion optimism and the mediating role of food neophobia in these effects. The findings of this study are important because of the contribution that the preference behavior of innovative foods for mitigating the impact of climate change and managing climate change-induced food shortages can make within the framework of the Protection Motivation Theory. Türkiye was selected as the research region. The data obtained using quantitative analysis methods were transformed into findings through statistical analysis (such as structural equation modeling). This study revealed that individuals with high climate change risk perception evaluate alternative protein sources such as artificial meat and edible insects more positively. Food neophobia does not play an important role in these trends. This study emphasizes the importance of sustainable food consumption in combating climate change. To promote the spread of alternative protein sources, such as artificial meat and edible insects, individuals’ risk perceptions need to be increased, and food neophobia needs to be reduced. In this context, it is recommended to increase public awareness of climate change and develop educational programs. This study has the potential to contribute to the development of strategies to promote sustainable food consumption behaviors.

Esta investigación ha sido financiada por la Agencia Estatal de Investigación-AEI-y el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional-FEDER-(Proyecto AGL2016-78532-R), y el Gobierno de Aragón (Subvención de Fondos Agrupados de Investigación, Grupo A17_20R).

This study aimed to identify consumers in Türkiye's attitudes toward consuming cultured beef, a new and sustainable food product, their willingness to pay, and the factors influencing these consumption. A face-to-face survey was conducted with 386 individuals. In the study, the Critic method was used to determine the sensory factors in consumers' traditional beef consumption preferences, and the fuzzy paired comparison method was used to rank the priorities of the reasons for not consuming cultured meat. In addition, consumers' desire to consume cultured beef was determined by the conditional evaluation method, and the general price they wanted to purchase was determined by the lower bound mean method. Multidimensional scaling was used to create perception maps of consumers, and multiple correspondence analysis were used to determine consumption preferences according to demographic characteristics. A significant portion of participants were initially reluctant to consume cultured beef. The reluctant group had a higher tendency to fear consuming new foods (food neophobia) than the willing group. However, attitudes toward cultured beef consumption changed when different alternatives were presented and were positively influenced by the social environment, market availability, and price of the product. Consumers' willingness to pay for this product was $13.716/kg. At this price threshold, a significant portion of the population was willing to accept the product (29.27%). The consumer profile that wants to buy a product when its price drops is composed of male, middle-income and middle-aged people. Health concerns and taste expectations are the most significant sensory barriers to consumption motivation. The order of importance attributed to these factors varied by gender. The results of this study will guide the success of cultured meat, an alternative food product.