Researchers at Umeå University have conducted the first consumer study focusing on plant-based fermentation and its role in the necessary dietary transition to achieve European health and sustainability goals. The goal is to create plant-based fermented foods that offer health benefits to the population in general. The study is based on a survey of 7,800 EU consumers in over nine European countries, where they surveyed their preferences and attitudes towards plant-based fermented foods.
The research is part of the HealthFerm project, which aims to create plant-based fermented foods that offer health benefits to the population in general. "This consumer study has shed light on the development towards a societal tipping point. With about 27% of omnivores eating as flexitarians, without identifying as flexitarians, this is a step forward, as it suggests that reducing meat consumption is becoming the new normal," says Professor Armando Perez-Cueto, leader of HealthFerm's Consumer Studies.
"The majority of respondents consider fermented plant-based foods as contributing to -and facilitating- the dietary shift." The majority of respondents believe that fermented plant-based foods contribute to and facilitate the dietary transition. The survey also delved into sensory preferences and identified important characteristics of different fermented plant-based foods by looking at what consumers dislike and like about these foods.
The survey has also delved into sensory preferences and i.