Laboratóriumi húsok összehasonlító elemzése más alternatív fehérjeforrásokkal fogyasztói preferenciák alapján

Abstract

ÖSSZEFOGLALÁS A növényi alapú és rovareredetű fehérjeforrások, ill. a laboratóriumi húsok alternatívákat kínálhatnak a hagyományos állati fehérjék mellett, bár gyakorlati alkalmazásuk erősen vitatott kérdés. Fenntarthatósági előnyeik ugyanis nem mindig egyértelműek, élelmiszer-biztonsági, jogi és gazdasági okok miatt szakpolitikai támogatottságuk és fogyasztói elfogadottságuk sem egységes. A szerzők rep- rezentatív fogyasztói kutatása igazolja, hogy a felsorolt alternatívák lakossági támogatottsága Magyarországon kicsi. Leginkább a növényi húshelyettesítőket, ezt követően a laborhúsokat, legkevésbé a rovarfehérjét preferálja a lakosság. A preferenciákat szignifikánsan befolyásolja a válaszadók neme, életkora és lakóhelyének típusa. SUMMARY Background: Plant- and insect-based meat alternatives and cultured meat are gaining attention globally. However, their sustainability advantages are not always clear, while food safety, legal, economic and cultural barriers contribute to inconsistent policy support and varying levels of consumer acceptance. Hungary, as a typical Central European country represents a relevant case for investigating how consumers respond to these novel proteins, especially in the light of cultural traditions and recent policy developments toward insect-based food and cultivated meat. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate Hungarian consumer preferences regarding different protein sources: conventional meat types; plant-based and insect-based meat alternatives; and lab-grown meat. Further analysis was conducted to identify how demographic factors (age, gender, education, residence) influence their acceptance. Materials and methods: A quantitative consumer survey was conducted with personal interviews involving 1003 adult participants, resulting in a representative sample by gender, age group, and geographical regions. Respondents evaluated their willingness to consume eight types of protein on a 5-point Likert scale. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA to test for significant differences between demographic subgroups. Results and Discussion: Findings indicate a strong preference for traditional meat products, while alternative proteins received much lower acceptance scores. Demographic characteristics – such as age, gender, and place of residence – significantly influenced attitudes. Younger and urban consumers tend to be more open to novel protein sources. Male consumers are more interested in trying insect-based and cultured meat alternatives than females, however, neither of these options reached the acceptance level of any traditional meat types.