PI: Vincent Yau Shun Chow

Date Awarded: June 2020 (FSRF 33)

Executive Summary :

Although China has a long tradition of soy and seitan based products that loosely mimic meat, contemporary plant-based meats (PBMs) designed with modern food technology, have been, up until recently, absent from the Chinese market. In April 2020, Starbucks and KFC, which both have a large and long-standing presence in the country, added PBMs to menus in selected stores in China.

As these two launches marked the first time that PBMs have been available in mainstream commercial food outlets in the country, Chinese media coverage of these launches presents a unique window into the challenges and opportunities that this market offers for PBM products. This study answers the question of what Chinese consumer attitudes are towards PBMs as explored through discourse analysis. Given the large size of the Chinese market and its rising demand for meat, the response of Chinese consumers to PBMs is highly significant for stakeholders ranging from the global PBM industry, to environmental and animal welfare campaigners, to analysts of food security and international relations.

Using methodology modelled on prior work by Laestadius and Caldwell on discourse analysis towards PBMs in other countries, the researchers selected and analyzed ten articles from Chinese media covering the launches of Starbucks and KFC’s PBM items. Using MAXQDA, a software program for mixed-methods research, the researchers identified and compiled sub-themes from the different articles and extracted five meta-themes.

These five meta-themes are (1) nomenclature and understanding of PBMs, (2) influence of COVID-19/African Swine Fever, (3) market response to PBMs, (4) PBM production, and (5) consumer perceptions of PBM. These meta-themes provide insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by PBMs in the Chinese market. The main positive aspects of PBMs discussed in the articles were health benefits associated with the products (70% of articles) and safety (40%). Additionally, 40% of articles mentioned PBMs have taste and texture similar to conventional meat (40%), and 30% noted greater environmental friendliness. Lastly, a limited number of articles raised the potential for lower prices in the long-term compared to conventional meat (20%), as well as the novelty factor offered by PBMs (20%). The emphasis on health in the majority of articles demonstrates the importance of this factor in Chinese consumers’ food consumption choices, and suggests that this will be a key frame through which PBMs will be perceived positively by Chinese consumers or discussed positively in Chinese media.

Further Information: The final report is available here and the project data are available here.