Percepções sobre fontes alternativas de proteína: um estudo transversal descritivo com consumidores brasileiros

With population growth and concerns about animal welfare and the environment, the search for other sources of protein besides meat has increased. Insect consumption has been one of the bets for the future, and it is believed that the best way to include them in the diet is indirectly, such as insect flour incorporated into other products. Cultured and printed meat are options that have recently emerged, but their acceptance may be hindered by the association with phrases such as ‘unnatural’ and ‘playing God’. The objective of this study was to explore consumer perceptions about protein sources that may emerge in a future market through market research. This is a descriptive study, with a quantitative and cross-sectional approach. The sample for this study was composed of social media users from Brazil, and the research instrument used was an online questionnaire administered between November 2024 and January 2025. The online questionnaire asked questions to characterize the sociodemographic characteristics, meat consumption habits, analyze the interviewees' food disgust based on the FDS-SHORT, assess their knowledge of each protein source in the present study, and their likelihood of trying and including each one in their diets. The analysis of results was performed using spreadsheets generated by the questionnaire application platform itself and the JASP software. The protein source that obtained the highest median probability of trying was cultured meat, and the lowest was the dish with larvae. Regarding the likelihood of replacing a common food with the food in question, cultured meat also obtained higher scores, and the dish with larvae obtained lower scores. The low acceptance of the dish with larvae and also of the burger with insects may be linked to the fact that many consider them disgusting and are afraid of them, as well as the lack of knowledge about them. The main factors that influence the acceptance of cultured meat and printed meat are similar: personal and social factors and lack of knowledge. Providing information about these protein sources can significantly help in their acceptance. This study can conclude that although people are willing to try these products, the likelihood of including them in their diets is low.