Consumers' Psychological Constructs regarding Hybrid Meat Products: a Scoping Review.

Abstract

Growing concerns about the health, social, and environmental impacts of high meat consumption have driven interest in plant-based diets and effective policies to reduce meat intake. Hybrid meat products, combining animal-derived ingredients and alternative protein sources, represent a promising strategy toward reduced meat consumption. This scoping review set out to systematically map and synthesise existing research on consumers' psychological constructs and outcomes related to hybrid meat products. Using the Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework, this review focused on consumers of any demographic exposed to hybrid meat in various contexts, including retail, restaurant, and experimental settings. Seventy-nine peer-reviewed publications published up to December 2025 were included in the review after meeting the predefined inclusion criteria. Data extraction used a custom tool, and analysis involved frequency counts and descriptive summaries of key characteristics and themes. Across studies, hybrid meat products generally showed high consumer acceptance, liking, and preference, often exceeding expectations. Sensory appeal emerged as a strong predictor of liking and acceptance, and a wide range of ingredients and non-meat ratios (1% to 80%) were generally well accepted. Information provision could influence hybrid meat adoption, with environmental and health messages showing the greatest positive impact. "These findings contribute to understanding how hybrid meat products may fit within sustainable dietary transitions, while highlighting communication strategy and long-term behavioural adaptation as areas requiring further research."