Clean label, complete, and sustainable: What do consumers know about protein products?

This study evaluated consumer perception of clean label, complete, and sustainable as they pertained to protein products. Two online surveys (n = 485; n = 505) and 5 focus groups (n = 32 consumers) were conducted to quantitively and qualitatively investigate consumer behaviors and beliefs regarding protein-fortified products. The surveys involved agree or disagree questions, multiple choice questions, check-all-that-apply questions, maximum difference scaling exercises, open-ended questions, and sliding-scale questions to investigate clean label, natural or artificial ingredients, good source of protein, and complete protein. Focus groups were used to confirm survey findings and to create a consumer knowledge map. Consumers wanted protein products to be a good source of protein and to be complete protein, but consumers were largely uneducated on food ingredients, protein claims, protein processing, and food technologies. An all-natural product with a good source of complete protein that tastes great was the ideal protein-fortified product. Consumers did not know the definitions of "good source of protein" or "complete protein." Dairy proteins were perceived as better tasting, whereas plant proteins were perceived as more sustainable and ethical. Consumers were unfamiliar with precision fermentation or animal-free dairy protein, protein processing, and food innovation technologies.