The role of halo effects in consumer perceptions of meat and dairy alternatives

An increasing number of consumers are reducing their consumption of meat and dairy products and choosing alternatives. Health and environmental concerns are frequently cited as key motivations and selling points. This study investigates whether consumers' willingness to consume meat and dairy alternatives (MDAs), including plant-based, insect-based, and lab-grown products, is associated with perceived healthiness and sustainability. Additionally, it examines whether these perceptions align with objective product characteristics, namely the Nutrient Rich Foods Index (NRF10.3) and CO 2 -equivalent values. Beyond rational information processing, consumers rely on mental shortcuts when assessing the healthiness and sustainability of food products. Specifically, the halo effect plays an important role whereby consumers infer additional positive product attributes based on a single perceived strength of a product. Through the lens of the halo effect, this study examines which perceptions are associated with consumers' assessments of different MDAs. A total of 1034 Swiss participants evaluated 15 commercially available MDAs across six dimensions: willingness to consume, perceived enjoyment, healthiness, sustainability, naturalness, and processing. The results show that willingness to consume MDAs is associated with perceived healthiness and, to a lesser extent, with perceived sustainability. However, these perceptions diverge from the NRF10.3 and CO 2 -equivalent values. Instead, halo effects seem to influence health and sustainability perceptions. Perceived healthiness is associated with perceived sustainability, naturalness, processing, and enjoyment, while sustainability perceptions are associated with perceived healthiness, naturalness, and enjoyment. Accordingly, health-sustainability, naturalness, and taste halo effects are identified. These findings have important implications for the marketing and communication of MDAs. • The study examines perceptions of meat and dairy alternatives across product types. • Health and sustainability predict willingness to consume meat and dairy alternatives. • Perceived healthiness and sustainability diverge from NRF10.3 and CO2-eq values. • Halo effects may influence perceptions of healthiness and sustainability. • The study identifies health–sustainability, naturalness, and taste halo effects.