Indifferent or Attractive? An Exploratory Kano Model Application to Cultivated Meat Products

Cultivated meat is an emerging food innovation with the potential to transform food systems, raising important ethical, social, and sustainability considerations. Including consumer perspectives is essential to understand which cultivated meat attributes drive acceptance and satisfaction, highlighting the need to study specific products rather than the category as a whole. This study presents the first exploratory application of the widely validated Kano model to explore consumer classification of seven key cultivated meat products’ attributes, their impact on satisfaction, and potential differences across dietary groups. Two products were examined: a cultivated burger and cultivated foie gras, including a willingness-to-try assessment using realistic product images provided by companies. A total of 107 conference attendees representing diverse nationalities and dietary patterns participated. Results indicate that attribute classification differs both within and across products. Price and protein content emerged as attractive attributes for all consumers. Taste parity was valued mainly by meat-eaters for the more familiar burger, while vegan labelling was considered one-dimensional by non-meat-eaters, especially vegans. No must-be attributes were identified, suggesting consumer expectations for cultivated meat are not yet fully formed. Attributes such as appearance resemblance, country of origin, and those drawing policy attention, like labelling products as “meat” or “foie gras”, were largely perceived as indifferent. These findings underscore the product and consumer- specific nature of cultivated meat acceptance and the value of incorporating consumer perspectives early in product development. The Kano model proved effective in classifying attributes, providing insights for both theoretical understanding and practical decision-making in this innovative sector.