Master of Science / Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health / Mark D. Haub / Linda K. Yarrow / Interest and participation in plant-based lifestyle patterns in North America has increased significantly due to perceived health benefits and concerns about the environment, ethics, and safety of the food supply. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate. There is growing evidence that plant-based dietary patterns are more sustainable than animal-based diets because they use fewer natural resources and are less environmentally taxing. With the projected world population growth and declining resources, sustainable diets and environmental sustainability are a must. As the need and interest in plant-based dietary patterns increases, it becomes important to evaluate public perception. There is currently little research focusing on attitudes and perceptions of the broader plant-based dietary pattern, particularly in the college-aged population. This exploratory study investigated individual perceptions of meat, dairy foods, and plant-based alternatives. Study results indicated taste preferences for meat and dairy foods were high. Additionally, students in the College of Agriculture and students who had a rural background were more likely to have a positive perception of meat and dairy foods than plant-based foods. These findings suggest the implementation of interventions such as education and the development of plant-based meat and dairy food alternatives matching their flavor profile as closely as possible may best assist in the shift from an animal-based to a plant-based dietary pattern.

Global food production, and consequently consumption, contributes significantly to total greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, there is a need for a shift towards more environmentally friendly consumption patterns. This includes moving away from current levels of dairy consumption, where plant-based alternatives can serve as more environmentally friendly options. This research sheds light on an emerging product category, namely plant-based dairy alternatives, which can serve as options or substitutes for traditional dairy products. The purpose of this thesis is to explore consumer attitudes and purchase intentions towards plant- based dairy alternatives, as well as the factors that influence attitudes and intentions respectively. To achieve an in-depth understanding of the topic, this study is of qualitative nature, using an abductive approach and interpretive philosophy. The primary data is collected through interviews with 16 consumers in the selected target group. Further, this research has developed a modified theory of planned behavior (TPB), to add to current consumer behavior research. The findings of this research show that the majority of the participants have a positive attitude and furthermore intention to purchase plant-based dairy alternatives. Furthermore, several factors influence consumer attitudes, which are subjective norms, health consciousness, taste, knowledge, environmental concern, animal treatment, and appearance. Moreover, purchase intention is affected by two factors, namely price, and curiosity.