• Aucun résultat trouvé

Quinoa steaks : can the Latin American city Lima be the next target market for this meat substitute ?

N/A
N/A
Protected

Academic year: 2021

Partager "Quinoa steaks : can the Latin American city Lima be the next target market for this meat substitute ?"

Copied!
91
0
0

Texte intégral

(1)

Quinoa steaks : Can the Latin American city

Lima be the next target market

for this meat substitute?

Bachelor Project submitted for the degree of

Bachelor of Science HES in International Business Management by

Angela SENRA ROJAS

Bachelor Project Mentor:

Nicolas DEPETRIS-CHAUVIN, Ph.D.

Geneva, 3rd June 2020

Haute école de gestion de Genève (HEG-GE) International Business Management

(2)
(3)

Declaration

This Bachelor Project is submitted as part of the final examination requirements of the Haute école de gestion de Genève, for the Bachelor of Science HES-SO in International Business Management.

The student accepts the terms of the confidentiality agreement if one has been signed. The use of any conclusions or recommendations made in the Bachelor Project, with no prejudice to their value, engages neither the responsibility of the author, nor the adviser to the Bachelor Project, nor the jury members nor the HEG.

“I attest that I have personally authored this work without using any sources other than those cited in the bibliography. Furthermore, I have sent the final version of this document for analysis by the plagiarism detection software stipulated by the school and by my adviser”.

Geneva, 3rd June 2020

(4)

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart all the people who participated, directly or indirectly, in the success of this thesis.

First, I am grateful to my parents for their support and help in choosing the subject of this thesis. I would also like to thank my family who lives in Lima for their help and participation in the research work and the collection of information through the food blindfolded experiment. In particular, my aunt was one of the key players in my thesis. She is the one who took charge of the implementation of the food experiment. Indeed, without her, what represents for me one of the most important accomplishments of this work would certainly not have been possible considering the distance that separates us from the target market.

I also thank – for their help and guidance through the steps of this thesis – Mikael and Olivia, and for her help in proofreading this document, Melany. My gratitude also goes to Mr. Wandeler for his expertise in the valuation of foreign markets.

Last but not least, Mr. Depetris for his listening skills and his knowledge transmitted through this document. His expertise in the Latin American market helped me to better understand it. Thank you too to Dr Ernesto Franco-Luesma from Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation for his time in reading and evaluating my research.

(5)

Executive Summary

The market for meat substitutes has been booming in recent years. According to a study published by Fortune Business Insights, it was worth USD 4.4 billion in 2018 and is projected to almost double by 2026, with a CAGR1 of 8.4%. The rising popularity of the vegan diet as well as the growing interest in food safety and the environment have placed these alternatives in a prominent position worldwide. But can the quinoa steak euphoria spread to a city where 85% of the people interviewed eat meat several times a week? This research aims to assess whether the Lima population could be the next target market for quinoa steaks. Conclusions will be drawn on the opportunity to expand it in this region, and an action plan will be established to better target its communities. The tools used to achieve this objective were an online questionnaire and a food blindfolded experiment. Interviews with two dieticians were also conducted to establish a future for the meat substitute market. These tools were used to gather in-depth information about each population’s segment and to study their behaviour towards quinoa steaks, to ultimately define whether Peruvians would be ready for meatless food. Through our study, we determined that this sector is little known in Lima. Even though quinoa has an admirable image within the country, 78% of the respondents to the online questionnaire have never tasted its steak version. However, the experiment was conclusive as to the future of this market, as 50% of the participants would recommend quinoa steaks to their relatives.

The lack of knowledge of this market is the major barrier to its development in Lima. As a result, an awareness campaign in collaboration with schools, businesses, supermarkets, and local influencers is required to increase the visibility of quinoa steaks and their benefits for health. Workshops, tastings, a wider choice of meat substitutes, and better product placement in stores could also be potential solutions.

Based on a bottom-up approach, we estimated the value of the business opportunity in Lima for the quinoa steak market to be worth USD 20’300’545.80 (S/.69’001’556.99) under a base case scenario. The region could therefore be promising if more investment were devoted to promoting this product.

(6)

Contents

Quinoa steaks : Can the Latin American city Lima be the next target market for

this meat substitute? ... 1

Declaration ... iii

Acknowledgements ... iv

Executive Summary ... v

Contents... vi

List of Tables ... viii

List of Figures ... viii

1. Introduction ... 1

2. Exploration of the meat substitute market ... 4

2.1 Current state of the meat industry worldwide ... 4

2.2 Trends in the meat substitute market ... 6

2.3 Quinoa as a meat substitute ... 7

2.3.1 What is quinoa? ... 7

2.3.2 Meat substitutes and quinoa steaks ... 8

2.4 Quinoa steaks in Lima ... 11

3. Methodology ... 14

3.1 Online survey ... 15

3.2 Food blindfolded experiment ... 15

4. Analysis of the results ... 18

4.1 Online survey ... 18

4.2 Food blindfolded experiment ... 23

4.3 Summary of the analysis ... 26

4.4 Fields of improvement ... 27

5. Discussion ... 29

6. Conclusion ... 33

7. Epilogue ... 34

Bibliography ... 35

Appendix 1: Interview with Ms. Catherine Hendrikx ... 40

Appendix 2: Interview with Ms. Gabrielle Calderara ... 42

Appendix 3: Online survey questionnaire ... 44

Appendix 4: Food blindfolded experiment protocol ... 48

Appendix 5: Explanation of the experiment provided to the participants of the food blindfolded experiment ... 52

Appendix 6: Experiment questionnaire for the first plate provided to the participants of the food blindfolded experiment ... 53

Appendix 7: Experiment questionnaire for the second plate provided to the participants of the food blindfolded experiment ... 54

(7)

Appendix 8: Experiment questionnaire for the third plate provided to the

participants of the food blindfolded experiment ... 55 Appendix 9: End of the experiment questionnaire provided to the participants of the food blindfolded experiment ... 56 Appendix 10: Questionnaires’ feedback from the food blindfolded experiment .. 57 Appendix 11: Analysis of the videos of the food blindfolded experiment ... 74 Appendix 12: Valuation of the business opportunity – Bottom-up approach ... 83

(8)

List of Tables

Table 1 – Nutritional comparison of 100g of protein food ... 9

Table 2 – Frequency table ... 19

Table 3 – Analysis of results per age range, ”In your opinion, what is the healthiest between meat and meat substitutes?” ... 23

Table 4 – Comparative price per kilogram ... 30

List of Figures

Figure 1 – Worldwide quinoa production, 2010 to 2017, by country, in metric tons ... 2

Figure 2 – Carbon footprint of foods, amount of greenhouse gases in fresh foods, in kilograms CO2-eq per kilogram of food ... 4

Figure 3 – Yearly meat consumption in Peru, by type, in kilograms, per capita, 1961-2017 ... 5

Figure 4 – Location of stores selling meat alternatives in Lima, 2019 ... 12

Figure 5 – Map of Lima Metropolitana ... 14

Figure 6 – Population by age group in Lima Metropolitana, in percentage, 2019 ... 18

(9)

1. Introduction

This research aims to determine whether the population of Lima – the capital city of Peru – would be willing to introduce quinoa steaks as part of their diet, and whether this Latin American city could be the next target market for this meat substitute.

According to the Medical Dictionary, a meat substitute is defined as:

“Non-animal protein food products, derived from soya beans, wheat gluten, yeast or other sources, and usually flavoured and textured to resemble natural muscle

protein.” (Medical dictionary, 2004)

The VUCA2 world in which we currently live oblige people to adapt and develop their skills to survive. Ancient civilizations adapted, changed their lifestyles, lived in harmony with their surrounding world and what it had to offer them. Thanks to their resilience, they managed to survive through hard times and danger. At the origin of the last great empire of pre-Columbian America, the Inca civilization was the heir of cultural traditions dating back to the first fishing and farming communities of the coastal plains of Peru. They have been able to survive thanks to their eating habits as well. This nation’s people were largely vegetarians3 and ate meat occasionally when they could get it from the land or the sea. At the micro-level, each family produced its food and was looking after its own family, and quinoa was one of the main crops cultivated by this Empire. (Cartwright, 2015)

Consumers’ perception of food has changed to a great extent in recent years mainly due to globalization. People are increasingly concerned about eating healthy (Food Export, 2015). Nowadays, quinoa is still widely used in Peruvian cuisine as an accompaniment in meals, breakfast or even in soups. In current times, people associate quinoa with well-being, good food, and healthy lifestyle, whilst it was previously seen as the grain of survival. This grain is today mostly consumed by people caring about their health. In figure 1, we can observe the worldwide quinoa production from 2010 to 2017. Converted in metric tons, we can notice that the share of Peru in global production accounted for around 60% of worldwide production in 2014, and approximately 55% in 2015. This rise in production reflects the growing demand for this grain as a response to all the nutritious benefits that the general public offers to it. (Shahbandeh, 2019)

2 Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity

(10)

Figure 1

– Worldwide quinoa production, 2010 to 2017,

by country, in metric tons

Source: FAO (2019)

In this graph, there is a pick of production between 2014 and 2015. The number of countries growing quinoa has increased from eight in 1980, to 75 in 2014 and 95 one year later (Bazile, Baudron, 2015). This industry has boomed in the last decades and its demand continues to grow.

Quinoa steaks are a revolution for anyone willing to eat healthy while benefiting from the nutritional values of this grain. However, the meat alternative market is not well developed in Lima. This city has gone through social and economic progress during the last decades (World Bank, 2019), which led to higher incomes, which in turn led to people consuming more meat and fats, and less grains and vegetables. This trend is also represented more widely in Peru, with Peruvians focusing more on getting a job and succeeding in their lives rather than eating healthy. Moreover, rambling in the streets of Lima makes people aware of the various meal alternatives and restaurants that the city offers, most of which are small kitchens on the street. These rarely propose healthy alternatives but rather traditional meals that mainly contain meat in its various forms (chicken, beef, pork, fish, etc). Developing the market for meat substitutes in this city could therefore be seen as a challenge. The expansion of this market would require increasing awareness and knowledge about alternatives to meat focusing on the fact that they can be viable in the long run and be a nutritious substitute for traditional meat.

(11)

This research is of interest nowadays given the global quinoa phenomena. We can observe this trend through social media, in restaurants, and in more and more recipes: quinoa has become a delicacy of choice, and this euphoria is not going to diminish any time soon. So why not make the most of this trend and develop its steak format in the Lima market? Currently, we find no published studies on quinoa steaks in Lima, nor in Peru, nor any study on meat substitutes in that country. This topic is relatively up-to-date, and this market not much represented there. Although quinoa has been widely consumed in Peru for centuries, its steak version is much less so. The Peruvian culinary traditions are known to be varied, tasty, and generous, and this heritage has taken a significant role in the fame of this country. But would the population be open to new culinary adventures with quinoa steaks?

This research points out the lack of global awareness on this area, and mentions the current social trend arising from people being more conscious about their eating habits. Would the Peruvian population, which is mainly based on a meat-centred culture, be willing to give way to another type of product such as quinoa steaks?

To answer the research question, this study proposes to analyse data gathered from an online survey and a food blindfolded experiment, both implemented in Lima Metropolitana. The survey will enable to have more insight on the culinary preferences of this population and understand how the sample of persons analysed perceive quinoa steaks in comparison to meat. Combined with the food blindfolded experiment providing strong qualitative data, we will be able to investigate more thoroughly the eating patterns of our target market and assess its acceptability of the quinoa steaks market in the Peruvian territory.

This research will be organised as follows: the first part will be an introduction to the topic of quinoa as a grain and as a meat substitute, investigating the meat substitutes market worldwide. An emphasis will be placed on the Peruvian market and more particularly on its capital city in order to analyse the state of it there. The socio-cultural and economic factors of this city will be considered as well. The second part explains more exhaustively the methodology used to carry out our research work. The analysis of the results collected through the above-mentioned techniques will be studied in the third part to better apprehend this population, and along with the information gathered through interviews with dieticians, lessons and recommendations will be drawn on the future of this market.

(12)

2. Exploration of the meat substitute market

2.1 Current state of the meat industry worldwide

“The world now produces more than four times the quantity of meat as it did 50 years ago”. “Meat consumption increases as the world is getting richer”. “Livestock production has large environmental impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use” (Ritchie, Roser, 2017). All these statements are alarming messages that point out the meat industry as environmentally harmful, fact raised by the figure below. Not only is the over-consumption of meat bad for humans’ health, but it is also for our planet.

Figure 2

– Carbon footprint of foods, amount of greenhouse gases in

fresh foods, in kilograms CO

2

-eq per kilogram of food

Source: World Economic Forum (2016)

Global meat production has increased rapidly since 1961 as a response to increased worldwide demand. Several factors influence the decision to consume meat, such as religion, the culture of the country, or the availability of meat. One of the most important factors is one’s economic status. Therefore, we can observe a more striking growth in per capita meat consumption in countries that underwent a strong economic transition, such as China and Brazil for example. (Ritchie, Roser, 2017)

(13)

The 2013 figures on meat consumption (Pariona, 2017) show that the largest meat-eaters were Australia with around 116kg per person per year, followed by the US and Israel. In 2016, the US beat Australia to become the world’s largest meat consumers. In Switzerland since 2017, the purchase of meat in supermarkets has decreased (20 Minutes, 2020). A drop in meat consumption of 2.5% has been registered in 2019 compared to two years earlier, while the amount of money spent on meat by consumers has remained stable due to the stability of meat prices. This reveals consumers’ willingness to eat less meat if it is of higher quality, despite the higher price.

In 2013, the biggest Latin American meat-eaters were Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil at the fourth, fifth and sixth places (Pariona, 2017). India ranks among the countries that consume the least meat worldwide with less than 4kg per person.

Figure 3

– Yearly meat consumption in Peru, by type,

in kilograms, per capita, 1961-2017

Source: ourworldindata.org (2017)

The situation of Peru regarding meat consumption fluctuated as shown in figure 3 from 1961 to 2017. The most consumed type of meat is poultry. Chicken is the cheapest meat in Peru, and given that Peru is a developing country, the price of products highly influences the food habits of its population. In 2019, Peru occupied the 7th place in the minimum wage rankings of South American countries (CNN Español, 2019). Peru’s consumption of meat was of 24.41kg per year and per person in 2017 (Ritchie, Roser, 2017). Taking into consideration the correlation between meat consumption and the wealth of each country, Peru is amongst the South American countries that consume the least meat.

(14)

2.2 Trends in the meat substitute market

With a growing world population expected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050, there is an urgent need to find alternatives to animal agriculture, which accounts for one of the biggest causes of global warming. Sustainably feeding the world will be one of the most crucial challenges in the coming decades (Ritchie, Roser, 2017). To counterbalance the meat industry, a new industry has seen the light: the meat substitute market. An increasing number of people are willing to reduce their meat consumption for ethical or health reasons, or because they advocate animal welfare. Many initiatives have been undertaken such as Meat-free Mondays and Meatless Mondays (originated in the UK and the US respectively), and Veganuary (originated in the UK). These LMIs4 have emerged to encourage a reduction in meat consumption at a high scale. (Ritchie, 2019) The vegan diet5 grows in popularity, especially in the western markets of the USA and Europe. Moreover, the cases of eating disorders such as obesity have considerably increased in the last decades, particularly in the high-income regions of the world. According to the OECD, by 2030, it is expected that these cases will reach 47%, 39%, and 35%, in the US, Mexico, and England, respectively. Besides, various studies have linked the excessive consumption of red processed meat to diseases such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes (WHO, 2015). Due to these factors, health concerns have been boosted, which will drive the meat substitute market up and create fruitful opportunities for this market to expand.

One way to reduce our meat intake is to switch to its alternatives. Key players in the meat substitute market in South America are Tofurky, Impossible Foods, The Superbom, Beyond Meat, Vegabom, and Mr. Veggy (Market Insights Reports, 2018). In the world, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods dominate the market and have set new standards for innovation in the industry. This market is so juicy that even the biggest meat brands have entered it, with for example Tyson Foods Inc in the US introducing its first plant-based products. These companies will determine the growth of this market and are already well implanted in it.

The global meat substitute market is segmented into type (tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein (TVP), Quorn, seitan, etc), source (quinoa, soy, wheat, mycoprotein, and others (including pea protein, rice protein, lentil protein, and plants)), and category (frozen, refrigerated, and shelf-stable). (Vig, Deshmukh, 2019)

4 Less Meat Initiatives

(15)

It is expected that by 2026, the meat substitute market will grow larger, and the types that will be most impacted are the tofu-based and TVP-based products. By source, the soy-based segment is projected to dominate the market.

According to many studies, the market for meat substitutes is expected to be valued at USD 8.1 billion by 2026. The phenomenon is such, that given the rise of diseases linked to unhealthy food choices, people’s consciousness and awareness towards healthier alternatives have increased. (Fortune Business Insights, 2019)

This market offers promising growth opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region given the rise in the disposable income of consumers there. Most of these countries have rose at a faster pace than western countries and now adopt the western lifestyle too. (Vig, Deshmukh, 2019)

In South America, there is a growing concern about plant-based meat alternatives and the vegan trend. The share of this market in this region was dominated by Brazil with 80.06% in 2017, followed by Argentina and the rest of South America (Mordor Intelligence, 2020). Indeed, a rising number of individuals in Brazil and Argentina are affected by health issues like obesity. Health is a major reason to turn to meatless alternatives. The South American meat substitute market was valued at USD 144.86 million in 2017, and is estimated to be worth USD 291.95 million by 2023, thus more than doubling in six years. Some factors that persist and that halt the development of this market are the price of the products and the highly consolidated market which is composed of few major players causing less variety in the stores’ shelves.

While Peruvian projected annual per capita poultry meat consumption is expected to rise smoothly from 38.5kg in 2019 to 40.14kg in 2026, and that beef and veal is also expected to increase from 4.74kg to 4.99kg for the same years, is it still feasible to make a meat competitor enter the Latino-American city Lima?

2.3 Quinoa as a meat substitute

2.3.1 What is quinoa?

The quinoa was the holy grain for the Inca civilization. It is considered a pseudo-cereal rather than a real cereal because it is not an herb. The particularity lays in the fact that quinoa is a grain consumed as a cereal, therefore some articles name it as such. This grain needs altitude to be cultivated, which is why the Andean highlands of Bolivia, Chile, and Peru, with their 3’000 meters of altitude, are very popular for quinoa producers. (Dougoud Chavannes, 2017)

(16)

Nowadays, quinoa is known for its high nutritional value. It does not contain gluten, which is good for gluten intolerants. The year 2013 has been proclaimed as the international year of quinoa, and it has been granted the title of “better source of protein of the vegetal world” by the FAO6 (FAO, 2013). Moreover, it is a grain that is low in calories.

Quinoa is considered as a superfood. High in protein and nutrients, it did not take long to become one of the reference grains for “trendies” and “foodies”, those users of the #vegan or #healthyfood, and those who care about what they give to their bodies. Coming from the Andes Cordillera, quinoa appeared around 15 years ago in Europe when it was consumed for centuries in South America (Couplan, 2016). From its scientific name “Chenopodium quinoa”, this grain was considered as a food of the Gods, offered to the Sun during ritual ceremonies. Now, its consumption has democratised and has almost become an “accessory” to influencers and their Instagram pages. Its leaves are consumed as spinach and its grains as cereals, thus being a double source of protein. The protein content of raw quinoa is of approximately 16%, and it contains the amino acids essential for good human development.

How to convert quinoa in a sustainable way to feed people while avoiding any nutritional deficiency? From a health point of view, quinoa participates in the protection of cardiovascular diseases thanks to its high levels of antioxidants, as well as to the one of the glycemic balance (antidiabetes, prediabetes, cravings). It also helps in the balance of the intestinal flora and is used as an appetite suppressant (it is more satiating than wheat and contains more nutrients). Besides, it lowers the rate of "bad" cholesterol by increasing the rate of the "good" one, participates in the prevention of several cancers, improves concentration, and opposes itself to memory lapses. It is even called "clean food". This seed is rich in iron, which helps to fight anaemia. This disease is quite common among children in Peru, especially in remote villages. While in 2017, the country had 43.3% of anaemic children, the rate increased to 46.6% in 2018. Iron deficiency due to malnutrition is the main cause of its increase in Peru. (RPP Noticias, 2018)

2.3.2 Meat substitutes and quinoa steaks

The variety of choices in meat alternatives is what attract meat consumers and flexitarians7 alike. Many recipes abound on the web or in books that use vegetable proteins to replace the meat found in the world's best-known dishes.

6 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

(17)

However, meat substitutes are as controversial among consumers as they are among specialists. Some state that they contain too little protein, too many carbohydrates, or lack vitamin B12 and iron (Calderara, 2020). By analysing the ingredients behind a pack of meat analogue, consumers could be interrogative. These products often contain questionable ingredients and harmful preservatives. Therefore, when purchasing meat substitutes, it is important to look at and analyse its list of ingredients and nutritional values to make sure we are giving our bodies the right food for its development.

Table 1 – Nutritional comparison of 100g of protein food

Animal proteins Vegetable proteins

Nutrients Beef

steaka Pork shouldera Chicken cutleta Eggs

a Cooked

lentilsa Cooked quinoab Raw quinoac Energy 198 kcal 295 kcal 213 kcal 142 kcal 124 kcal 116 kcal 392 kcal Protein 25.5 g 26.2 g 28.9 g 12.2 g 10.1 g 4.4 g 16.2 g Lipids 10.7 g 21.2 g 9.88 g 9.82 g 0.58 g 1.92 g 5.94 g Iron 2.55 mg 1.09 mg 0.68 mg 1.9 mg 2.45 mg 1.49 mg 7 mg Vitamin B12 1.85 µg 0.88 µg 0.52 µg 0.96 µg 0 µg 0 µg 0 µg Chemical index (CI) 134 - 127 150 93 100.5 - Sources: a Beck (2020, p.35-36); b nutritionvalue.org (2020) mes-infos-nutrition.com (2020) c foodnutritiontable.com (2020) mes-infos-nutrition.com (2020)

While many people can ask themselves where to get the protein and nutrients essential to their health from other sources than meat, it is a fact that some meat alternatives indeed contain a similar quantity of nutrients and other health-promoting properties. Indeed, some of them may not be found in animal meat, like probiotics, antioxidants, some vitamins, and fibre, which aid digestion and reduce the risk of chronic disease, among others. Thus, by incorporating vegetable protein in our daily diet, it can help us meet extra nutritional needs and boost our health.

Can quinoa steaks be called “meat substitutes”? To answer this question, it is necessary to analyse the nutrients contained inside quinoa to better understand its benefits and weak points. To get a more appropriate picture of this seed, we will compare its nutrients with those of lentils and animal proteins in table 1.

(18)

No other food represented in this table equals meat in terms of energy intake. Indeed, no other food than the animal-based ones equals the energy intake brought to consumers.

In terms of protein, the advantage of meat is that it provides proteins of good nutritional value: it is rich in minerals such as iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, a little magnesium, but especially vitamin B12. The B12 vitamin holds a key role in the normal functioning of the brain, the nervous system, and the blood formation. This vitamin is present only in animal products and algae but is non-existent in plant-based products such as lentils and quinoa. Thus, when consuming those, it is necessary to supplement them with products that contain this vitamin.

Meat provides in sufficient quantity the nine amino acids essential to our body to build our proteins, enzymes, hormones, and muscle tissue, among others. The Chemical Index (CI) is a nutritional calculation that is used to assess the presence in a sufficient quantity of these essential amino acids. In brief, an index greater than 100 means that these are supplied in the correct quantity. By analysing the table, we notice that all animal proteins have an index higher than 100, but that for most vegetable proteins, this is not the case: only the soybean and quinoa meet this criterion. For plant-based food balanced in amino acids, there is only yellow soy (tofu, textured soy protein, tempeh, soy milk), amaranth, buckwheat, spinach, nettle, and quinoa. Quinoa is particularly distinguishable thanks to the quality of its proteins. Those are composed of amino acids from which eight of them are considered as essential for both children and adults.

The other positive point of lentils and quinoa is that both show equivalent or higher iron level than meat. Iron is fundamental to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – the body’s main source of energy. It is also involved in several vital physiological processes such as the regulation of cell growth and their differentiation.

Globally, in terms of aesthetics, quinoa steaks can be compared to meat: their appearance and texture look similar. In terms of taste, they are different. But what was interesting to analyse were the nutritional benefits of quinoa steaks through the analysis of table 1.

The fundamental point to remember when choosing one product over another is to have a healthy and balanced diet (SSN, 2015). In order not to suffer from nutritional deficiencies, it is essential to provide our body with its daily nutrients’ intake. When choosing alternatives to meat, this rule must be even more respected. But how much daily nutrients’ intake does our body need?

(19)

To answer this question, two interviews were conducted to assess the viability of meat alternatives for our health (Appendices 1 and 2). According to the Swiss dieticians interviewed, when substituting meat, it is key to make sure that our body receives the proper amount of nutrients and proteins for its development. Indeed, people that have avoided the consumption of meat or other animal-based food may lack certain nutrients essential to our body if they do not find other sources of them. This may lead to nutritional deficiencies, which occur when a diet is unbalanced. The regular protein intake necessary for our body is recommended to be 0.8g to 1g of protein per kilo of weight for one person. Meat, containing approximately 20g of protein per 100g, is recommended to be consumed maximum two to three times a week.

The limit for a product to be considered a meat substitute is between 15 and 20g of protein per 100g of product. Seitan (75g of protein per 100g of product) and soya (approximately 16g of protein per 100g of product) respond to this criterion, tofu not totally (8g of protein per 100g of product), and cooked quinoa even less (4.4g of protein per 100g of product). The quantity of protein in quinoa steaks is not optimum and must be supplemented by another protein food. Therefore, long-term consumption of meat substitutes that do not reach the threshold of 15-20g of protein, nor they are supplemented by another source of protein, could lead to nutritional deficiencies. Regular consumption of meat alternatives and its viability for health thus depend on their quality.

2.4 Quinoa steaks in Lima

As an alternative to meat and fish and while keeping the culinary tradition of Peruvian food, there are also quinoa steaks. However, meat substitutes are generally of higher price than actual meat, also because this market is less known in Peru than it is in the Western world.

In Lima, some stores selling natural, ecological, and healthy products have opened, like Madre Natura, Organa, Flora & Fauna, or Vida Sana. The districts of Lima where we can find quinoa steaks are for example Miraflores and San Isidro, which are the districts where high-income households are located (social class “A” in Peru). Meat substitutes can also be found in some supermarkets, but they are not present in every district of Lima because of the high discrepancies in standards of living between them. For quite some time now, some restaurants started offering dishes based on these products too. As shown in figure 4, once analysing the location of health food stores, we can see that they are mostly located in the same areas of Lima: Miraflores, Covima, or San Isidro. These regions pertain to the social classes A and B, which are the highest ones in Peru.

(20)

Figure 4 – Location of stores selling meat alternatives in Lima, 2019

Source: Google Maps (2019)

The medium class increased by 4.5% from 2017 to 2018 in Peru (RPP Noticias, 2019). From a Lima standpoint, a study showed in April 2019 its socio-economic distribution as a percentage of the city’s total population: (CPI, 2019)

 Social classes A and B: 28%;  Social class C: 42%;

 Social class D: 24%;  Social class E: 6%.

(21)

By describing the main characteristics of these different socio-economic levels, Ipsos8 has established their average monthly income9: (Ipsos, 2020)

 Social class A: S/.12’660 (CHF 3’546.32);  Social class B: S/.7’020 (CHF 1’966.44);  Social class C: S/.3’970 (CHF 1’112.08);  Social class D: S/.2’480 (CHF 694.70);  Social class E: S/.1’300 (CHF 364.16).

Regarding private consumption growth in Peruvian households, it has been calculated at a rate of 4% in 2018, and 4.1% during the first quarter of 2019. This is encouraging for the growth of the GDP of the country as well as for Peruvians. (Garvan, 2019) Peru has an intermediate cost of life compared to other countries of Latin America, but Lima is one of the cities with the highest cost of living in the country. 1kg of beef costs approximately S/.16, 1kg of pork S/.13, 1kg of chicken S/.8, and 1kg of tuna S/.4.5. As shown, red meat has always been more expensive than white meat or fish.

On the other hand, and due to globalisation, the South American countries are developing and urbanizing. The population is willing to pay for a healthier diet, which is driving the upward trend for the meat substitute market. The inclination towards vegan diets and the intolerances caused by meat-based products also helped this market expand in this region. In addition, the purchasing power of the middle classes has increased in recent years in South America and Peru.

In Peru in 2016 (Statista, 2016), 3%, 8%, and 8% of the total population defined themselves as vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians respectively.

8 Peruvian market researchers

9 The currency used in Peru is called “sol peruano” and is abbreviated as “S/.”. On May 31,

(22)

3. Methodology

The tools used to answer our question were an online survey and a blindfolded food experiment. Also, two dieticians have been contacted to assess consumers’ food trends. For the sake of this thesis, we will focus on Lima Metropolitana, which will be referred to as “Lima” in this document. The currency used in Peru is called “sol peruano” and is abbreviated as "S/.". The target population is made up of everyone living in Lima included in the age range from 14 to more than 65 years old, and from all social classes (wealthy, medium, and low category, respectively A, B, and C). The regions covered by this study are in Lima Metropolitana and include the central, northern, southern, and eastern regions of the capital, and the region of Callao (see figure 5 below). Together, these areas are home to almost 11 million inhabitants.

Figure 5 – Map of Lima Metropolitana

Source: INEI (2014)

Through the experiments and questionnaires conducted there, more than a hundred people have been studied considering their behaviour towards meat substitutes and more precisely quinoa steaks.

(23)

3.1 Online survey

An online survey through Google Form was conducted in Lima to collect data on the respondents’ eating habits. The online survey started on January 13, 2020 and was closed on January 29, 2020. As we can see in Appendix 3, it is composed of questions related to food habits in general, with an emphasis on the meat substitute market. A total of 100 participants took part in this survey. The questionnaire’s responses were strictly anonymous, and its results will be solely used for this report.

The aims of this online survey were:

 To gather in-depth information about each population’s segment;

 To draw conclusions about the opportunity to expand the quinoa steak market in this region.

The questions have been classified in different categories:

 Introduction questions: to have a better insight into which category of people are answering the survey. We will be able to know their gender, age, and educational level.

 Random questions (section 1 of Appendix 3): to make people answer robotically and automatically without thinking. Also, by asking random questions, the participants will have no clue what the subject of this research is about, which is what we aim as we seek to gather the sincerest answers possible.

 General questions (section 2 of Appendix 3): general questions on food and food trends of people of Lima.

 Specific questions (sections 3, 4, 5 of Appendix 3): starting to enter the topic of the meat industry and meat substitutes.

We decided to assess the membership of the three social classes present in Peru (A, B, and C, from the richest to the poorest) by analysing the level of education of our participants. We assume that people with a university-level would belong to the highest social classes (A and B), and that people with a lower level would belong to the lower social class (C). Also, let us not forget that some of our participants are still young and that since we are asking for their current level of education, it may still be low. A high rate of people with a level lower than the university level would thus not mean that these people come from disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Hence, this analysis could be biased by this fact. We will therefore not analyse the social affiliation through this online questionnaire.

3.2 Food blindfolded experiment

A food blindfolded experiment has been conducted by making participants try three different dishes: lentil steaks, quinoa steaks, and real meat (beef). A total of 35

(24)

participants was gathered for this food blindfolded experiment. The experiment’s duration was of maximum 30 minutes per participant. For security reasons and because it was more convenient for the participants, the experiments were carried out in their homes. Through it, participants were blindfolded and filmed – with their consent. Once the investigator blindfolded the participant, the experiment could begin and be filmed. This experimentation was run with people who did not participate in the online questionnaire to guarantee a neutral and unbiased point of view before and during the experiment.

The experiment was structured as follows: the participants tested the three dishes. After each dish, a questionnaire was presented to them for completion. Once the three dishes and their respective questionnaires were completed, a final questionnaire was presented to them to compare each of the dishes they tested from an aesthetic, sensory and gustatory point of view. Thanks to the videos, gestures and body language could be analysed too.

This experiment intended to:

 Study the behaviour of people towards quinoa steaks;

 Collect information on the texture, taste, smell, and quality perceived by the participants regarding the different dishes;

 Define which dish was most appreciated, and which one each participant would recommend to someone close to them;

 Analyse the body language of participants and see if it matched their written opinion;

 Determine an action plan for the quinoa steak market to better reach each segment of the population;

 Define whether Peruvians would be ready to leave some of their meat habits for a meatless alternative.

A food blindfolded experiment allows participants to use their senses of taste, smell, and touch to identify the food they are given to eat. This tool can also be used by researchers to develop a new market. Given that quinoa steaks are not well represented in Lima, it is interesting to conduct this kind of experiment to gather real information and for the feedback of the participants not to be biased by any previous opinion they may have on the product.

We decided to choose these three products for the following reasons. Legumes are a food that is eaten a lot in Peru. Many families eat lentils regularly. Indeed, it is a rich source of fibre and contains a set of important micronutrients such as iron. Beef steaks are a widely consumed type of meat in Latin America. By comparing quinoa steaks with another type of meat substitute and an animal steak, we can observe whether the

(25)

participants recognized the food they ate, and gather information about their taste preferences.

Here is the key information that was gathered from the participants and the way they have been referenced:

 Gender: o Man o Woman  Age range: o 1 = [14;24]; o 2 = [25;44]; o 3 = [45;65];

o 4 = more than 65 years old.  Area of residence:

o A: wealthy category (Ex: Miraflores, La Molina, San Isidro, San Borja, Santiago de Surco);

o B: medium category (Ex: San Martín de Porres, Los Olivos); o C: low category (Ex: Callao, Villa Salvador).

 Dishes:

o Quinoa steak; o Lentil steak; o Beef steak.

Appendix 4 is the protocol of the food blindfolded experiment. It details the purpose of the experience, the methods used to get participants, and the steps taken to implement it. Appendices 5 to 9 are the various documents provided to the participants during each experiment. These documents and their responses will be reviewed to meet the objectives of this research. Appendix 10 represents the questionnaires’ feedback from each participant to the food blindfolded experiment. Appendix 11 is the body language analysis of the participants during the experiment. This analysis was possible thanks to the videos received by the investigator, which were filmed with the consent of the participants.

The age range and social class of the participants have been coded. For example, “A1 - Man” means that the participant is a man pertaining to the highest social class (A), and that he is aged between 14 and 24 years old.

(26)

4. Analysis of the results

In this analysis, “meat” will refer to chicken, fish, beef, pork, rabbit, and other types of meat. The population has been divided by gender, age range, and social class. Also, since we collected a different number of responses from the different age groups, we will analyse the results pro-rata to the total number of responses received per factor assessed.

4.1 Online survey

In this questionnaire, we made sure that the results were as representative as possible of Lima’s population. In Peru, the ratio women/men among the population was approximately 50/50 in 2019. In Lima Metropolitana, this ratio was quite similar. In this survey, we managed to reach a similar ratio in order to be representative of its population and obtained a response rate of 49/50 for women and men respectively, with 1% of the participants preferring not to declare their gender.

Figure 6 – Population by age group in Lima Metropolitana,

in percentage, 2019

Source: CPI (2019)

Almost half of our participants (46%) are around 14 and 24 years old. As we can testify from the graph above, people from this age range represent approximately 20% of the total population of Lima. This can be attributed to the fact that they are more responsive to online surveys. Also, they may be keener to use electronic devices and perhaps know

(27)

how to handle them better as they represent the younger generation that grew with new technologies. This may also be the consequence of more young people being sent the link to this survey. Then came the age ranges of 25 to 44 and 45 to 65 years old, representing respectively 23% and 27% of our total number of participants. Finally, we have the population above 65 years old who represented only 4% of the participants. Regarding the level of education, 80% of the participants currently hold a university level. Along with this trend, eight additional people have a superior non-university level. Putting these together, we have almost 90% of our participants that have currently a well-advanced level of education. None of our participants are unschooled.

After passing the introductory questions, the first set of questions are random ones. Their answers are interesting to analyse as they show which words came into the minds of the participants when talking about specific topics.

Table 2represents the responses that were most often given to the questions "What first comes into your mind when I say the word (…)". We represented the answers to the questions about “meat” and “protein”, and excluded the analysis of the responses to the word “family”, as it is not related to this study. The first words brought up were sorted by their frequency of answer (from the word most often answered to the one appearing least often).

Table 2 – Frequency table

Meat Frequency Relative frequency

Protein Frequency Relative frequency Protein 10 10% Meat 10 10% Beef 9 9% Muscles 10 10% Animal 4 4% Necessary 7 7% Chicken 4 4% Heath 5 5% Food 3 3% Food 5 5% Nutrients 3 3% Nutrients 5 5% Fat 2 2% Eggs 5 5% Cow 2 2% Dairy products 4 4% Burger 2 2% Energy 3 3%

Pork 2 2% Good for

health 2 2% Other words: Eat, Grill, Cholesterol, Illness, Sacrifice, etc. 59 59% Other words: Legume, Vitamin, Body, Vegetables, Input, etc. 44 44% Total 100 100% Total 100 100%

(28)

When talking about meat, the most frequent words provided by participants were “protein” and “beef”. Then comes “animal” and “chicken”. People consider meat as a source of protein, and they associate it with animals like beef or chicken. Indeed, meat is the central element of the Peruvian gastronomy, and the one that is most consumed in Lima is chicken, especially since it is also the cheapest kind of meat.

To the question “What first comes to your mind when I say the word “protein”?”, the most common answers were “meat” and “muscles” at the top, with ten occurrences each. This means that Peruvians give particular importance to meat, and that they connect protein intakes to muscle building. Then comes the word “necessary” which was frequently mentioned, and which is in line with the food habits of Peruvians.

The second section of the questionnaire included general questions to start entering the core of the topic of this thesis. Most of the participants find that the Peruvian gastronomy is delicious and varied. It is considered healthy and nutritious. But behind all this adulation of Peruvian food by its inhabitants, they admit however that it is very fatty and that it would not be so good for health because of its sometimes caloric and very seasoned content.

An interesting fact revealed by this survey is the answer of one participant who said that Peruvians care more about the taste than about the nutritional value of their meals. Indeed, traditional dishes are diverse and contain a lot of different food, but people tend to abuse of them and particularly of the junk food.

According to the participants, on a list of 16 factors, the ones that they mainly consider when buying food are the quality of the product (91%), the price (68%), and the eating habits (52%). The ones they value the least when purchasing food are their gender (3%), occupation (8%), and age (12%). Another factor that was not mentioned in the list of factors but that was added by a participant was “health” (1%).

Along with these findings comes the question “What do you think a good meal looks like?”, where the answers were in line with the findings previously stated: “health” comes in the first place with 12 occurrences. Then come the words “balanced”, “tasty” and “nutritious” with respectively eight, seven, and five occurrences over 100. According to the common sense, a good meal should be associated with health, providing all the nutrients our body needs to work, while being balanced on fats and proteins at the same time. Moreover, as mentioned before, Peruvians hugely value the taste of the food: they add sauces to almost all their meals and use a lot of condiments for seasoning (it is in their culture).

(29)

The third section of this online survey deals with questions specific to the theme of food while introducing the subject of meat substitutes and quinoa steaks. 18% of the participants always pay attention to their eating habits, and 35% very often. On the other hand, a total of 8% of the participants rarely or never pay attention to what they put on their plates. An in-depth analysis of the data shows that men mostly answered “sometimes” (50% of them), and that women mostly answered “very often” (approximately 45% of them). Overall, 38% of men and 69.4% of women are “always” or “very often” paying attention to their eating habits, showing an almost doubled gender difference. The majority of the participants from the age range 14 to 24 “sometimes” pay attention to their eating habits (54.4% of them), 28% of them do it “very often”, and only 13% of them rarely or never do it. Those between 25 and 44 years old (47.8%) and those between 45 and 65 years old (37%) “very often” pay attention to their eating habits, while the ones aged more than 65 only “sometimes” (50% of them).

In the opinion of Peruvians, a total of 76% think that meat is healthy. This shows how the meat culture is anchored in the habits of this population, because only 12% of the total number of participants disagreed on this point. This trend is apparent for both men and women. Regarding age, the ones that are the most euphoric about meat being good for health are the 25 to 44 years old with 82.61%. The least impacted ones are the people of more than 65 years old. Indeed, we can see that percentage drop as we move into the higher age ranges.

Then come the questions targeting the meat substitutes. When talking about this product, what first came into the minds of the participants were “vegetables” with nine occurrences, “tofu”, “legume” and “option” with five occurrences each, and “replace” with four occurrences. It is interesting to note that what first came to their minds were words related to kinds of food that have a healthy image, and that then appeared words showing that people consider meat substitutes as alternatives (as the name may suggest). On the contrary, when asking the participants if they know what meat substitutes are, there are still 31% of them that admitted not knowing.

The graph on the left of figure 7 shows the reactions of participants to the statement “do you think that meat substitutes are healthy?”, with a scale from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”, and with an option “neutral opinion”. Only 11% completely agree with the statement, but we can also see that a majority of 49% agrees with it, which brings the statistics to a total of 60% of the participants that would value meat alternatives. Behind this trend, the other majority (28%) is undecided about the question. A total of 27 men agreed that meat substitutes were healthy, while 33 women thought so.

(30)

Respectively 17 and 10 participants were indecisive on this issue. When tracing the trends, 76 participants found that meat is healthy, versus 60 people who found its substitutes to be healthy, so there is a bigger pro-meat trend than pro-meat substitutes. The participants who were the most positive about this statement were between 45 and 65 years old with 81.48%. Then came the 14-24 with 54.35%, the ones of more than 65 with 50% and finally the 25-44 years old with 47.83%. Overall, we can say that the sample of people questioned is enthusiastic about this new market since the answers are convincing with almost all percentages above average in terms of gender and age.

Figure 7 – Graphs on meat substitutes and meat for health

The graph on the right represents the number of participants who think that meat is healthier versus the ones who think that meat substitutes are. There is 44% of the sample that think that animal meat is healthier than its substitute. Men and women were more enthusiastic about animal meat than its substitutes, which is in line with the previous findings. On the men’s side, men between 14 and 24 years old are more pro-meat than the other age range categories. Men of 45 years old and more are more pro-meat substitutes than the others. And most men between the age of 25 and 44 are undecided on this issue. On the side of women now, the trend is not the same: 50% of women between 14 and 24 years old are undecided about the question, and women between 25 and 65 are more pro-meat. In general, the 14-24- and 25-44-years old ranges are the most enthusiastic about animal meat and they are the ones less interested in meat substitutes.

An interesting fact comes from the analysis of the table 3. As we can see, the global trend for meat and meat substitutes is reversed: for meat, the older the participants are, the less enthusiasm they have for it. On the other side, the older the participants are, the more enthusiastic they are about its substitute. Also, the older they are, the clearer and straight-to-the-point their answers are too. This pattern is very interesting for the topic of this thesis, since it provides us with a trend to follow to better apprehend Lima’s population regarding meat alternatives.

(31)

Table 3 – Analysis of results per age range, ”In your opinion, what is the

healthiest between meat and meat substitutes?”

Age range Meat Neutral opinion Meat substitute

14 - 24 22/46 = 47.83% 20/46 = 43.48% 4/46 = 8.7% 25 - 44 11/23 = 47.83% 9/23 = 39.13% 3/23 = 13.05% 45 - 65 10/27 = 37.04% 6/27 = 22.22% 11/27 = 40.74% +65 1/4 = 25% 0/4 = 0% 3/4 = 75%

When analysing the arguments of people when choosing meat or its substitute, the ones who chose meat referred to its natural connotation, and that what is more natural seems healthier. For the pro-meat substitutes’ people, meat substitutes seem healthier. And for the participants with a neutral opinion, they admitted that they did not have enough information to answer this question, and that they did not know about the dietary benefits of meat alternatives. We have here a ground on which to build a growing opportunity for this market, because, indeed, the sample of participants is not totally reluctant to a diet based on meat substitutes, but their only problem is that they are venturing into unfamiliar territory, so they may prefer to stay in their comfort zone.

As stated earlier, Peru is a country where meat is represented in almost every dish of its cuisine, and this fact is reflected in the data collected: 96% of the participants in this online survey eat meat at least once a week (98% of men and 93.88% of women responded to this trend). Some of them even eat meat every day. Contrary to this tendency, the consumption of its substitute is much less frequent if not non-existent. Only 37% of participants admit consuming it at least once a week, with 22% of men and 51.02% of women. On the other hand, 42% of men and 18.37% of women never consume these products. Going more in-depth into the subject of meat substitutes, 78% of the participants never ate quinoa steaks (80% of men and 75.51% of women).

4.2 Food blindfolded experiment

Below are the results of the food blindfolded experiment in the form of statistics and feedback from the participants:

Percentage of people who accepted to be filmed during the experiment (in % of the total number of participants):

 28 over 35: 80%

(32)

 Men: 13 over 27  48.15%  Women: 14 over 27  51.85%

20% of the participants did not agree to be filmed during the experiment, so we do not know the gender of these participants. Moreover, there has been a technical issue during the 12th experiment, therefore we do not have this video. The total number of participants here is thus 27 and not 35.

Number of participants per age range (in % of the total number of participants):  1: 11 over 35  31.43%

 2: 9 over 35  25.72%  3: 11 over 35  31.43%  4: 4 over 35  11.43%

Number of participants per social class (in % of total number of participants):  A: 9 over 35  25.72%

 B: 11 over 35  31.43%  C: 15 over 35  42.86%

The ratio men/women in Lima Metropolitana in 2019 was of approximately 50/50 respectively. The ratio obtained in our study is therefore representative of the current population in Lima. For the gender and the social class, it has been more complicated to meet the city’s ratios, but the percentage of the population included in social class C is still representative of the city.

Here is how we will analyse the Appendices linked to the experiment. To consider which plates have been preferred and those who were the least appreciated, we will use the following preference scale:

 Very good  Good  Neutral  Poor  Very poor

The aspects of “preferred” in Appendix 9 does not mean that the other dishes were not at the taste of the participant. In some cases, two plates were judged “very good” and the third one “good”, so globally, the three plates were appreciated even though the first two were preferred. The same way, two plates can have been judged “very poor” and the third one “poor”, but the third one will still be the preferred one.

(33)

When analysing the different people that participated to this experiment, other variables than the ones tested (texture, taste, smell, quality) may influence the perception of the participants towards the food they tested: the brand which produces the food bought for this experiment, its reputation, the quality of its products, but also the way the investigator cooked the food. A certain product of one brand may not be appealing to consumers, but the same product of another brand may be better appreciated.

Due to the previous facts, we must be careful not to draw hasty conclusions with the results.

From a global perspective, the dish that was the most appreciated was the beef steak, and the least favourite one was the quinoa steak. The participants have judged the texture, taste, smell, and quality of the three dishes, and the meat satisfied the palates of most of our testers. The aspects that our testers liked the least about the quinoa steak were the texture, the taste, and the quality of the product.

If we consider the gender, for men, the most appreciated dish was largely the beef steak with 96.55%. The least appreciated one has been the quinoa steak with 63.33%. For women, the trend was the same as for their male counterparts, although the opinion was less clear-cut. Indeed, 59.26% preferred meat, and 43.33% chose quinoa steak as the least appreciated product among the three options. Even if the overall opinion between gender is the same, the proportions are significantly reduced from men to women. Regarding the differences in opinion between age groups, the first age range and the second one preferred the beef steak and least appreciated the quinoa steak. The third one (45-65 years old) and the last age group (+65) preferred the beef too, but the least preferred one was the lentil steak.

Considering the global preferences of each social class, the highest one (A) preferred meat and least preferred quinoa steaks. Social class B preferred meat too, and for the least appreciated products, the two meat substitutes were equally chosen. Social class C preferred meat and liked less lentil steaks.

It is interesting to note that the meat has always been the product that was the most appreciated even though the participants could not know it was meat. Indeed, this pattern goes along with the results found in the online survey that emphasized the animal meat as being preferred over its substitutes.

Once the participants knew what they had eaten, the trend was completely reversed: meat is the product that would be the least recommended to a relative according to the

(34)

participants. Only 21.05% would recommend meat over quinoa and lentils. On the other hand, quinoa is making a strong comeback. Even though meat remains more appealing to the participants than meat substitutes, the preferred product once known is the quinoa steak. For Peruvians, quinoa is nutritious, natural, healthy, rich in proteins and vitamins, and low in fat. Peruvians love quinoa, and we can think that this attachment to the seed goes back to their ancestors the Incas. We can see how the image of food has a great impact on consumers’ perception and choices of food. This may have to do with the psychological effect it has on the people tested. Public opinion directly links products from the land to a healthy product.

The main critics about the two meat substitutes were that they were dry and tasteless. As mentioned before, Peruvians are fond of tasty dishes. That is why they use a lot of condiments and sauces in their food. For the quinoa steak market to enter the city of Lima, these aspects must be taken into consideration. This fact is supported by the analysis of the videos. Many participants felt that they would have appreciated the food offered more if it had been spicier and tastier. Taste in food is a major factor in Peru. If a product has little or no taste, it is difficult for it to enter a market like that of Lima. Indeed, we can find this trend in many parts of South America.

When the meat was tested, several participants showed signs of relief (sign of approval with the face, sound of relief). Some of them finished this plate while the first two plates were not necessarily finished. All these signs prove that a known taste has a stronger appeal than an unknown taste, especially when we are devoid of sight.

People were also surprised once knowing what they ate. By discovering different alternatives to meat, questioning and curiosity will probably lead the participants in this experience to talk to their families and friends about the products they have tasted, and thanks to word-of-mouth, this market will be able to increase its visibility. By increasing awareness of Lima's population regarding this market, the curiosity effect could be beneficial for it. Curiosity often governs the attraction that some people have for a specific product.

4.3 Summary of the analysis

As we have seen in the literature review, quinoa holds a particularly good image for Peruvians as a side dish or cooked for breakfast. Quinoa in the form of steak is less known from the regular consumer, and so are similar meat substitutes like lentil steak. Moreover, the public does not consider lentils or quinoa to be the main ingredient of a dish since it is mostly represented by meat.

(35)

People often prefer to stay in their comfort zone and keep up their eating habits and the culinary tradition that represents the Peruvian people for centuries. Meat is a synonym of abundance and is much cheaper than any pack of meat substitute. This may explain such a craze for traditional meat and, on the contrary, little demand for its substitutes in Peru.

In addition to a small demand and low marketing efforts for this meat alternative in Peru, most of the people analysed thought that quinoa steaks’ availability in stores was restricted and did not know that it was indeed already sold in some supermarkets like Metro and Tottus, which are big supermarket chains in the country that are present in many parts of it.

Half of the participants would recommend quinoa steak over the lentil and the beef steaks. We can interpret this by the fact that people have a positive view on quinoa from Peruvian origins and culture, but the lack of information about its by-products influences their consumption of them. This is a good sign for a possible expansion of the quinoa steak market in this city.

Indeed, sight is the first sense that informs us about what we eat. It tells us the aspect of the food, which will in turn determine whether we will ingest it. Therefore, if we take this sense away from the participants during the experiment, their perception of food may differ. When people experience a blindfolded session, their feelings tend to be amplified from the fact that the sense of sight can no longer be used. Based on this logic and given that the Peruvian population – like many other Latin American countries – is very fond of flavour in their food, if they are deprived of sight and only smell and taste remain to judge the flavour of a product, but that this flavour and smell are not present, their opinion will be strongly negative on the dish being tested. This is exactly what happened in our experiment: very few people appreciated the smell and taste of quinoa steaks – be it the different age groups, gender, or social classes. Since there was no sight to try to compensate for this opinion, the refusal of quinoa steaks under these circumstances was strongly noticed.

4.4 Fields of improvement

Here are some points that could have been improved in the data collection.

The online survey link was sent to family and friends, who sent it again to their relatives. Even though the results received represented all the categories of age, gender, and social class, they could have been more representative of the Lima population. For

(36)

example, we could have recruited participants in public places in different areas of the city (supermarkets, on the street) to gather people from different backgrounds and with different experiences.

The experiments were carried out in the homes of the participants for safety reasons, therefore establishing a friendly and sometimes informal atmosphere. This made it difficult for the investigator to create a professional and calm atmosphere. External people could be seen appearing momentarily in some videos interrupting the participant, and the participant using its mobile phone between each dish served. These details can influence the level of attention the participant pays to the aspects of the food he or she must judge. It would have set a more serious tone to the experiment if it had been done in a rented room. For economic reasons and because people mistrust each other in Peru, this could not be implemented.

Also, some participants wrote “meat” for describing what they ate. Meat, in its broad sense, can include chicken, beef, pork, or even fish. This lacks precision. For the analysis of this experiment, this broad answer can be difficult to interpret.

The food blindfolded experiment is a good source of primary data, but this task was delegated to a relative who lives in Lima. This person received a specific procedure to follow to carry out the experiments. Thanks to the fact that most of the experiments were filmed, it still allowed us to manage the situation and have an overlook on their proper implementation.

Figure

Figure 1 – Worldwide quinoa production, 2010 to 2017,   by country, in metric tons
Figure 2 – Carbon footprint of foods, amount of greenhouse gases in  fresh foods, in kilograms CO 2 -eq per kilogram of food
Figure 3 – Yearly meat consumption in Peru, by type,   in kilograms, per capita, 1961-2017
Table 1 – Nutritional comparison of 100g of protein food  Animal proteins  Vegetable proteins  Nutrients   Beef  steak a Pork  shoulder a    Chicken cutleta    Eggs a     Cooked lentilsa    Cooked quinoab    Raw  quinoa c    Energy   198 kcal  295 kcal   2
+7

Références

Documents relatifs

The insurgence of the Arab uprisings that was sparked in the year 2011 marked a new chapter in the socio-cultural, economic and political life of the Arab region.

For the two- prong events with the water target the expected and observed number of events are in agreement ; for the multiprong events, the disagreement between

For each of them the shower arrival direction is obtained and for the subset with the core located inside the array (internal events) the impact point has been

Instead all event fragments are routed to the Event Builder Farm and then transmitted to Event Filter Farm where the events reconstruction and selection is performed.. Figure

OPERA is a neutrino oscillation experiment designed to perform a ν τ appearance search at long distance in the future CNGS beam from CERN to Gran Sasso.. It is based on the

We tested the Monte Carlo production using a farm of the INFN-grid testbed customized to install an Objectivity database and run BaBar simulation software.. First simulation

L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des

In the case of Stereo, these include the liquid scintillator response to γ -rays and neutrons of different energies, the spatial dependence of light collection, PMT gains and