The omnivore's paradox and consumer acceptance of cultured meat: An experimental investigation into the role of perceived organizational competence and excitement

Cultured meat, i.e. meat produced in vitro using animal stem cells, heralds a paradigm shift in the global food system. In addition, cultured meat has the potential to substantially reduce the environmental footprint of meat production and consumption. However, achieving a sufficient level of consumer acceptance of cultured meat is critical to realize this potential. Building on the omnivore's paradox, which refers to people's simultaneous aversion and attraction to new foods, this paper examines the importance of perceived organizational competence and excitement for consumer acceptance of cultured meat in terms of willingness to buy. The results of a survey-based experiment among 714 German participants show that a) both perceived competence and excitement have a positive relationship with consumer acceptance, b) multinational companies score higher in perceived competence, whereas startups are more strongly associated with the feeling of excitement, and c) the type of a collaborative venture between a startup and a multinational company (cooperation vs. acquisition with integration) can affect consumer acceptance.