Acceptance Through Values

Bridging the Gap Between Food Innovation and Consumer Values New food technologies—such as insect-based proteins, fermentation-derived ingredients, and cultivated meat—hold great promise for a more sustainable future. Yet many food tech SMEs struggle to win consumer acceptance. Why? Because these innovations often clash with deeply held personal values, such as tradition, health, or security.
This project addresses that challenge. In collaboration with industry partners, we develop values-based communication guidelines—for product claims, labels, and visuals—that connect with what consumers truly care about. At the core of our approach is the Moral Food Game, an interactive board game designed to explore which values drive or block acceptance of sustainable foods among specific target groups.
The project equips food SMEs with the tools to understand value frictions and align their communication strategies accordingly. The goal: more effective marketing and improved consumer acceptance of alternative proteins.
Over a 12-month period, the project brings together Fontys University of Applied Sciences, NGN (insect-based products), Phytowelt Green Technologies (fermentation/genome editing), and Cellulaire Agriculture Nederland (cultivated meat). Together, we co-develop both a practical tool for values assessment and clear guidelines for values-based communication.
The project is organised into three work packages:
-Co-creation of consumer dilemmas that reflect real-life value frictions in food acceptance.
- Game sessions with consumers and students, semantic value analysis, and the development of values-based communication guidelines for alternative proteins.
-Dissemination of the game and guidelines through education, business networks, and social media.
Key outcomes include:
• A validated Moral Food Game that SMEs can use to assess consumer values • Practical communication guidelines for claims, labels, product design, and positioning • Ongoing dissemination through educational programmes and digital channels
By connecting values theory with sustainable innovation, this project enables SMEs to better understand their audiences—and contributes to accelerating the acceptance of alternative proteins.