Browsing by Author "Jalonen, Julia"

Finland is one of the leading countries in consuming dairy products. The consumption of fluid milk has decreased during the recent years, but the consumption of other dairy products, such as quark and cheese, has increased correspondingly. In addition, various plant-based beverages and other dairy-like products have gradually risen in popularity. The supply of plant-based products has grown, and consumers have accepted them as an alternative to dairy products. This study examines what kinds of dairy products and plant-based dairy product alternatives consumers use and how they explain their product choices. Plant-based dairy product alternatives are discussed by addressing the concept of appropriation because, contrary to the case of dairy products, plant-based products are often new to their users who might have found them only over the recent years. The research method is qualitative. The data was collected by means of semi-structured interview, accompanied by stimulus photos. Ten adults from Finland Proper, Uusimaa and Central Ostrobothnia were interviewed for the research. The participants photographed all dairy products and plant-based dairy product alternatives that they bought within a week. The photo footage was then used as the basis for discussion in the interviews. According to the study, the use of dairy products and the use of plant-based dairy product alternatives are concurrent and versatile among consumers. Dairy products are chosen for their price, taste and familiarity, and they might also be bought for other people besides the consumers themselves. Reasons for choosing plant-based beverages and other dairy-like products, in turn, are their taste, health-promoting effects, consumers’ habits, interest in new products, as well as ethical and ecological reasons. Dairy products are consumed somewhat more versatilely than plant-based products, and none of the consumers replaces cheese with plant-based alternatives as of yet. The appropriation of especially oat-based products has been successful, being clearly the most preferred plant-based products among consumers.