Consumer acceptance of plant-based dairy alternatives: A critical review and integrative conceptual framework

Growing interest in more sustainable, ethical, and health-conscious food choices has increased consumer attention toward plant-based dairy alternatives (PBDA). However, despite rapid market growth and technological innovation, consumer acceptance of this product category remains uneven across products and consumer groups. Previous reviews have focused on nutritional composition, technological aspects, or plant-based milk alternatives, with limited attention to how multiple consumer- and product-related dimensions interact across the broader PBDA category. This review therefore critically integrates evidence on consumer responses across PBDA categories, including plant-based beverages, yogurt and cheese alternatives, fermented products, and frozen desserts, from a consumer-oriented product-development perspective. It examines how product characteristics, consumer values, and practical and sociocultural conditions interact in shaping PBDA acceptance. Sensory performance and perceived nutritional value emerged as central drivers, while concerns about processing and artificiality affected perceived naturalness and trust, and price and accessibility constrained regular consumption. Ethical, environmental, and cultural factors further shaped consumer evaluations, indicating that acceptance depends on the alignment of product characteristics with consumers' expectations and everyday food practices. The synthesis further identifies interconnected product-development trade-offs involving sensory equivalence and product identity, nutritional enhancement and perceived naturalness, processing functionality and clean-label expectations, sustainability perceptions and environmental credibility, and innovation-driven value and affordability. Building on these findings, the review proposes an integrative conceptual framework that links product attributes, consumer values, and contextual conditions to consumer evaluation and responses ranging from attitudes and product choice to purchase intentions and regular consumption. The findings can guide researchers, food producers, and policymakers seeking to support the development of PBDA that are acceptable, affordable, trustworthy, and compatible with everyday food practices.