Dataset Information

Estimating the effect of moving meat-free products to the meat aisle on sales of meat and meat-free products: A non-randomised controlled intervention study in a large UK supermarket chain.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Reducing meat consumption could bring health and environmental benefits, but there is little research to date on effective interventions to achieve this. A non-randomised controlled intervention study was used to evaluate whether prominent positioning of meat-free products in the meat aisle was associated with a change in weekly mean sales of meat and meat-free products.

Methods and findings

Weekly sales data were obtained from 108 stores: 20 intervention stores that moved a selection of 26 meat-free products into a newly created meat-free bay within the meat aisle and 88 matched control stores. The primary outcome analysis used a hierarchical negative binomial model to compare changes in weekly sales (units) of meat products sold in intervention versus control stores during the main intervention period (Phase I: February 2019 to April 2019). Interrupted time series analysis was also used to evaluate the effects of the Phase I intervention. Moreover, 8 of the 20 stores enhanced the intervention from August 2019 onwards (Phase II intervention) by adding a second bay of meat-free products into the meat aisle, which was evaluated following the same analytical methods. During the Phase I intervention, sales of meat products (units/store/week) decreased in intervention (approximately -6%) and control stores (-5%) without significant differences (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.01 [95% CI 0.95-1.07]. Sales of meat-free products increased significantly more in the intervention (+31%) compared to the control stores (+6%; IRR 1.43 [95% CI 1.30-1.57]), mostly due to increased sales of meat-free burgers, mince, and sausages. Consistent results were observed in interrupted time series analyses where the effect of the Phase II intervention was significant in intervention versus control stores.

Conclusions

Prominent positioning of meat-free products into the meat aisle in a supermarket was not effective in reducing sales of meat products, but successfully increased sales of meat-free alternatives in the longer term. A preregistered protocol (https://osf.io/qmz3a/) was completed and fully available before data analysis.

SUBMITTER: Piernas C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8321099 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:IntroductionReducing meat consumption could contribute towards preventing some chronic conditions and protecting the natural environment. This study will examine the effectiveness of a behavioural intervention to reduce meat consumption.Methods and analysesReplacing meat with alternative plant-based product is a randomised controlled trial comparing a behavioural intervention to reduce meat consumption with a no intervention control condition. Eligible volunteers will be recruited from the general public through advertisement and randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive no intervention or a 4-week intervention comprising the provision of free plant-based meat alternatives, written information on the health and environmental benefits of eating less meat, success stories of people who reduced their meat consumption and recipes. The primary outcome is the change in meat consumption at 4 weeks (T1) from baseline. Secondary and exploratory outcomes include changes in meat consumption at 8 weeks (T2) from baseline and changes from the baseline to both follow-up in other aspects of participants diet, putative psychosocial determinants of eating a low meat diet and of using meat substitutes and biomarkers of health risk, including blood lipid profiles, blood pressure, weight and body composition. Linear models will be employed to explore whether the changes in each of the aforementioned outcomes differ significantly between the control and intervention group. Qualitative interviews on a subsample of participants receiving the intervention will evaluate their experiences of the intervention and help to identify the mechanisms through which the intervention reduced meat consumption or the barriers preventing the intervention to aid this dietary transition.Ethics and disseminationThe trial has been granted ethical approval by the Medical Sciences Interdivisional Research Ethics Committee (IDREC) of the University of Oxford (Ref: R54329/RE001). All results originating from this study will be submitted for publication in scientific journals and presented at meetings and through the media.Trial registration numberISRCTN13180635;Pre-recruitment.