Animal- vs. plant-based origin and degree of processing as determinants of food categorization for omnivores and flexitarians

ABSTRACT

This study examines how French omnivores and flexitarians spontaneously categorize images of food products available in France. Participants (n = 100) completed a free sorting task to group 25 food product images using their own words to label the resulting categories. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses were used to identify categorization patterns. 

Food origin (animal- vs. plant-based) was the common dimension guiding categorization for participants of the two groups. By contrast, animal-based foods formed a single category for omnivores, whereas flexitarians separated them into two categories. Plant-based foods were separated into two categories by omnivores and flexitarians. Plant-based foods were differentiated by degree of processing and protein content; these dimensions were not applied to differentiate animal-based foods. These findings suggest that consumers use the food origin dimension to establish the primary division between categories, whatever their dietary profile. Omnivores provided a less detailed categorization for animal-based products than flexitarians, but used the same categorization as flexitarians for plant-based products. Categorization strategies appear to draw upon both taxonomic and goal-oriented approaches, sometimes taking visual appearance into account, and perhaps even frequency of consumption. Concepts such as recency negativity and food essentialism are combined to provide a potentially valid theoretical framework to interpret the results obtained.

Understanding these representations could help in developing and communicating more effective public health guidelines and messages.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2026.101117