ABSTRACT Plant‐based meat alternatives (PBMAs) have the potential to support dietary transitions; however, their real‐world impact depends critically on consumer acceptance, particularly in developing‐country markets where product access and opportunities for trial remain limited. Drawing on an extended Theory of Planned Behavior framework and an explainable machine‐learning approach eXtreme Gradient Boosting‐SHapley Additive exPlanations (XGBoost–SHAP), this study analyzes data from 479 consumers in Mashhad. The results indicate that, alongside Attitude (ATT) and perceived behavioral control (PBC), anticipated hedonic value (AHV) emerges as a key experience‐related driver of consumption Intention (INT), whereas perceived health and environmental benefits (PEB) exert only marginal influence. Overall, the findings suggest that PBMAs adoption in this emerging market is more strongly shaped by credible expectations of eating experience and perceived feasibility than by abstract benefit‐based messaging, highlighting the importance of sensory optimization and trial‐oriented research designs for strengthening AHV, ATT, and ultimately, adoption INT.
E et al. (2026) studied this question.