Abstract:
Plant based dairy alternatives (PBDAs) refer to beverages and products made from
plant sources such as soy, almond, coconut, rice and oats, which serve as substitutes
for traditional animal-based dairy. This study, titled "Awareness and acceptance of
plant based dairy alternatives among youth in the Polonnaruwa district" aimed to
investigate the overall level of awareness and acceptance of these alternatives among
young consumers. A sample of 100 respondents between the ages of 15 and 30
participants was selected using a simple random sampling technique across seven DS
divisions in the district in a cross-sectional descriptive study design. A pretested
structured questionnaire was used to gather data, and SPSS version 22.0 software was
used for descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis. The results showed
a modest level of awareness, with 58% of the young people consumed PBDAs
previously such rice, soy or coconut milk. The most popular PBDAs was coconut
milk, which was followed by soy milk. According to regression analysis, acceptance
was significantly impacted negatively by health perception (p: -0.315, p:0.020)
and significantll'positively by availability (B:0.293, p:0.010) and environmental
concern (B : 0.353, p : 0.008). The model confirmed that teenage behavior toward
PBDAs is substantially influenced by sustainability and accessibility values,
accounting for 33.1o/o of the variation in acceptance. The study concludes that
although adolescent awaleness is rising, convenience and environmental
consciousness rather than taste or cost are the main factors influencing adoption. It
suggests increasing market accessibility, highlighting the advantages for the
environment, boosting local PBDAs production, and improving nutritional
information. These results aid in the comprehension of consumer shifts toward
sustainable eating habits in rural Sri Lanka and offer useful information to producers,
marketers, legislators encouraging the development of plant-based foods.
