The Market Legitimation of Disruptive Food Innovations from a Different Angle How Informational Framing Shapes Future Chefs’ Acceptance of Cultured Meat

Radical sustainability transitions are a pressing necessity for humanity, requiring the legitimisation and widespread adoption of disruptive eco-innovations. While prior research has focused on persuading end consumers, the strategic role of professional intermediaries has not been adequately theorised. This study uses the protein transition and cultured meat as an empirical lens to investigate the legitimisation mechanisms required to engage «peripheral actors» – specifically, aspiring chefs – as potential pivotal change agents. The findings suggest that professional intermediaries should not be regarded as a homogeneous entity. Effective transition management requires precise segmentation in order to identify high-potential profiles, such as culinary innovators and «guilty omnivores» in the context of cultured meat. Furthermore, the study provides preliminary evidence that informational framing acts as both a persuasive mechanism, shifting evaluative criteria between social and private benefits, and a contextual enabler, being effective only under specific baseline conditions of intermediaries (prior knowledge and individual innovativeness), which are prerequisites for triggering a «synergy effect» in acceptance. By aligning systemic environmental appeals with identity-congruent pragmatic cues, cutting-edge companies can better secure the professional endorsement necessary for disruptive solutions to scale up. Thus, this research offers initial insights into a theory-based framework for managing the gatekeepers that are essential for navigating complex socio-technical transitions towards a greener world.