Disgust reactions significantly impact food choices, particularly in meat consumption, yet the factors influencing their intensity and how individuals justify them remain underexplored. This study (n = 217) provides a novel, comprehensive examination of both disgust intensity and justification patterns across seven meat categories: cultured meat, genetically modified meat, game meat, small farm meat, factory-farmed meat, endangered animal meat, and pet meat. Results revealed that disgust sensitivity and gender significantly impact responses, with women reporting higher disgust intensity and greater likelihood to cite moral concerns as justification. Importantly, our study reveals a previously unidentified interaction effect: familiarity moderates the relationship between perceived naturalness and disgust intensity, suggesting a strategy to enhance acceptance of sustainable food alternatives. The justification patterns exhibited systematic variation by meat type. By bridging core and moral disgust research traditions, this work advances our understanding of how disgust functions at the intersection of biological protection and moral judgment.