The plant-based meat industry experienced a meteoric rise, fueled by billions in venture capital and innovative products from companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. Promised as a solution to the ethical and environmental concerns of factory farming, this sector initially saw sales double. However, in recent years, sales have plateaued and even declined. Consumer surveys often cite taste as the primary reason for this downturn.
But a massive blind taste test, involving nearly 2,700 participants and conducted by the nonprofit NECTAR, challenges this widely held belief. This groundbreaking study, the largest of its kind, compared 122 plant-based meat products across 14 categories to their animal-based counterparts. The results were surprising.
While animal meats generally scored higher overall, the study revealed a significant range in the quality of plant-based options. Some products were undeniably subpar, reflecting poorly in the taste test results. However, a remarkable 20 plant-based products received ratings equal to or exceeding their animal-based equivalents. Impossible Foods’ unbreaded chicken fillet particularly stood out, with 32% of participants rating it superior to Perdue Farms’ chicken fillet.
This finding contradicts the common assumption that taste alone is hindering the widespread adoption of plant-based meat. Previous smaller studies have yielded mixed results, highlighting the need for larger-scale research like NECTAR’s. The disparity between these positive taste test results and the relatively low market share of plant-based meat (around 1%) points to a deeper issue: our perception of food.
Behavioral scientist Daniel Rosenfeld suggests that our preconceived notions and beliefs significantly influence our taste experience. Research indicates that people expecting healthy food to taste bland will rate it as such, regardless of its actual flavor. Similarly, studies show a correlation between beliefs about meat consumption and the perceived taste of vegan alternatives. Even dietary choices can impact our moral judgments, as demonstrated by a study where beef jerky consumption led participants to rate cows as less deserving of moral consideration than those who ate cashews.
Rosenfeld emphasizes the role of social norms and familiarity bias. Our tendency to conform to popular choices and preference for familiar foods, even if novel options are perfectly safe, explains why plant-based meats struggle to gain wider acceptance. This is further complicated by the gender disparity in meat consumption, where men tend to express stronger preferences for meat and less concern for its environmental or ethical impact.
The NECTAR study highlights the need for improvement in several areas. Some plant-based products, particularly bacon, bratwurst, and hot dogs, require significant development. Furthermore, while consumers desire better taste, they simultaneously express concerns about high sodium, fat content, and unfamiliar ingredients. This creates a challenge for the industry: enhance taste while simultaneously reducing potentially undesirable ingredients.
Beyond product improvement, the study underscores the need to shift societal norms. The focus should not only be on improving the taste, price, and convenience (PTC) of plant-based meats, but also on addressing ingrained cultural biases and promoting a more holistic understanding of food choices. The plant-based meat industry must not only create superior products but also change how we think about meat itself.
