Food System Innovations

NECTAR

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Studies & Numbers

NECTAR Releases 2025 Plant-Based Meat Taste Report, Announces TASTY Award Winners

NECTAR, a nonprofit focused on accelerating the protein transition through sensory research, has released Taste of the Industry 2025, the most extensive public dataset assessing the taste of plant-based meat products. The study, which evaluated 122 products across 14 categories, provides insights into consumer preferences and areas where plant-based meats can improve to better compete with animal-based products. The study found that while most plant-based meat products still lag behind their animal-based counterparts in consumer preference, a subset of 20 products was rated the same or better by at least 50% of participants. Texture was identified as the most significant opportunity for improvement, particularly in categories such as bacon, bratwurst, and whole-cut steak. Taste and consumer willingness to pay The report found that only 30% …

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Both Burger by 50/50 Foods

50/50 Foods
Studies & Numbers

Could “Balanced Proteins” Help Reach Consumers Who Are Reluctant to Try Meat Alternatives?

A new report by Food System Innovations (FSI) has outlined the challenges involved in convincing consumers to adopt meat alternatives, and whether “Balanced Proteins” — a combination of meat and plant-based ingredients — could provide the solution. In partnership with YouGov, FSI surveyed over 2,000 US consumers to gain insights into consumer behavior in the meat alternatives category. The results indicate that the majority of consumers believe conventional meat products meet their needs; when asked about ground beef, 80% of consumers were either indifferent or believed it was already a healthy option. This illustrates why it may be difficult to persuade consumers to switch to plant-based meat. Furthermore, 55% of consumers prioritize familiar foods when shopping, meaning they may see meat alternatives as disconnected from …

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Studies & Numbers

“Largest” Blind Taste Test Reveals Insights on Plant-Based Meat Preferences

A comprehensive blind taste test has revealed that plant-based nuggets outperform their animal-based counterparts, according to a new report. The study, conducted by Food System Innovations (FSI) under its NECTAR initiative, claims to be the largest sensory analysis of plant-based meats to date, providing substantial insights into consumer preferences. The NECTAR initiative’s inaugural report, titled the “Taste of the Industry 2024,” integrates data from 1,150 American omnivores who evaluated 45 plant-based meat products across five categories. The products were assessed on 15 sensory attributes, and all plant-based items were compared to their animal-based benchmarks.  Key findings The taste test, which included Impossible Foods, MorningStar Farms, Quorn, Rebellyous Foods, and SIMULATE, found that plant-based nuggets were the top performers in the nugget category. Despite these successes, …

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Nowadays clean-label nuggets

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Manufacturing & Technology

Industry Leaders Launch GreenProtein AI to Revolutionize the Texture of Plant-Based Meat

Food System Innovations (FSI), a nonprofit organization founded by industry veteran David Meyer, has joined forces with AI and machine learning expert Noa Weiss to launch GreenProtein AI. GreenProtein AI is described as an innovative project that could revolutionize the alternative protein industry with a new wave of improved meat and fish alternatives.   The project focuses on leveraging state-of-the-art AI and machine learning technologies to optimize the extrusion process, which plays a crucial role in achieving the desired texture of plant-based meat. AI has the potential to predict the texture of products, moving away from inefficient trial-and-error methods. This advantage can lead to reduced consumer prices, faster innovation, and an expanded role for extruders in producing plant-based meats. David Meyer, who previously served as …

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