NECTAR

NECTAR

© NECTAR
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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Fable Foods blended meat

© Fable Foods
Studies & Numbers

Report: 74% of American Consumers Are Interested in Blended Meat

A new report by NECTAR, a philanthropic initiative working to accelerate the protein transition with taste, has found that 74% of US consumers surveyed are interested or extremely interested in blended meat products. Blended meat (also referred to as “plant-rich meat”) consists of a combination of conventional animal meat and plant-based protein. 51% of omnivorous consumers said sustainability was their biggest interest driver in blended meat, while 47% cited health. Products with a 50/50 mix of plant-based and animal-based ingredients were perceived to be the most appealing. Interestingly, plant-based nuggets outperformed conventional chicken nuggets in blind taste tests conducted as part of the report, while animal-based products remained in the lead in most categories. However, when consumers were given blended meat burgers, they rated them …

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