Recently published research reveals some curious results in relation to the consumer behaviour of North Americans purchasing plant based foods; including the fact that the term “meatless” when used to label a hot dog increases demand significantly.
Impact of labelling
The study addressed the hot dog category and found that labelling the hot dog as “meatless” instead of “vegan” boosts demand by 16%.
The term “meatless” created the greatest demand among the participants, followed by “veggie,” “plant-based,” “animal-free,” and lastly “vegan.”
Further key findings include
- Cultivated meat is the preferred alternative for burgers, jerky, nuggets and filet mignon.
- Plant-based with meatlike properties drives the greatest demand for bacon and lasagne.
- Microalgae is favored for sushi.
- Shoppers are also willing to pay extra for plant-based lasagne and plant-based bacon—even more than for beef lasagna and pork bacon.
Demand for branded burgers
The study found that vegan proteins with meatlike properties did well, ranking as the top alternative for lasagne and bacon. In terms of branded burger patties, Amy’s Organic California Veggie Burgers performed the best, followed by offerings from Sweet Earth, Boca, Beyond Meat, and MorningStar Farms.
“While we may be approaching a saturation point for products like burger patties and hot dogs—making it difficult to win shelf space and market share—our research shows there are still plenty of categories like seafood, jerky, and ready-to-eat meals where consumers are seeking more varied plant-based options,” said Anouar El Haji, CEO of Veylinx.
“Brands can succeed in these categories by launching products that are delicious and priced competitively, even if they don’t duplicate the taste and texture of meat. We also found that consumers are willing to buy unfamiliar protein innovations like mycoprotein, microalgae, and even edible insects—especially when they are incorporated into packaged foods like frozen lasagna and jerky.”
