Plant-Based Nuggets Outperform Chicken Nuggets in Blind Tasting

Plant-based nuggets outperformed chicken nuggets in the world’s largest blind taste test of plant-based meats, finds a new report out today. Impossible Foods, MorningStar Farms, Quorn, Rebellyous Foods, and SIMULATE were top taste performers in the nugget category. The success of plant-based nuggets is a win for the alternative protein industry which has continued to face challenging cultural and media narratives in recent months. 

This taste test is the largest sensory analysis of plant-based meats ever conducted, featuring 1,150 American omnivores evaluating 45 plant-based meat products across five categories (burgers, hot dogs, bacon, chicken tenders, and chicken nuggets). Participants ranged in age from 21-69 with an equal split of genders and a range of income levels and ethnicities. All products were tested against an animal-based benchmark to determine how analogous plant-based meats are to animal-based meats.

The Results

The Taste of the Industry 2024 report synthesizes more than 150,000 data points from the world’s largest sensory analysis of plant-based meat. The study was conducted by NECTAR, a new initiative on a mission to accelerate the protein transition with taste.

Taste is widely accepted to be the primary purchase driver for consumers. That’s why the plant-based foods industry is hyper-focused on achieving taste parity with animal-based foods.

While some leading plant-based products have achieved taste parity, Taste of the Industry 2024 shows that the majority of plant-based meat brands fall short. Underperforming category averages across burgers, hot dogs, bacon, and chicken tenders reveal that the average plant-based products are not ready for mainstream adoption. 

The only burger that performed within one point in average liking of the animal product (on a seven point liking scale) was a plant-blended patty (50% beef, 50% vegetable). This indicates future promise for plant-blended meat products across all ground meat categories. NECTAR is currently conducting the world’s first sensory landscape of plant-blended meat products and plans to release a report on the findings later this fall. 

Taste of the Industry 2024 also reveals a clear mandate from omnivore consumers: plant-based products must be bolder. Consumers are demanding products that are spicier, smokier, sweeter, darker, and juicer. From meatier textures to saltier flavors, there's a growing appetite for products that deliver an authentic and satisfying experience. Plant-based brands will need to embrace boldness in order to capture the hearts and palates of consumers nationwide.

Meet NECTAR

NECTAR is a new initiative of Food System Innovations (FSI), a philanthropic impact platform that funds and creates efforts to accelerate the protein transition toward a more humane and sustainable future of food.

NECTAR's inaugural report, Taste of the Industry 2024, offers unprecedented category-level insights into consumer preferences and product performance. By conducting large-scale sensory panels and operationalizing the resulting data in a diversity of pre-competitive ways, NECTAR is setting a new standard for innovation and transparency in the alternative protein industry.

NECTAR leverages data in three ways: First, by inspiring product innovators to continue reaching new heights. Second, by identifying clear calls to action for stakeholders across the alternative protein value chain. And third, by educating eaters about delicious products in distribution.

NECTAR plans to release an annual Taste of the Industry report, as well as more forward-looking Future of the Industry reports. These burgeoning, novel datasets will be used to launch a prize in 2025 that will celebrate great tasting alternative protein products in the market. 

Max Elder, Managing Director of FSI, shared his excitement about NECTAR’s launch: “By championing great-tasting products, empowering brands and consumers with data-driven insights, and fostering partnerships across the industry, NECTAR’s launch heralds a new era of innovation and collaboration in the alternative protein space.”

VWS Celebrates the Team Behind NECTAR 

NECTAR is led by a team of longtime VWS community members who attended The Vegan Women Summit in May. Caroline Cotto serves as NECTAR's inaugural Director, and Food System Innovations’ team members Max Elder, David Meyer, and Galina Hale serve as key strategic advisors. Meyer was an Ally of the Year finalist at this year’s Vegan Women Summit, and Hale moderated a panel at the event on how to build an executive career that matters.

Caroline Cotto brings extensive industry-building experience to the NECTAR Director position. She spent the last six years building the upcycled food industry from the ground up through her roles as co-founder of Renewal Mill and founding Board President of the Upcycled Food Association. Renewal Mill upcycles the nutritious pulps leftover from plant-based milk production into gluten-free flours and vegan baking mixes that are sold nationwide at Whole Foods Market.   

Commenting on the initiative, Cotto stated, "We are thrilled to officially unveil NECTAR and embark on this journey towards a more sustainable and delicious future. Our research underscores the potential of alternative protein products to not only meet but exceed consumer expectations. Despite slowing sales growth and increasingly negative media coverage of plant-based meats, NECTAR will support brands to unlock new levels of taste and satisfaction to ultimately drive more meaningful market adoption.”

NECTAR is currently recruiting plant-based meat brands with products in distribution to participate in its Taste of the Industry 2025 study. Interested parties can reach out to Caroline Cotto directly at caroline@fsi.org.

A Message of Promise

While Taste of the Industry 2024 concludes that plant-based meat products currently in distribution do not consistently meet consumer expectations for taste, this story is ultimately one of optimism.

The success of plant-based nuggets underscores that category leaders with great-tasting products do exist. NECTAR hopes that its data will provide a clear roadmap for future innovations in the sector. By championing bold flavors and data-driven insights, NECTAR is leading the charge in creating a sustainable future where doing good tastes great. 

For more information about NECTAR and to access the full Taste of the Industry 2024 report, visit www.nectar.org. To learn more about participating in future NECTAR studies or to discuss uses for NECTAR’s novel datasets, please email us at contact@nectar.org.