Sustainability and health remain top drivers for flexitarians, but taste is key to consumers

The taste experience of plant-based meat alternatives continues to fall short of expectation as consumers desire products with improved succulence and a bite that feels as close to meat as possible.

According to research carried out by Kerry, the world’s leading taste and nutrition company, consumers also seek cooking cues such as charring which signal that a burger is perfectly cooked and safe to eat and want meat alternatives with improved nutrition.

In 2022, Kerry carried out research with over 1,500 consumers across four countries – US, UK, Australia and Brazil – to uncover sensory expectations around plant-based burgers and cheese alternative slices.

The research found that flexitarians, the key consumer group driving the growth of plant-based, are more critical of products versus vegan and vegetarian consumers.

The research uncovered the main drivers across key markets, as well as the attributes that consumers seek when purchasing plant-based burgers. Kerry’s research uncovered the following:

• A total of 60% of UK consumers started eating plant-based products because they are considered ‘healthier’ and 76% will buy a plant-based burger described as ‘authentic chargrilled-tasting’.
• 63% of US consumers started eating plant-based products because they believe plant-based is ‘better for the planet’. A total of 80% of US consumers are likely to buy a plant-based burger that is ‘rich and savoury’.
• 51% of Australian consumers continue to buy plant-based due to a better environmental impact, with 78% expecting a burger that caramelises and browns during cooking to be delicious.
• In Brazil, the benchmark is making beef burgers from scratch and seasoning to their liking. A total of 67% of Brazilian consumers continue to buy plant-based because they are committed to improving their own (or their family’s) overall health.

Commenting on the findings, Fiona Sweeney, strategic marketing director at Kerry, said ensuring great taste can be a “gateway to delivering innovative and sustainable nutrition solutions” for consumers around the world.

“However, ensuring a great taste experience – involving a full sensorial experience of sight, sound and texture – is highly complex and in plant-based foods it is inherently more challenging because the bar is set high with meat and dairy as the benchmark,” she said. “Overall, our research found that flexitarians are more critical of the plant-based products currently available on the market. Delivering great taste, along with improved nutrition and sustainability credentials, will be key to success in this category.

She said partnering with experts can help food producers fine-tune product development, “unlock category growth, and create something truly satisfying, innovative and market-leading.”

The findings are contained in a series of eBooks published by Kerry, which contains actionable opportunities for the industry to address consumers’ current expectations and future unmet needs.

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