NECTAR Unveils Taste of the Industry 2025; Reveals Where Industry Can Elevate Plant-Based Meats to Meet Mainstream Palate Expectations

NECTAR, a non-profit initiative dedicated to accelerating the protein transition with taste, announces the launch of Taste of the Industry 2025, the largest publicly available dataset on the taste of plant-based meats. This unprecedented research is designed to accelerate the transition to more sustainable food choices by focusing on the critical factor of taste, which remains the primary purchase criterion for food products in the United States.

Despite the growing awareness of the health and environmental impacts of meat consumption, meat remains a staple in global diets, with 86% of surveyed individuals from 21 countries including it in their diets. The plant-based diet market is projected to reach $238.1 billion by 2034, growing at an impressive rate of 18%. What’s more, the World Bank ranks alternative proteins as having the second-highest greenhouse gas mitigation potential out of 26 agri-food interventions. However, to unlock the full potential of the plant-based meat industry and meaningfully reduce meat’s impact on the planet, taste must be addressed.

NECTAR exists to objectively answer the question: how do sustainable, alternative protein products taste? The Taste of the Industry 2025 is built on a rigorous blind sensory study of 122 plant-based meat products across 14 product categories, evaluated by a diverse group of omnivores. This analysis provides unparalleled insights into consumer preferences, highlighting areas where plant-based meats excel and where improvements are needed.

“Our comprehensive research confirms that taste remains a decisive factor in driving mainstream adoption of plant-based meats. The TASTY Awards spotlight innovative brands that are successfully meeting mainstream taste expectations,” said Caroline Cotto, Director of NECTAR. By publicizing rigorous sensory data and recognizing exceptional products, we’re giving alternative protein innovators the roadmap they need to accelerate market adoption and meaningful climate impact.”

Currently, most plant-based products do not taste good enough. Only 30% rated the average product as ‘like very much’ or ‘like’ compared to 68% for the animal product. However, 20 plant-based products were rated the same or better than the animal by at least 50% of participants. These leading products provide an R&D roadmap for the rest of the industry to catch up.

While improvement is needed, the data shows it is both attainable and worthwhile. Across all product categories, 46% rated the plant-based leader as ‘like very much’ or ‘like’ versus 30% for plant-based average. Flavor and texture are equally important industry priorities, and texture is the biggest opportunity for leader products to close the gap to animal products. Ultimately, consumers say they are more willing to pay a premium for better-tasting products, so further research and development is a worthwhile investment for plant-based meat products.

To celebrate the achievements in taste innovation, NECTAR is introducing the TASTY Awards, a first-of-its-kind recognition based on the world’s largest public sensory study of plant-based meats. The awards honor brands that have demonstrated superior taste based on overall liking, which includes factors such as flavor, texture, appearance, and liking, and where at least 50% of tasters rate the alternative protein the same or better than the animal benchmark in overall liking.

TASTY Award Winners:

• Impossible Foods: Impossible® Unbreaded Chicken Fillet
• Vivera: Plant-Based Chicken Breast
• SWAP Food: SWAP Chicken
• Meati: Classic Cutlet
• The Vegetarian Butcher: Impeckable Chicken Breast
• Tofurky: Next-Gen Deli Slices - Roasted Turk’y
• Prime Roots: Cracked Pepper Turkey
• Impossible Foods: Impossible® Chicken Nuggets
• MorningStar Farms: MorningStar Farms® Chik’n Nuggets
• Impossible Foods: Impossible® Meatballs
• Impossible Foods: Impossible® Hot Dog
• The Green Mountain: Plant-Based Ham
• Impossible Foods: Impossible® Burger
• MorningStar Farms: MorningStar Farms® Steakhouse Style Burgers
• Heura Foods: Heura Burger
• Beyond Meat: Beyond Burger
• Redefine Meat: Redefine Premium Burgers
• Impossible Foods: Impossible® Sausage Patties
• Gardein: Ultimate Plant-Based Breakfast Saus’ge - Original
• The Vegetarian Butcher: Hentastic Southern Fried Chicken

These winners will be celebrated at an awards ceremony tonight, Wednesday, March 12th, from 6-9pm at The Melody in San Francisco, CA. The event will bring together industry leaders, innovators, and consumers to recognize and celebrate the sensory innovations and advancements across the plant-based meat industry.

To explore the full dataset and interactive dashboard, visit Taste of the Industry 2025. Details on study methodology can be found here. NECTAR offers a detailed and customizable look at how plant-based proteins compare to their animal-based counterparts, providing valuable insights for both consumers and industry stakeholders.

About NECTAR
NECTAR is a nonprofit initiative of Food System Innovations dedicated to accelerating the protein transition by leveraging large-scale sensory data to improve the taste of plant-based foods. NECTAR’s mission is to empower the alternative protein industry by providing actionable data and fostering collaboration. Through its research and awards programs, NECTAR supports brands in enhancing consumer satisfaction and driving market growth. By focusing on taste, NECTAR aims to drive meaningful market adoption and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable food system. Visit nectar.org to learn more.

About Food System Innovations
Food System Innovations (FSI) is a philanthropic impact platform investing in a humane and sustainable future of food. As an impact platform, FSI is a strategic hub that accelerates change by combining multiple tools and approaches, acting as both a funder and operator, directly implementing programs while empowering others through grants, investments, and capacity building. Learn more at www.fsi.org.

Contact Information

Caroline Cotto

Director

NECTAR

Contact via E-mail