IFIC Spotlight Survey: Plant Alternatives To Animal Meat
January 30, 2020
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Every so often a new food trend captures our attention, only to fade once the novelty wears off. Other times, food trends have more staying power. The original veggie burger dates back decades, but more recently a new generation of plant alternatives to animal meat has exploded on the food scene, distinguished from their predecessors by the intent to mimic animal meat’s taste and texture.
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) commissioned an online research survey with consumers based in the US to measure knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about plant alternatives to animal meat. One thousand adults aged 18+ years completed the survey from December 20-23, 2019, and responses were weighted to ensure proportional results.
Key findings include:
- 66% of respondents identified as omnivores.
- Nearly half (49%) have tried a plant alternative to animal meat.
- Based on comparing Nutrition Facts labels, 45% believed the plant alternative was healthier than animal meat, while 25% believed the plant alternative to be unhealthier.
- The perceived healthfulness of the plant alternative decreased slightly after the ingredients lists were included with the Nutrition Facts.
- Nearly one in four (23%) said that the Nutrition Facts label influenced their perception of healthfulness more than the ingredient list, while fewer said that the ingredients list influenced their perception more than Nutrition Facts (14%).
- Nearly half (47%) believed that plant alternatives are better for the environment than animal meat. By comparison, only 5% believed plant alternatives to be worse for the environment than animal meat.