SURVEY: What do Americans really think of plant-based meat?
54% of the 30,700 people polled across the U.S. said they tried vegan meat substitutes. 70% of those said they enjoyed the experience, and 60% said they’d eat them again.
DENNIS LEE: Piplsay, a consumer opinion company, polled 30,700 people across the United States to see what they really thought of these products on fast food menus, and it’s interesting to see how many people are starting to embrace the movement… Above all, it starts with faux-meat awareness. How many people actually know about the availability of plant-based options at their favorite fast food restaurants? The answer: 71%. That means 29% of the people polled weren’t even aware that this was an option yet at many places…
Of those who were aware of the products, 54% said they’ve tried them. Of that group, 21% who identified as meat eaters said they’ve tasted those items once or twice, and 18% of meat eaters said they’d eaten fake meat offerings several times (more than twice). Meanwhile, of the respondents who are vegan or vegetarian, only 8% had plant-based meat on repeat visits and 7% of them gave it a shot only once or twice… The remaining 46% of respondents said they were aware of plant-based fast food options, but hadn’t tried any of them. Of that group, 22% were flat-out uninterested in giving the vegan meat substitutes a shot…
In terms of satisfaction, 70% of those who tried vegan meat substitutes reported that they enjoyed the experience, and 60% said they’d eat them again. The remainder said their experiences were not so good (18%) and not good at all (12%). A lot more people seem to like it than hate it, which must mean it’s doing a pretty good job imitating beef—or providing a similarly satisfying experience, at least… Which fast food joint is serving the most plant-based meat? Of those who have tried it, 41% were Burger King customers. The rest of the fast food chains fall far behind, with Starbucks, Wendy’s, and Subway trailing in at 10% each…
Are you surprised by those findings? If these stats seem backward—as in, it would seem more likely that non-meat eaters would appreciate and order a meatless burger more often than carnivores —c onsider the fact that… plant-based meat is designed for “flexitarians” and meat eaters to replace the meat that’s already in their diet. Not as many vegetarians and vegans are actively craving products that mimic the taste and texture of meat. SOURCE…