First-of-its-Kind Blind Taste Test in Asia Finds Meat Enhanced with Plant Proteins Can Beat Conventional Meat on Taste

Sustainability gains no longer have to come at the expense of taste. New blind sensory results from the Good Food Institute Asia Pacific and NECTAR show that meat enhanced with plant proteins can satisfy both flavor and climate goals according to Singapore taste testers.

The findings come as Asia faces unprecedented demand for meat and seafood. Global per capita consumption has nearly doubled in the past three decades, and in Asia is projected to grow another 78% by 2050. Meeting such high demand with conventional meat alone is incompatible with global climate goals and natural resource limitations.

Balanced/blended proteins (BPs) offer a path forward. The study, co-authored by Good Food Institute APAC, a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals, and NECTAR, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to accelerating the protein transition with taste, shows the potential of BPs with Asian consumers, by upgrading the meat they already buy with added benefits such as:

• Lower cholesterol
• Higher fiber
• Up to a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

“Integrating plant proteins with conventional meat has the potential to enhance product nutrition, boost protein content, lower prices, and increase food-industry profit margins,” says Jennifer Morton, GFI APAC Head of Corporate Engagement. “Such products could also create a virtuous cycle in which plant-protein producers can rapidly scale up their manufacturing capacity, leverage economies of scale, drive down costs, and expand the accessibility of sustainable proteins, including fully plant-based products.”

20 BPs across 10 categories were evaluated in a blind sensory test by more than 100 tasters, with help from the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), a translational research institute under Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). Key findings from the report show where products are succeeding and where innovation is still needed:

• Top performers: Q Protein’s chicken mince outperformed its 100% animal benchmark. Q Protein products are composed of 30–50% plant proteins, and were developed through a Singapore-based collaboration between Quality Meat, CREMER Sustainable Foods, and Nurasa—a subsidiary of Singapore’s influential state-owned investment firm, Temasek.
  
• BPs reach consumers that fully plant-based meats do not: Consumers in the SIFBI study were 40% more likely to show interest in purchasing BPs than fully plant-based meat. This finding mirrors earlier research by GFI APAC in which more than three-quarters of Southeast Asian consumers skeptical of trying fully plant-based meat expressed interest in trying BPs.
  
• Health is a differentiator: 69% of those surveyed viewed BPs as healthier, leaning into this messaging can help brands break through to the Asian market.
  
• Flavor is a key area of improvement: Addressing top flavor improvement opportunities will drive two to three times greater increases in overall liking, compared to appearance or texture refinement.
  

“Taste is a non-negotiable in food innovation. Balanced Proteins continue to show incredible promise for meeting a trifecta of needs; delicious food, that’s nourishing and more sustainable. This combination is critical to meet global climate goals while bringing healthier options to consumers that they’ll enjoy eating,” shared Caroline Cotto, Director of NECTAR. “As we’ve seen with studies in the United States, consumers are interested and eager to try healthier meat options so long as they maintain the taste and familiarity they’re accustomed to. We hope this report encourages producers in APAC to explore BPs as an exciting avenue for innovation.”

With more research and development GFI and NECTAR believe that BPs could carve out a strong market for Asian consumers, with nine out of 10 respondents saying they would replace a portion of their animal meat meals with meat enhanced with plants.

See the full results of this study here, including where BPs are winning versus where improvement is needed.

About the Study
The blind taste test, managed independently by A*STAR’s SIFBI, evaluated the sensory performance of a wide range of products, including poultry, beef, and seafood BPs from leading startups and multinational food companies. Each product was benchmarked against its conventional meat equivalent using a rigorous double-blind design to ensure unbiased results.

About Good Food Institute Asia Pacific (GFI APAC):
Headquartered in Singapore, GFI APAC is Asia’s leading alternative protein think tank, accelerating a shift toward a more secure, sustainable, and just food system through open-access food science R&D, corporate engagement, and public policy.

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.

Contact Information

Rachel Stoczko

Communications

PR for NECTAR

Contact via E-mail