The Uncanny Valley of Fake Meat
New research on plant-based meat texture reveals why getting the fibrousness right is the key to winning over consumers and solving the uncanny valley of food.
By Foodie Pundit Newsroom - Published - Updated - Section: Grocery Cpg
Key points
- The primary driver of how we perceive the "fibrousness" of plant-based meat is its actual physical structure, not just its visual appearance.
- Scientists can now reliably predict the perceived texture of plant-based meat by analyzing images of its internal structure, which will speed up product development.
- Juiciness and fibrousness are independent qualities in plant-based meats, requiring separate technological solutions to perfect them both in a single product.
- Blind taste tests confirmed that our mouths are not easily fooled; visual cues like grill marks cannot compensate for a poor underlying texture in meat alternatives.
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Sources and methodology
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