Taste Test PRODUCT: Abbot’s Plant-Rich Ground “Beef” PRICE: $7.99 /10-oz. package NUTRITION PER SERVING (1/2 CUP): Calories 130, Total Fat 4.5g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 550mg, Total Carbohydrate 5g, Protein 18g pieces disappeared into the pasta sauce, but “It had burnt notes and other off flavors when prepped,” a couple told us. “It was dry and crum-bly, unlike any meat we have ever eaten.” “As it cooked, it reminded me of real ground beef,” said a vegetarian. “The preparation was easy and quick. I made tacos so I added taco sea-soning, and I enjoyed the taste with and without the taco seasoning. The texture was similar to other plant-based ground ‘beef’ products I’ve eaten. It wasn’t too similar to real ground beef to be off-putting. It had a pleasant aroma while cooking, and I really enjoyed the flavor.” by Anna Marie Cesario and Jennifer Vahalik, U&I Collaboration, LLC. Food product development and consumer research veterans, Anna Marie Cesario and Jennifer Vahalik, join Alt-Meat magazine as contributors to our regular “Taste Test” column. Here’s how the program works: The alternative meat item is distributed to consumers, including the core demographic, for preparation in their own homes. No instructions are provided to the consumer, other than to write their overall impressions of the product, as well as to evaluate the flavor, texture, packaging and ease of use. Cesario and Vahalik look for common threads by using Getting It!®, a system developed to listen to consumers about products. The sample of people is not intended to be a “taste test” in a controlled setting, nor is it intended to simulate a focus group. Others are doing both. Rather, the intent is to interpret the response of the people who might purchase a product like this and use it, simply based on their encounters with the product in their individual, unique home environment. That is how U&I has been developing cutting-edge product and people understanding since 1999. some didn’t. Some were mushy, and some were almost gristly, which reminds me of ground beef. In the pasta sauce, I would not know it was plant-based.” A boomer male said: “I like the flavor. It’s slightly sweet, but the texture is not like beef. It bounces back when you chew it. But it’s fine because it’s healthier and has less saturated fat than beef.” “When I opened it, it was a bit off-putting, especially in the vacuum-sealed bag,” noted a millennial male. “Makes it seem very processed when it comes packaged like that. It was also a pain to open. The taste wasn’t bad, but it certainly was not beef. The texture resembled ground beef, though, so they nailed that.” A vegan remarked, “The taste was satisfying, and the only negative was that it was so good it took a great deal of willpower not to finish the entire box in one sitting! I definitely consumed at least two servings. The texture replicated chopped meat, and I could feel the browned hard pieces in my mouth along with the ‘fatty’ bits that did not brown. It tasted like I cooked it for hours because it was so well seasoned.” “I used this as the protein source for stir-fried cauliflower. It sautéed quicker than meat but since there is no fat, I had to add an extra tablespoon of avocado oil so the meat wouldn’t stick to the pan,” said an adventurous female. “I also added water to create a sauce since it had a drier consistency than ground beef. There is a robust umami flavor from the mushroom, and the cooked texture is similar to lean beef.” An older female was disappointed, though, saying: “I just can’t get past the texture. It has a chewy bite even though it looks like ground beef.” CONCLUSION “Cheese, salsa, guac and sour cream helped, but I certainly would not purchase this again,” concluded an older female who tries many new alt-meat products. A 30-year-old male agreed, saying, “I wouldn’t have this again.” “It’s crazy pricing at $12.80 per pound,” our couple concluded. “Especially since the first two ingredients are water and pea protein. We would not buy this again.” “I can’t get past the texture and sweet taste,” another female decided. “I’d rather simply cut back on meat and enjoy ‘real’ meat when I crave that meaty, umami flavor.” But a female vegetarian was full of praise, say-ing, “I enjoyed this and will add it to my rotation of plant-based meat products. It’s a bit more expen-sive than my usual go-to, but I’m willing to pay a little more. I like that it is soy-free since so many similar products contain soy. I’d like to try some other recipes on their website.” “It’s a good choice for converting sautéed meat recipes to a plant-rich alternative,” agreed an adventurous female. 38 Alt-Meat May 2025
Alt-Meat May 2025: Page 38
