Most people won’t eat vegan eggs – but this works

Plant-based eggs are getting shelf space in the grocery store and appearing on more breakfast menus, but most Americans are still not ready to swap scrambled eggs for a vegetarian version.

A new study by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University researchers reveals why. Using a national survey and experimental vignette design, the researchers found that people mixed plant-based eggs into familiar things, such as pancakes, and sold at a lower price instead of offering plant-based eggs alone.

What tests make consumers bite

Led by PhD students Da Eun Kim and Brenna Ellison, the study was one of the first to study consumer behaviors against plant-based eggs. Their approach is simple, but revealing: Let people imagine a typical breakfast and choose between two meals and between two meals or pancakes – a mess of eggs or pancakes, each made of plant-based eggs, eaten at home or in a restaurant, and in restaurants and in restaurants.

“We want to measure how consumers think of plant-based eggs,” King said. “Vignette experiments allow us to create hypothetical situations and isolate consumers’ real ideas.”

“It’s amazing that, whether in the restaurant rather than at home, the location you eat is not as much as we thought,” Ellison added.

Price, familiarity and form are the most important

The data, collected from a nationally representative sample of more than 1,600 U.S. adults, reveals clear preferences:

• Lower price Increased likelihood of purchasing
• Pancakes Preferred versions made with plant-based eggs outperform hype versions
• Previous experience Plant-based eggs are strongly predicted to be willing to buy

Consumers are less interested in trying plant-based eggs themselves. But when incorporated into familiar dishes, hesitated. “Introducing them as an ingredient, especially in a product that is comfortable with consumers, is a way to get people out of the “mental disorder” associated with trying plant-based eggs,” Ellison said.

Perception: Lag in taste, leading morality

The team also asked participants to compare plant-based eggs with traditional eggs with various food and nutritional properties. As expected, traditional eggs still move forward with taste and appearance. However, plant-based eggs are more favorable in terms of environmental impacts, animal welfare and cholesterol reduction.

“There are still sensory disorders,” King noted. “I tried the liquid version in the bottle, such as egg white. The taste was different, but to my surprise, the texture was very similar to that of a traditional egg.”

Who is buying vegetarian eggs?

The study also identified population trends in purchasing behavior:

• young people More likely to buy plant-based eggs
• Black consumers Those who live in cities or Northeastern United States are more likely to accept
• Political Liberals and food aid recipients show greater interest
• Consumers with children More likely to consider buying plant-based eggs

Meanwhile, older adults and adults in southern or rural areas are unlikely to show interest.

Soft landing for difficult product sales

While the plant-based egg market remains a small part of the entire egg industry (0.5% of total U.S. egg sales), it is growing rapidly. Sales in 2024 reached $71.1 million, up from $45 million in 2021. Egg shortages are facilitated by avian influenza and increased interest in sustainability.

Still, familiarity is key. “Consumers who have previously tried to use plant-based eggs are more likely to buy them,” Ellison said. This shows the importance of an easy, accessible first encounter, such as a pancake breakfast, rather than a direct comparison with the classic battle, she said.

What does this mean for the food industry

For marketers, chefs and retailers, the point is clear: Don’t just slap a “vegetarian” label on scrambled eggs and expect them to fly off the shelf. instead:

• Plant-based eggs raw material In the dishes, consumers already like
• Keep Competitive price With traditional eggs
• emphasize Environmental and animal welfare benefits

As Kim and Ellison’s research shows, this is not to say that consumers won’t try plant-based eggs. They just need the right nudge-and the right recipe.

Published in journals food May 8, 2025. doi: 10.3390/foods14101742

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