Researchers<\/a> from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explored how different elements, including price, the type of food product, and the eating environment, affect consumer decision-making.<\/p>\n\u201cWe wanted to measure the consumer\u2019s perception about plant-based eggs,\u201d says Da Eun Kim, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. <\/p>\n
Instead of directly asking people if they would purchase a plant-based egg, the researchers asked participants to imagine they were about to eat breakfast. This meal would take place either at home or in a restaurant, and consumers had a choice between scrambled eggs or pancakes made with plant-based eggs.<\/p>\n
![\"Breakfast](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6SPPCX4IHZCNNAPHILXCFOZUHA.jpg\")
Consumers were more likely to purchase plant-based eggs when they were mixed into something familiar, like pancakes. (Image: Getty\/MillefloreImages)How consumers like their eggs<\/p>\n
The results, say the research team, were both surprising and informative.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe expected the setting to be more important, as we thought the novelty of the plant-based egg product would lead people to want to eat it in a restaurant where chefs know how to prepare the product in a way that tastes good,\u201d says Brenna Ellison, a professor at Purdue University. \u201cSurprisingly, the location of where you were eating, whether it be at a restaurant versus at home, didn\u2019t have as much of an effect as we imagined.\u201d<\/p>\n
Consumers were also found to be more likely to purchase plant-based eggs when they were mixed into something familiar, like pancakes, instead of served on their own.<\/p>\n
The team asked participants to rate how plant-based eggs would compare to traditional ones. Unsurprisingly, expected taste and appearance still favoured real eggs. But the plant-based version came out on top for environmental impact and animal welfare. This reflects a broader trend in food science, where ethical motivations are beginning to influence consumer choices.<\/p>\n
Does this mean every consumer will want to purchase plant-based eggs? <\/p>\n
\u201cProbably not,\u201d says Professor Ellison. \u201cHowever, we did find that consumers who had previous experience trying plant-based eggs were more likely to purchase them compared to people without that experience. This suggests that consumers had a positive experience with the product previously.\u201d<\/p>\n
While familiarity with plant-based eggs is helpful, familiarity with the end product, such as pancakes, could also be key.<\/p>\n
\u201cIntroducing them as an ingredient, especially in a product that consumers are comfortable with, is a way to get people over any \u2018mental hurdles\u2019 associated with trying plant-based eggs,\u201d says Professor Ellison.<\/p>\n
![\"Bumble](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ZT4J2IKTPJAWBEER7ITLWEQPJM.jpg\")
Real eggs remain a popular ingredient with consumers and are unlikely to ever be completely replaced with plant-based alternatives. (Image: Getty\/John Shepherd)Future of plant-based egg market<\/p>\n
As the plant-based food sector continues to evolve, plant-based eggs are proving to be more than just a niche innovation. They\u2019re becoming a symbol of how ethical, sustainable, and health-conscious choices are reshaping consumer habits. <\/p>\n
While real eggs still dominate breakfast tables, the growing acceptance of plant-based alternatives, especially when integrated into familiar foods, signals a shift in how consumers think about protein. <\/p>\n
With major brands, researchers, and consumers all leaning into the trend, plant-based eggs may soon become a staple in kitchens and menus worldwide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Plant-based egg success Plant-based food market\u00a0valued at $16.55bn Plant-based egg\u00a0market expected to hit $834.5m by 2035 Growth driven…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":322294,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3091],"tags":[116599,116600,51,116601,116602,7479,1203,786,2441,32650,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-322293","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-markets","8":"tag-boiled","9":"tag-boiled-egg","10":"tag-business","11":"tag-chopped","12":"tag-cooked","13":"tag-eggs","14":"tag-food","15":"tag-food-and-drink","16":"tag-markets","17":"tag-slice","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114981431209361581","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=322293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/322294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=322293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=322293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=322293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/VF4NLN6OZJBULMBOZYRR23MGWE.jpg\")
The plant-based egg market is growing at a CAGR of 17.4%. (Thai Liang Lim\/Image: Getty\/Thai Liang Lim)The rise of plant-based eggs<\/p>\n