Scientists discover the secret of the pie that makes vegetable eggs irresistible

Da On Kim, a PhD student at Illinois Urbana Champin, and Berina Ellison, Professor at Bordeaux University. Together, they started answering a simple, deceitful question: What makes someone ready to buy a vegetarian egg?

Their new study is one of the first to examine this question. Using a experimental method known as the design of short articles, the researchers tested how factors such as the price and the type of product and determine the behavior of people.

“We wanted to measure the perception of the consumer about the egg -based eggs,” said Kim, a student of graduate studies in the Ministry of Agricultural Economy and Consumer Economy, and is part of the College of Agricultural Sciences and consumers and environmental in Illinois. “The short article experience allowed us to create virtual scenarios and isolate what consumers really believe.”

Instead of asking people directly if they would buy a vegetable egg, the short article method asked the participants to imagine that they are about to eat breakfast. This meal will take place either at home or in a restaurant, and consumers had a choice between scrambled eggs or vegetable pies.

The results were surprising and information rich.

Ellison said: “We expected the preparation to be more important, as we thought that the modernity of the egg -based egg product would lead to people’s desire to eat it in a restaurant that knows the chefs how to prepare the product in a good taste.” “It is surprising that the location of the place where you were eating, whether in a restaurant opposite the house, had no great impact as we imagined.”

In addition, consumers were more likely to buy the egg -based eggs when they were mixed in something familiar, such as pies, instead of serving them alone.

The team also asked the participants to evaluate how to compare the vegetable eggs in the traditional. It is not surprising, that the taste and expected appearance still prefers classic eggs. But the vegetable version was released in the introduction of the environmental influence and the welfare of animals. This reflects a wider direction in food science, as moral motives began to influence consumer options.

Does this mean that every consumer will want to buy the eggs based on the plant? “Maybe not,” Elson said. “However, we found that consumers with previous experience in the vegetable egg experience were more likely to buy compared to people who did not have this experience. This indicates that consumers had a positive experience with the product previously.”

While familiarity with the eggs based on the plant is useful, familiarity with the final product, such as pancakes, may also be a key. Elison said: “It is presented as a component, especially in a product that consumers relaxed, is a way to make people more than” mental obstacles “associated with the attempt of vegetable eggs.”

These results provide a clear message to this industry: Give people an easy, delicious and well -known way to try something new.

“There are still sensory barriers,” Kim said. “I tried the liquid version that comes in a bottle, like egg whites. The taste was different, but I was surprised that the texture was very similar to the traditional eggs.”

This direct experience reflects the results of the study; While taste and texture are still important, many consumers only need to pay the first bite. The best way to do this may be through a hidden swap in a familiar dish.

While the plant -based eggs may not be ready to replace the classic scramble in each breakfast table, they find their position. Science explains that people may not be clear to take them clearly – but mix them in it, make it easy, and meet consumers in their place of existence.