The Vegetarian Resource Group and Vegan Journal commissioned YouGov to ask the following question in a national YouGov adult poll. Listed also are the results.
Which of the following, if any, do you expect from a food labeled as a veggie burger? Please select all that apply.
24% To be able to use it in a similar way in cooking as a burger from a cow.
6% To have the same amount of saturated fat and cholesterol as a burger from a cow.
6% To contain meat from a cow.
9% To only be something that I would purchase if costs less than a burger from a cow.
41% The front of the burger package will identify the main ingredient (such as soy or beans) and say something like “black bean-based veggie burger.”
15% The front of the burger package will say “veggie burger” but will not identify the main ingredient or ingredients.
11% To have the same amount of iron as a as a burger from a cow.
10% To have vitamin B12 added.
43% To be labeled “plant based burger”
31% To be labeled “vegan burger”
21% None of these.
Most people (94%) would not expect a veggie burger to have meat from a cow, and only 6% expect a veggie burger to have same amount of fat and cholesterol as a burger from a cow. As few as 9% said they would only purchase a veggie burger if it costs less than a burger from a cow. Cost had less impact than we expected. Over four in 10 (41%) would expect the main ingredient identified on the front of the package. There was a large segment of the population (43%) expecting a veggie burger to be labeled “plant-based burger” and a large segment (31%) expecting it to be labeled “vegan burger.” So a marketer has to consider their strategy.
All figures, unless stated otherwise, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,769 adults. Four percent were vegetarian (Never consume meat, fish, seafood or poultry) while around 96% consumed one or more of these products. Fieldwork was undertaken between February 6–10, 2025 online in the United States. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all U.S. adults aged 18 and over. Results are based on a sample and are subject to statistical errors normally associated with sample-based information. For the above questions, we can have a 95% confidence level that VRG’s numbers from YouGov are plus or minus one percent (margin of error). Between 15% and 40%, and between 60% and 85%, the margin of error is plus or minus two percent. Be careful when comparing poll numbers to other polls or countries, as questions and definitions of vegetarian and vegan are often different.
You can see other Vegetarian Resource Group polls at https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll