Business of Alt Protein: The Importance of Sensory Science for Alternative Proteins
Event description
The alternative protein industry is evolving quickly, driven by advances in science and technology. Yet consumer acceptance hinges first and foremost on taste, followed by factors such as price and accessibility. Sensory science provides the tools to evaluate and optimize taste and the overall eating experience, enabling the industry to deliver products that meet or exceed consumer expectations. Join GFI’s Principal Scientist Nikhita Kogar, Palate Insights’ Alice Wistar, and Dragonfly SCI’s Rebecca Bleibaum for a discussion of GFI’s latest sensory guide and real-world examples of how companies are using sensory science to improve product performance and consumer appeal.
Meet the speakers
Nikhita Kogar
PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST, PLANT-BASED
GOOD FOOD INSTITUTE
Nikhita is focused on the technical landscape of plant-based proteins and how to expand their impact and adoption. Prior to joining GFI, Nikhita worked in food and biotech product development, most recently as an Innovation Scientist at Beyond Meat. While at Beyond, she led flagship product development projects from the fundamental research stage through formulation and scale-up. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a PhD in materials science and engineering from Northwestern University.
Alice Wistar
PARTNER
PALATE INSIGHTS
Alice Wistar is a startup operator with experience scaling early-stage food and ingredient brands. She served as Chief of Staff at both Black Sheep Foods and Hyfé Foods over five years, supporting operations, strategy, and commercialization for emerging food technologies. She is currently a Partner at Palate Insights, a product feedback and consumer insights platform, where she supports better-for-you food, beverage, and ingredient companies with product innovation and growth.Â
Rebecca Bleibaum
PRESIDENT/CHIEF, SENSORY INTELLIGENCE
DRAGONFLY SENSORY & CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.
Rebecca Bleibaum is a sensory science leader, educator, and industry consultant with extensive experience advancing consumer understanding and innovation in food and beverage products. She has worked across academia and industry to build bridges between sensory science, product development, and emerging food technologies. Rebecca is actively involved with the UC Davis Sensory Science HUB, where she supports collaboration among students, researchers, and industry partners to advance the future of food innovation. Her work focuses on helping organizations better understand human perception, consumer behavior, and the sensory drivers that influence product success and adoption.
Upcoming events
View all events
African Food Research Conference 2026
GFI is proud to support the African Food Research Conference 2026, a two-day virtual event organized by the Centre for African Food Research and Innovation.
Earth Precision Agriculture Conference 2026
GFI’s Elliot Swartz is helping shape the future of food biomanufacturing at EPA 2026—where precision agriculture, biotechnology, and cellular agriculture come together.
The Science of Alt Protein: Growth factors—Driving cultivated meat cost and scalability
Learn how researchers are developing innovative approaches to reduce growth factor costs and make cultivated meat production more affordable.
The Future of Meat: Technology, Sustainability, and the Meats of Tomorrow
Bruce Friedrich heads to The Commonwealth Club for a conversation about Meat—and why rethinking how we produce meat could shape the future of food.
Fish & CHIPS: Collaborative Huddle for Ideation & Problem Solving
Calling all cultivated seafood researchers and innovators! Join us for our next collaborative huddle on September 29th at 11:30 am ET.
Fish & CHIPS: Collaborative Huddle for Ideation & Problem Solving
Calling all cultivated seafood researchers and innovators! Join us for our next collaborative huddle on September 29th at 10:30 pm ET.
