diff --git a/code/modules/reagents/chemistry/reagents/food_reagents.dm b/code/modules/reagents/chemistry/reagents/food_reagents.dm
index 442772fea8..56a89fe389 100644
--- a/code/modules/reagents/chemistry/reagents/food_reagents.dm
+++ b/code/modules/reagents/chemistry/reagents/food_reagents.dm
@@ -60,7 +60,10 @@
 	// data for nutriment is one or more (flavour -> ratio)
 	// where all the ratio values adds up to 1
 
-	var/list/taste_amounts = data.Copy()
+	var/list/taste_amounts = list()
+	if(data)
+		taste_amounts = data.Copy()
+
 	counterlist_scale(taste_amounts, volume)
 
 	var/list/other_taste_amounts = newdata.Copy()