Nestle joins race to serve meatless patties

VEVEY (Switzerland): The race to feed the world’s growing vegetarian population is heating up as Nestle SA unveiled plans to introduce its soya-protein-based burgers across Europe and the United States this year.

Nestle’s meatless Incredible Burger will go on sale in supermarkets in Europe under the Garden Gourmet brand this month, starting out in countries including Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Near the end of the year, a version designed for American palates called the Awesome Burger would be available where Sweet Earth brand products were sold, said the world’s largest food company in a statement yesterday.

As consumers reduce their meat intake, food companies are rushing in with alternatives. Nestle’s announcement comes the day after Restaurant Brands International Inc’s Burger King said it would start a test run of meatless burgers using patties from Impossible Foods Inc in the St Louis area.

“It’s a big trend,” said Alain Oberhuber, an analyst at MainFirst in Zurich who has tasted Nestle’s meat substitute product. “I liked it a lot. Even without sauce, you didn’t really taste a big difference.”

Nestle’s product includes wheat and extracts of beetroot, carrot and bell peppers to help make it look like meat. It is launching it in the chilled and frozen aisles of supermarkets across Europe, while Burger King’s test run is currently confined to 59 fast-food restaurants near St Louis.

The field is growing, with new entrants like Beyond Meat, backed by Bill Gates, competing with The Vegetarian Butcher, recently acquired by Unilever.

Burger King isn’t the first restaurant chain to try selling Impossible Food meat substitutes. They’re available in more than 5,000 restaurants in the US, including White Castle.

Impossible Foods has told US regulators it aims to raise more capital. Temasek Holdings, one of its shareholders, is considering investing US$75 million (RM306.4 million) in the new funding round, said the Financial Times yesterday, citing sources.