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Nestlé has announced it will be launching a new plant-based burger into the European market.
In its biggest move yet into the meat-free market yet, Nestlé has just announced the launch of a brand new plant-based patty.
The Garden Gourmet Incredible Burger is 100% plant-based and made with natural protein from soy and wheat. To create the look of a beef burger before, during, and after cooking the company has used natural plant extracts such as beetroot, carrot, and bell pepper.
Speaking about the launch, Wayne England, the head of Nestlé’s food business, said in a statement: “These new burgers don’t compromise on flavour, texture and cooking experience. They underline Nestlé’s increased focus on tasty, authentic plant-based food.
“We believe this trend is here to stay, as consumers look at different ways to enjoy and balance their protein intake and lower the environmental footprint of their diets.”
The Garden Gourmet Incredible Burger will launch in Europe from this April, first coming to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Nestlé will also be launching a plant-based burger, the Awesome Burger, in the United States under the Sweet Earth brand.
Wayne England added: “We’re proud of our ability to make healthy and sustainable food accessible to everyone through our trusted brands. This includes plant-based food products under our Garden Gourmet range in Europe and the Sweet Earth brand in the U.S.”
Animal cruelty
Whilst it is encouraging to see large corporations are embracing plant-based foods and seeking to create new meat-free products to meet growing demand, a recent undercover investigation of a dairy farm that supplies an ice-cream brand owned by Nestlé has revealed what campaigners describe as ‘senseless and violent abuse of mother cows and their defenceless calves’.
The company also has a long history of animal testing and in 2015 Cruelty Free International ran an exposé which found, among other things, Nestle researchers starved mice for 23 hours then force-fed them cinnamon to see if it could be used to treat obesity in humans.
Nestlé has also has a murky past when it comes to human rights issues to and is well known for the baby formula scandal where it aggressively pushed its breastfeeding formula in less economically developed countries to the poor, without proper education on how to use it, where it was mixed with unsanitary water leaving babies at risk of illness and death.
