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Sainsbury’s will soon be stocking meat alternative products alongside meat at 400 of its stores.
Photo credit: Naturli’ Foods
Sainsbury’s will soon be stocking meat alternative products alongside meat at 400 of its stores. Starting at the end of the month, Sainsbury’s customers will be able to find vegan meat alternatives alongside meat products, as opposed to in their own dedicated sections.
Two of the tasty alternatives hitting the chilled aisles will be the supermarket’s ‘bleeding’ mushroom burger and beef mince alternative, both of which are available from 27 June.
Both the burgers and mince are manufactured by Danish plant-based food manufacturer Naturli’ Foods, and are made from almonds, tomatoes, and porcini mushrooms. Although the burgers are not designed to taste like meat, they will give customers underlying ‘meatiness’, and are particularly good for those who are looking to cut down their meat consumption or go vegan, but who would like to replicate the texture of meat in their favourite dishes.
Photo credit: Naturli’ Foods
The umami flavour of the burgers comes from its blend of almonds, tomatoes and porcini mushrooms, as well as beetroot to help recreate the colour of raw, medium and well-done meat as it cooks and add meat ‘juice’ when eaten.
Speaking about the launch to The Guardian, Naturli’ Foods CEO Henrik Lund says it’s a driving force:
“Our goal is to contribute to restore the balance between nature and man.
We’ve developed this product assuming that many people want to eat plants instead of animals, but are afraid of compromising on flavour and maybe even missing out on their favourite dishes such as lasagne or burger patties.”
Minced’s packaging is also environmentally friendly as it is made from at least 50% recycled plastic.
Increased sales
Sales of the supermarket’s current meat alternative products is increasing by 20% each week. By adding new products to their meat-fre range, and by selling them alongside meat products Sainsbury’s is aiming to target vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters looking to cut down on their meat consumption.
Speaking about their decision to up the number of meat-free products they carry in stores, Sainsbury’s meat-free and ready meals buyer James Hamilton said:
“We’re always exploring new ways to offer even greater choice, quality and value and our new Naturli’ mince and burgers are a brilliant example.
“These are our most authentic meat alternatives yet, and for this reason we plan to stock them with our mince and burgers. We’re looking forward to hearing what our customers think when the products launch.”
