Digital Journal recently reported that Burger King has paired up with the startup Impossible Foods to offer a new meatless burger. Following on from this, and a clear sign that there is growing public demand for meat-free’ meat-like’ products, major U.S. chain Del Taco is linking up with the company Beyond Meat to offer new meatless tacos.
From April 25, the new “Beyond Tacos” will be offered across Del Taco’s 580 stores. This will include vegetarian (comes with cheese) and vegan versions. Both products will sell for $2.49 per taco, which is a cut-above the cost of a standard taco which retails at $1.49. In a parallel move Blaze Pizza is adding a vegan Spicy Chorizo topping at its 300-plus restaurants.
Commenting on the launch and with reference to the growing plant-based meat craze, Ethan Brown, the founder and CEO of Beyond Meat told Vox: “Definitely there’s a sense that there’s a movement going on that’s much bigger than any one company. I think competition is good — it helps to grow awareness of the sector.”
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Beyond Meat is a privately held, Los Angeles-based producer of plant-based meat substitutes. Since 2013 the company’s range has been available to purchase from Whole Foods supermarkets, and from 2016 at a range of grocery stores. The company’s products are intended to replace chicken, beef, and pork sausage meat products, derived from pea protein isolates, coconut oil, and other ingredients. The product to be used by Del Taco is Beyond Beef, a vegan ground beef.
These types of products need to be taken as a serious threat to the meat industry, according to senior meat industry lobbyist Eric Bohl. He warns that these type of meat substitute products are not a passing fad and the quality is improving to the extent that only the most discerning of meat eaters can tell the difference.
