IKEA has announced a meat-free alternative to its iconic Swedish meatballs for a more sustainable option.
Swedish furniture retail company IKEA has announced that it will be launching “plant balls”, the “IKEA meatball without the meat”. The company reveals the alternative is not only made from plant-based ingredients, but customers can also expect the same taste and texture of the original meatball, with only 4% of the climate footprint.
IKEA meatballs are loved by people everywhere; so much so that we sell 1bn a year. But we feel it’s time to challenge our icon & continue our sustainability journey. On 3rd August we’ll introduce a plant ball for meat lovers, a more sustainable alternative https://t.co/O841TqLrnD pic.twitter.com/3O1N17liLU
— IKEA UK (@IKEAUK) July 16, 2020
IKEA’s plant-based meatballs are set to launch on August 3, in its restaurants and Swedish food markets. The plant balls are made with yellow pea protein, oats, potatoes, onion and apple. To achieve the classic “meaty taste”, umami flavours like mushroom, tomato and roasted vegetables are added. They will also be served with a traditional place of mashed potatoes, cream sauce, lingonberry jam and peas.
The Swedish company says it is “working hard” to become “climate positive by 2030”, and increasing plant-based alternatives is a way to achieve this goal. The company has also been tweeting about how its affordable products are made for water and energy efficiency, and its solutions for renewable energy and waste sorting.
IKEA’s standard meatballs have been the most popular menu item in its stores, with over one billion meatballs being sold every year, according to the company. In May, IKEA released its meatball recipe to customers who were not able to access the product during the lockdown. And now, those who follow a plant-based diet will be able to have the same experience as their fellow meat-eaters.
