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Netherlands: Lidl ventures into hybrid meat products and introduces pea-minced meat mix

Discount Retail Chain Lidl ventures into hybrid meat products and introduces pea-minced meat mix. The minced meat mix consists of 60% minced beef and 40% pea protein and is now available in all Lidl stores.


The step is a result of the innovation pilot in which meat substitutes were placed next to meat. Although more meat substitutes were sold, meat sales did not decrease. With the introduction of the hybrid minced meat, Lidl hopes that consumers will more often opt for more plant-based meat.


According to the supermarket, the minced meat mix is 33% cheaper than minced beef (300 grams for €2.29). The product is produced by Van Loon Group, a meat processor that has also been producing meat substitutes for a number of years.


Update: Dirk follows Lidl

Two months after Lidl's scoop, soft discount chain Dirk will now also launch hybrid meat products. The discounter is introducing a hybrid hamburger and minced meat mix. These products also consist of 40% pea protein. Dirk throws it on other names: beef burger mixed and mixed seasoned minced meat. On the front of the packaging it does not say that it is pea protein, Dirk sticks to vegetable protein.


On the meat shelf

To the dismay of some X'ers (formerly Twitter), the minced meat mix is on the shelves alongside animal meat. The product features an image of a cow and a plant with the text: 'less meat, full of flavour'. It also says on the packaging that it is a minced meat mix with pea protein.


According to Lidl, the choice for the meat shelf is quite logical: the product is indistinguishable from minced beef in terms of taste. Geert de Vries, Lidl buyer: "The taste is the same, but the environmental impact and price are lower. The development has taken quite a long time. We wanted to develop a minced meat mix that contains less meat, but retains its flavour. I dare say that even for the real meat lover, this minced meat mix is indistinguishable from regular minced meat."


AH extra lean meat product

Lidl states that they are the first to sell hybrid minced meat, but about ten years ago Albert Heijn already came up with a hybrid minced meat. At the time, they positioned the minced meat as an 'extra lean meat product', but were rebuffed by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) for deception. The minced beef consisted of 50% soy and grains. After the slap on the wrist, the product disappeared from the shelves fairly quickly. In practice, it turns out to be difficult to communicate properly about hybrid products. Consumers don't understand the term hybrid and claims such as 'less fat' sound like 'less tasty' to consumers.



Photo: Lidl


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