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Author: Mariana Lamas, Research assistant, Centre for Culinary Innovation, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
In 2019, Burger King Sweden released a plant-based burger, the Rebel Whopper, and the reaction was underwhelming. So, the company challenged its customers to taste the difference.
Burger King Sweden created menu item where customers would have a 50-50 chance of getting a meat burger or a plant-based one. To find out, they had to scan the burger box in Burger King’s app. The results: 44 per cent guessed wrong — customers couldn’t tell the difference.
Plant-based meats are products designed to imitate meat. While earlier products like tofu and seitan were meant to replace meat, newer products are trying to mimic its taste, texture, smell and appearance. Plant-based burgers, ground meat, sausages, nuggets and seafood are now in grocery stores and on restaurant menus. They aim to redefine our understanding of meat.