FamilyMart, one of Taiwan’s leading convenience store chains, has begun selling the world’s first plant-based burger patty called the Beyond Burger, which is produced by California-headquartered Beyond Meat.
Upbeat about strong demand for plant-based meat, which could hit US$85 billion worldwide by 2030, FamilyMart said it has decided to introduce Beyond Meat products to consumers in Taiwan.
The chain said that Beyond Meat’s vegetarian burger patties are made from a variety of protein-based food products including non-genetically modified peas, rice protein, potato starch, canola oil, coconut oil and beetroot, and has a meat-like taste.
The beet juice even allows the product to “bleed,” FamilyMart said, adding that the patty’s iron content is twice that of beef, offering a new option for vegetarians.
In addition to its physical stores, FamilyMart is selling Beyond Meat’s burger patties online.
FamilyMart said it would stock a total of 45,000 frozen Beyond Meat patties and see how sales develop before deciding whether it would continue to team up with the US vendor in the future.
Local media reported that Momo.com, a Taiwanese e-commerce operator, has also signed an agreement with Beyond Meat to sell its products. The reports said Beyond Meat expects to put its products on shelves in Taiwan’s supermarkets and would possibly enter into talks with local restaurants.
In addition to burger patties, Beyond Meat also makes plant-based sausages and plant-based ground beef.
Beyond Meat has also teamed up with Burger King to develop a meatless “Impossible Whopper” to be launched this year.
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