IKEA’s new plant-based meatballs are heading to Europe this summer as part of the furniture giant’s greater plan to counter its climate impact. The so-called “plant ball” has a carbon footprint that’s 96 percent smaller than its iconic pork-and-beef meatballs, of which it has sold more than 1 billion last year.
The plant-based meatballs are made from a combination of pea protein, oats, potato, and even apple. And while it’s not the first meat-free meatball IKEA’s introduced, it is the first that has been designed to both look and taste like meat.
Starting from August, the plant balls will be available fresh in IKEA restaurants, where meatballs are typically served with the traditional mashed potatoes, lingonberries, and cream sauce. A frozen version of them will also be available at its blue box stores so consumers could eat them at home too.
The plant-based move is a great initiative coming from a company that saw more than 680 million people eat its food in 2019. This means there’s a huge carbon saving possibility if a significant portion of these consumers switches to vegan food alternatives such as the “plant ball”.
