Less meat, same taste: Lidl mixes minced beef with plant-based proteins

Lidl is launching “hybrid” meat in Belgium: minced meat that consists of 60% beef and 40% plant-based proteins. The mix aims to provide a sustainable alternative to traditional minced meat, with CO₂ emissions that are up to 40% lower.

“Difference hardly noticeable”

Lidl’s new minced beef is designed to introduce meat lovers to a more sustainable and healthier alternative in an accessible way. By replacing 40% of the meat with plant-based proteins, the environmental impact is significantly reduced: not only are the CO₂ emissions lower, but it also means less water and land use.

Still, the taste and appearance remain the same as that of traditional minced beef, promises the supermarket chain. “The development of this product took quite a while because we absolutely wanted to focus on taste retention. I dare say that even true meat lovers will hardly notice the difference,” says Sam Van Lier, responsible buyer for Lidl Belgium & Luxembourg.

In mid-June, Albert Heijn also introduced a range of “hybrid” products that combine traditional dairy and meat with plant-based ingredients. The chain immediately launched fifteen different references, including dairy drinks with a mix of milk and plant-based proteins, hamburgers and lean minced meat, as well as grill sausages and sandwich spread with celeriac and kohlrabi.