Paris (AFP)
The Casino group will sell burgers and sausages made from plants from the American vegan start-up Beyond Meat, in its 500 stores in France, under the Monoprix, Franprix, Géant and Casino Supermarkets banners, he announced on Friday.
Already served in three Parisian restaurants specializing in gourmet hamburger - PNY, Rosaparks, and Steak & Shake -, this meatless burger will be marketed as of Monday by Casino, after having made a "successful start" in Belgium, in the Netherlands and in the United Kingdom, in supermarket chains such as Albert Heijn, Delhaize, Tesco and Coop, the company said in a press release.
It contains a pancake made from peas, beets, coconut oil and potato starch "designed to have the appearance, cooking and flavor of beef", says Casino, which claims to be the "first major distributor in France to market" Beyond Meat products.
Free of soy, gluten and GMOs, its production produces "90% less greenhouse gases, reduces the energy required by 46%, has 99% less impact on water shortages and reduces land use by 93% "compared to beef steak, according to Beyond Meat.
Alternatives to meat, like soy burgers, have been around for decades.
But companies like the American Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger have been working for the past ten years to create plant-based products that come as close as possible to the taste, texture and flavor of real meat.
Listed on Wall Street since May 2019, Beyond Meat has seen its share price jump by more than 380% since.
© 2020 AFP