IKEA’s plant-based fans can rejoice as the retailer is introducing a vegan alternative to its conventional meatballs and it is expected to arrive n UAE stores later this year.
IKEA stores in Dubai and Abu Dhabi will serve ‘plant balls’ made from oats, yellow pea protein, potatoes and onions from November.
Reducing carbon footprint
Driven by the idea of making a better day-to-day life for many people, IKEA aims to promote more healthy eating and lifestyle practices with a positive effect on people and the world. Adding the plant ball to the IKEA food range adds to this ambition.
“We sell more than one billion meatballs every year. If we were to convert about 20 percent of our meatball sales to plant balls, that would mean around an 8 percent reduction of our climate footprint for the food business at IKEA.”
Sharla Halvorson, Health & Sustainability Manager,
IKEA.
IKEA maintains that with a carbon footprint of just 4 percent of its classic meatball, the plant ball contributes to IKEA’s goal to become climate positive by 2030.
As good as meatballs
IKEA’s team behind the ‘plant ball’ says that the key objective while developing it has been to recreate the meat-like texture and taste using only plant-based ingredients. It is after numerous attempts and experiments with ingredients and methods that they have come up with their final dish, the team said.
Plant balls join a plant-based hot dog introduced by Ikea in 2018, which has become a personal fave for shoppers around the world.
It looks like November is going to be a big month for IKEA in the UAE, as the furniture giant is opening its second store in the capital.
IKEA’s new store in Abu Dhabi will be located in the first floor of Al Wahda Mall. Spread over 2,500 square kilometres, it will be the first in the center of the city.
“We sell more than one billion meatballs every year. If we were to convert about 20 percent of our meatball sales to plant balls, that would mean around an 8 percent reduction of our climate footprint for the food business at IKEA.”
