Burger King is intending launching a plant-based burger imitating meat in Brazil in November, announced the company on Tuesday. The move to launch burger meat like product, which the company called “Rebel Whopper”, highlights the company’s efforts to join the race of luring masses of vegetarian and vegan diners in mass-market chains internationally.
Vegetarian burgers developed by meatpacker Marfrig Global Foods SA will be sold in Brazil by Burger King for 29.90 reais ($7.26), said the representatives of the two companies in Sao Paulo at a press briefing.
Marfrig will be producing the hamburger in partnership with Archer Daniels Midland Co, a U.S. commodities trader.
Consumers around the world are now becoming more and more concerned about their health as well as environmental protections including animal welfare, and that behavior pushed the food companies to adapt to that need of consumers who want to eat less meat, and Burger King’s decision of launching plant-based products came in midst of rising demand of non-meat foods and to cater the needs of such consumers who want to eat less meat.
The non-meat trend has encouraged and gave push to the businesses of start-ups like Impossible Foods Inc and Beyond Meat in the United States, whereas Brazil-based companies like JBS SA and Marfrig which are involved in the traditional business of meat packing are facing lawsuits.
Brazilian-controlled 3G Capital owns the Burger King through its majority stakes in Restaurant Brands International.
Burger King is in plans of initially launching the burger on September 10 in Sao Paulo city, and will further expand it to Brazilian states of Sao Paulo and Reo de Janeiro in October whereas other states or regions will see the Burger King launching its burger in November.
Finding of a survey by the Burger King unveiled that 69% people in Brazil prefer to buy plant-based burger if offered at its stores and that ranks it at first place with China following with 41% , said Iuri Miranda, the company’s Brazil CEO.
