A US businessman believes he's created the perfect plant-based burger patty, which is about as close to meat as vegetarians will get.
Beyond Meat executive chairman Seth Goldman is in Auckland for the annual Institute of Directors conference, and brought along a packet of his vegan patties for a taste test.
"This is a plant-based burger and it's different than the typical vege burger," he told Newshub.
The burgers look and smell like beef, and have a similar texture. They're cooked in the same way, and even 'bleed' like a beef patty.
The patties are made from yellow peas, coconut oil, bamboo fibre and beetroot. They contain the same amount of protein as a beef patty, but more iron and no cholesterol.
Mr Goldman created the meat-like texture by carrying out an MRI on a beef burger and replicating its composition with plant products.
But while most vege and vegan patties are kept in the frozen section of supermarkets, this is the first to be sold in meat sections across the US.
Mr Goldman hopes that by marketing the burger with meat, it will encourage carnivores to change up their diets and make healthier, more environmentally sustainable food choices.
"This product has so many different impacts but certainly one of them is around health indicators, and the US, despite the fact it's the wealthiest nation in the world it's actually 42nd in average life expectancy so we've got to find ways to get healthier products more accessible," he said.
And the product is already proving a success.
"This has become one of the top selling items, if not the top selling item, in a lot of the grocery stores we've brought it to."
While the burger isn't yet available in New Zealand, Mr Goldman hopes one day it will be.
Newshub.
