British grocer The Co-operative is the sixth-largest supermarket chain in the UK with more than 2,500 locations, and has more ethical leanings than most supermarkets. As part of its drive to keep up with the vegan explosion in the UK, The Co-op have announced the launch of an own brand “bleeding” vegan burger.
2019 is the year for the bleeding burger; this announcement follows the news reported in January this year that Nestlé is launching a vegan burger with the same feature, and the same name; The Incredible Burger. The Co-op burger, found in the freezer, has in its ingredients; soya, chickpea flour, tomato puree, onion, and sunflower oil and contains 13 grams of protein. The ‘bleeding’ comes from beetroot powder.
In 2018 vegconomist reported on research released by GlobalData that states: “People on a low-meat diet, or those reducing their intake of meat, are a fast-growing group far outweighing vegans and vegetarians, and the growth of this segment is expected to continue to rise faster than that of people who follow an entirely plant-based diet.” This supports the idea that many people today are looking for plant-based alternatives that look and taste like meat and it reflects the evolving dynamics of veganism.
Vegconomist has invited Nestlé to comment on this apparent duplication.
