Meat containing 40% plants: no clear labelling in Dutch supermarkets

How Hybrid Meat Products Are Reshaping Dutch Supermarkets

A growing proportion of meat products in Dutch supermarkets contain significant amounts of plant-based ingredients — up to 40% — without this being clearly indicated on the packaging. Research by Wageningen’s Foodvalley shows that products such as minced meat, burgers and sausages are often enriched with plant components like chickpeas, broad beans, sugar beets, seaweed, potatoes and jackfruit. On average, enriched meat contains around 10.5% plant-based ingredients, though this percentage can sometimes be as high as 40%. These additives are usually only listed in the ingredients list on the back of the packaging and are considered ‘soft communication’.

Dutch supermarkets like Jumbo, Albert Heijn and Lidl sell these products partly to compensate for higher meat prices and reduce costs. By adding more vegetables and pulses, meat products can be sold at a lower price: on average, a kilogram of enriched meat costs 4.4% less.

Foodvalley expects the number of enriched meat products to increase rapidly, partly due to the environmentally friendly and healthy properties of plant-based ingredients. While this development is viewed positively, there is a call for clearer labelling so consumers can make more informed choices.

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